honours thesis ideas

Honors Theses

What this handout is about.

Writing a senior honors thesis, or any major research essay, can seem daunting at first. A thesis requires a reflective, multi-stage writing process. This handout will walk you through those stages. It is targeted at students in the humanities and social sciences, since their theses tend to involve more writing than projects in the hard sciences. Yet all thesis writers may find the organizational strategies helpful.

Introduction

What is an honors thesis.

That depends quite a bit on your field of study. However, all honors theses have at least two things in common:

• They are based on students’ original research.
• They take the form of a written manuscript, which presents the findings of that research. In the humanities, theses average 50-75 pages in length and consist of two or more chapters. In the social sciences, the manuscript may be shorter, depending on whether the project involves more quantitative than qualitative research. In the hard sciences, the manuscript may be shorter still, often taking the form of a sophisticated laboratory report.

Who can write an honors thesis?

In general, students who are at the end of their junior year, have an overall 3.2 GPA, and meet their departmental requirements can write a senior thesis. For information about your eligibility, contact:

• UNC Honors Program
• Your departmental administrators of undergraduate studies/honors

Why write an honors thesis?

Satisfy your intellectual curiosity This is the most compelling reason to write a thesis. Whether it’s the short stories of Flannery O’Connor or the challenges of urban poverty, you’ve studied topics in college that really piqued your interest. Now’s your chance to follow your passions, explore further, and contribute some original ideas and research in your field.

Develop transferable skills Whether you choose to stay in your field of study or not, the process of developing and crafting a feasible research project will hone skills that will serve you well in almost any future job. After all, most jobs require some form of problem solving and oral and written communication. Writing an honors thesis requires that you:

• ask smart questions
• acquire the investigative instincts needed to find answers
• navigate libraries, laboratories, archives, databases, and other research venues
• develop the flexibility to redirect your research if your initial plan flops
• master the art of time management
• hone your argumentation skills
• organize a lengthy piece of writing
• polish your oral communication skills by presenting and defending your project to faculty and peers

Work closely with faculty mentors At large research universities like Carolina, you’ve likely taken classes where you barely got to know your instructor. Writing a thesis offers the opportunity to work one-on-one with a with faculty adviser. Such mentors can enrich your intellectual development and later serve as invaluable references for graduate school and employment.

Open windows into future professions An honors thesis will give you a taste of what it’s like to do research in your field. Even if you’re a sociology major, you may not really know what it’s like to be a sociologist. Writing a sociology thesis would open a window into that world. It also might help you decide whether to pursue that field in graduate school or in your future career.

How do you write an honors thesis?

Get an idea of what’s expected.

It’s a good idea to review some of the honors theses other students have submitted to get a sense of what an honors thesis might look like and what kinds of things might be appropriate topics. Look for examples from the previous year in the Carolina Digital Repository. You may also be able to find past theses collected in your major department or at the North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library. Pay special attention to theses written by students who share your major.

Choose a topic

Ideally, you should start thinking about topics early in your junior year, so you can begin your research and writing quickly during your senior year. (Many departments require that you submit a proposal for an honors thesis project during the spring of your junior year.)

How should you choose a topic?

• Read widely in the fields that interest you. Make a habit of browsing professional journals to survey the “hot” areas of research and to familiarize yourself with your field’s stylistic conventions. (You’ll find the most recent issues of the major professional journals in the periodicals reading room on the first floor of Davis Library).
• Set up appointments to talk with faculty in your field. This is a good idea, since you’ll eventually need to select an advisor and a second reader. Faculty also can help you start narrowing down potential topics.
• Look at honors theses from the past. The North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library holds UNC honors theses. To get a sense of the typical scope of a thesis, take a look at a sampling from your field.

What makes a good topic?

• It’s fascinating. Above all, choose something that grips your imagination. If you don’t, the chances are good that you’ll struggle to finish.
• It’s doable. Even if a topic interests you, it won’t work out unless you have access to the materials you need to research it. Also be sure that your topic is narrow enough. Let’s take an example: Say you’re interested in the efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and early 1980s. That’s a big topic that probably can’t be adequately covered in a single thesis. You need to find a case study within that larger topic. For example, maybe you’re particularly interested in the states that did not ratify the ERA. Of those states, perhaps you’ll select North Carolina, since you’ll have ready access to local research materials. And maybe you want to focus primarily on the ERA’s opponents. Beyond that, maybe you’re particularly interested in female opponents of the ERA. Now you’ve got a much more manageable topic: Women in North Carolina Who Opposed the ERA in the 1970s and 1980s.
• It contains a question. There’s a big difference between having a topic and having a guiding research question. Taking the above topic, perhaps your main question is: Why did some women in North Carolina oppose the ERA? You will, of course, generate other questions: Who were the most outspoken opponents? White women? Middle-class women? How did they oppose the ERA? Public protests? Legislative petitions? etc. etc. Yet it’s good to start with a guiding question that will focus your research.

Goal-setting and time management

The senior year is an exceptionally busy time for college students. In addition to the usual load of courses and jobs, seniors have the daunting task of applying for jobs and/or graduate school. These demands are angst producing and time consuming If that scenario sounds familiar, don’t panic! Do start strategizing about how to make a time for your thesis. You may need to take a lighter course load or eliminate extracurricular activities. Even if the thesis is the only thing on your plate, you still need to make a systematic schedule for yourself. Most departments require that you take a class that guides you through the honors project, so deadlines likely will be set for you. Still, you should set your own goals for meeting those deadlines. Here are a few suggestions for goal setting and time management:

Start early. Keep in mind that many departments will require that you turn in your thesis sometime in early April, so don’t count on having the entire spring semester to finish your work. Ideally, you’ll start the research process the semester or summer before your senior year so that the writing process can begin early in the fall. Some goal-setting will be done for you if you are taking a required class that guides you through the honors project. But any substantive research project requires a clear timetable.

Set clear goals in making a timetable. Find out the final deadline for turning in your project to your department. Working backwards from that deadline, figure out how much time you can allow for the various stages of production.

Here is a sample timetable. Use it, however, with two caveats in mind:

• The timetable for your thesis might look very different depending on your departmental requirements.
• You may not wish to proceed through these stages in a linear fashion. You may want to revise chapter one before you write chapter two. Or you might want to write your introduction last, not first. This sample is designed simply to help you start thinking about how to customize your own schedule.

Sample timetable

Avoid falling into the trap of procrastination. Once you’ve set goals for yourself, stick to them! For some tips on how to do this, see our handout on procrastination .

Consistent production

It’s a good idea to try to squeeze in a bit of thesis work every day—even if it’s just fifteen minutes of journaling or brainstorming about your topic. Or maybe you’ll spend that fifteen minutes taking notes on a book. The important thing is to accomplish a bit of active production (i.e., putting words on paper) for your thesis every day. That way, you develop good writing habits that will help you keep your project moving forward.

Make yourself accountable to someone other than yourself

Since most of you will be taking a required thesis seminar, you will have deadlines. Yet you might want to form a writing group or enlist a peer reader, some person or people who can help you stick to your goals. Moreover, if your advisor encourages you to work mostly independently, don’t be afraid to ask them to set up periodic meetings at which you’ll turn in installments of your project.

Brainstorming and freewriting

One of the biggest challenges of a lengthy writing project is keeping the creative juices flowing. Here’s where freewriting can help. Try keeping a small notebook handy where you jot down stray ideas that pop into your head. Or schedule time to freewrite. You may find that such exercises “free” you up to articulate your argument and generate new ideas. Here are some questions to stimulate freewriting.

Questions for basic brainstorming at the beginning of your project:

• What do I already know about this topic?
• Why do I care about this topic?
• Why is this topic important to people other than myself
• What more do I want to learn about this topic?
• What is the main question that I am trying to answer?
• Where can I look for additional information?
• Who is my audience and how can I reach them?
• How will my work inform my larger field of study?
• What’s the main goal of my research project?

Questions for reflection throughout your project:

• What’s my main argument? How has it changed since I began the project?
• What’s the most important evidence that I have in support of my “big point”?
• What questions do my sources not answer?
• How does my case study inform or challenge my field writ large?
• Does my project reinforce or contradict noted scholars in my field? How?
• What is the most surprising finding of my research?
• What is the most frustrating part of this project?
• What is the most rewarding part of this project?
• What will be my work’s most important contribution?

Research and note-taking

In conducting research, you will need to find both primary sources (“firsthand” sources that come directly from the period/events/people you are studying) and secondary sources (“secondhand” sources that are filtered through the interpretations of experts in your field.) The nature of your research will vary tremendously, depending on what field you’re in. For some general suggestions on finding sources, consult the UNC Libraries tutorials . Whatever the exact nature of the research you’re conducting, you’ll be taking lots of notes and should reflect critically on how you do that. Too often it’s assumed that the research phase of a project involves very little substantive writing (i.e., writing that involves thinking). We sit down with our research materials and plunder them for basic facts and useful quotations. That mechanical type of information-recording is important. But a more thoughtful type of writing and analytical thinking is also essential at this stage. Some general guidelines for note-taking:

First of all, develop a research system. There are lots of ways to take and organize your notes. Whether you choose to use note cards, computer databases, or notebooks, follow two cardinal rules:

• Make careful distinctions between direct quotations and your paraphrasing! This is critical if you want to be sure to avoid accidentally plagiarizing someone else’s work. For more on this, see our handout on plagiarism .
• Record full citations for each source. Don’t get lazy here! It will be far more difficult to find the proper citation later than to write it down now.

Keeping those rules in mind, here’s a template for the types of information that your note cards/legal pad sheets/computer files should include for each of your sources:

Abbreviated subject heading: Include two or three words to remind you of what this sources is about (this shorthand categorization is essential for the later sorting of your sources).

Complete bibliographic citation:

• author, title, publisher, copyright date, and page numbers for published works
• box and folder numbers and document descriptions for archival sources
• complete web page title, author, address, and date accessed for online sources

Notes on facts, quotations, and arguments: Depending on the type of source you’re using, the content of your notes will vary. If, for example, you’re using US Census data, then you’ll mainly be writing down statistics and numbers. If you’re looking at someone else’s diary, you might jot down a number of quotations that illustrate the subject’s feelings and perspectives. If you’re looking at a secondary source, you’ll want to make note not just of factual information provided by the author but also of their key arguments.

Your interpretation of the source: This is the most important part of note-taking. Don’t just record facts. Go ahead and take a stab at interpreting them. As historians Jacques Barzun and Henry F. Graff insist, “A note is a thought.” So what do these thoughts entail? Ask yourself questions about the context and significance of each source.

Interpreting the context of a source:

• Who wrote/created the source?
• When, and under what circumstances, was it written/created?
• Why was it written/created? What was the agenda behind the source?
• How was it written/created?
• If using a secondary source: How does it speak to other scholarship in the field?

Interpreting the significance of a source:

• How does this source answer (or complicate) my guiding research questions?
• Does it pose new questions for my project? What are they?
• Does it challenge my fundamental argument? If so, how?
• Given the source’s context, how reliable is it?

You don’t need to answer all of these questions for each source, but you should set a goal of engaging in at least one or two sentences of thoughtful, interpretative writing for each source. If you do so, you’ll make much easier the next task that awaits you: drafting.

The dread of drafting

Why do we often dread drafting? We dread drafting because it requires synthesis, one of the more difficult forms of thinking and interpretation. If you’ve been free-writing and taking thoughtful notes during the research phase of your project, then the drafting should be far less painful. Here are some tips on how to get started:

Sort your “evidence” or research into analytical categories:

• Some people file note cards into categories.
• The technologically-oriented among us take notes using computer database programs that have built-in sorting mechanisms.
• Others cut and paste evidence into detailed outlines on their computer.
• Still others stack books, notes, and photocopies into topically-arranged piles.There is not a single right way, but this step—in some form or fashion—is essential!

If you’ve been forcing yourself to put subject headings on your notes as you go along, you’ll have generated a number of important analytical categories. Now, you need to refine those categories and sort your evidence. Everyone has a different “sorting style.”

Formulate working arguments for your entire thesis and individual chapters. Once you’ve sorted your evidence, you need to spend some time thinking about your project’s “big picture.” You need to be able to answer two questions in specific terms:

• What is the overall argument of my thesis?
• What are the sub-arguments of each chapter and how do they relate to my main argument?

Keep in mind that “working arguments” may change after you start writing. But a senior thesis is big and potentially unwieldy. If you leave this business of argument to chance, you may end up with a tangle of ideas. See our handout on arguments and handout on thesis statements for some general advice on formulating arguments.

Divide your thesis into manageable chunks. The surest road to frustration at this stage is getting obsessed with the big picture. What? Didn’t we just say that you needed to focus on the big picture? Yes, by all means, yes. You do need to focus on the big picture in order to get a conceptual handle on your project, but you also need to break your thesis down into manageable chunks of writing. For example, take a small stack of note cards and flesh them out on paper. Or write through one point on a chapter outline. Those small bits of prose will add up quickly.

Just start! Even if it’s not at the beginning. Are you having trouble writing those first few pages of your chapter? Sometimes the introduction is the toughest place to start. You should have a rough idea of your overall argument before you begin writing one of the main chapters, but you might find it easier to start writing in the middle of a chapter of somewhere other than word one. Grab hold where you evidence is strongest and your ideas are clearest.

Keep up the momentum! Assuming the first draft won’t be your last draft, try to get your thoughts on paper without spending too much time fussing over minor stylistic concerns. At the drafting stage, it’s all about getting those ideas on paper. Once that task is done, you can turn your attention to revising.

Peter Elbow, in Writing With Power, suggests that writing is difficult because it requires two conflicting tasks: creating and criticizing. While these two tasks are intimately intertwined, the drafting stage focuses on creating, while revising requires criticizing. If you leave your revising to the last minute, then you’ve left out a crucial stage of the writing process. See our handout for some general tips on revising . The challenges of revising an honors thesis may include:

Juggling feedback from multiple readers

A senior thesis may mark the first time that you have had to juggle feedback from a wide range of readers:

• your adviser
• a second (and sometimes third) faculty reader
• the professor and students in your honors thesis seminar

You may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of incorporating all this advice. Keep in mind that some advice is better than others. You will probably want to take most seriously the advice of your adviser since they carry the most weight in giving your project a stamp of approval. But sometimes your adviser may give you more advice than you can digest. If so, don’t be afraid to approach them—in a polite and cooperative spirit, of course—and ask for some help in prioritizing that advice. See our handout for some tips on getting and receiving feedback .

Refining your argument

It’s especially easy in writing a lengthy work to lose sight of your main ideas. So spend some time after you’ve drafted to go back and clarify your overall argument and the individual chapter arguments and make sure they match the evidence you present.

Organizing and reorganizing

Again, in writing a 50-75 page thesis, things can get jumbled. You may find it particularly helpful to make a “reverse outline” of each of your chapters. That will help you to see the big sections in your work and move things around so there’s a logical flow of ideas. See our handout on  organization  for more organizational suggestions and tips on making a reverse outline

Plugging in holes in your evidence

It’s unlikely that you anticipated everything you needed to look up before you drafted your thesis. Save some time at the revising stage to plug in the holes in your research. Make sure that you have both primary and secondary evidence to support and contextualize your main ideas.

Saving time for the small stuff

Even though your argument, evidence, and organization are most important, leave plenty of time to polish your prose. At this point, you’ve spent a very long time on your thesis. Don’t let minor blemishes (misspellings and incorrect grammar) distract your readers!

Formatting and final touches

You’re almost done! You’ve researched, drafted, and revised your thesis; now you need to take care of those pesky little formatting matters. An honors thesis should replicate—on a smaller scale—the appearance of a dissertation or master’s thesis. So, you need to include the “trappings” of a formal piece of academic work. For specific questions on formatting matters, check with your department to see if it has a style guide that you should use. For general formatting guidelines, consult the Graduate School’s Guide to Dissertations and Theses . Keeping in mind the caveat that you should always check with your department first about its stylistic guidelines, here’s a brief overview of the final “finishing touches” that you’ll need to put on your honors thesis:

• Honors Thesis
• Name of Department
• University of North Carolina
• These parts of the thesis will vary in format depending on whether your discipline uses MLA, APA, CBE, or Chicago (also known in its shortened version as Turabian) style. Whichever style you’re using, stick to the rules and be consistent. It might be helpful to buy an appropriate style guide. Or consult the UNC LibrariesYear Citations/footnotes and works cited/reference pages  citation tutorial
• In addition, in the bottom left corner, you need to leave space for your adviser and faculty readers to sign their names. For example:

Approved by: _____________________

Adviser: Prof. Jane Doe

• This is not a required component of an honors thesis. However, if you want to thank particular librarians, archivists, interviewees, and advisers, here’s the place to do it. You should include an acknowledgments page if you received a grant from the university or an outside agency that supported your research. It’s a good idea to acknowledge folks who helped you with a major project, but do not feel the need to go overboard with copious and flowery expressions of gratitude. You can—and should—always write additional thank-you notes to people who gave you assistance.
• Formatted much like the table of contents.
• You’ll need to save this until the end, because it needs to reflect your final pagination. Once you’ve made all changes to the body of the thesis, then type up your table of contents with the titles of each section aligned on the left and the page numbers on which those sections begin flush right.
• Each page of your thesis needs a number, although not all page numbers are displayed. All pages that precede the first page of the main text (i.e., your introduction or chapter one) are numbered with small roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc.). All pages thereafter use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.).
• Your text should be double spaced (except, in some cases, long excerpts of quoted material), in a 12 point font and a standard font style (e.g., Times New Roman). An honors thesis isn’t the place to experiment with funky fonts—they won’t enhance your work, they’ll only distract your readers.
• In general, leave a one-inch inch margin on all sides. However, for the copy of your thesis that will be bound by the library, you need to leave a 1.25-inch margin on the left.

How do I defend my honors thesis?

Graciously, enthusiastically, and confidently. The term defense is scary and misleading—it conjures up images of a military exercise or an athletic maneuver. An academic defense ideally shouldn’t be a combative scene but a congenial conversation about the work’s merits and weaknesses. That said, the defense probably won’t be like the average conversation that you have with your friends. You’ll be the center of attention. And you may get some challenging questions. Thus, it’s a good idea to spend some time preparing yourself. First of all, you’ll want to prepare 5-10 minutes of opening comments. Here’s a good time to preempt some criticisms by frankly acknowledging what you think your work’s greatest strengths and weaknesses are. Then you may be asked some typical questions:

• What is the main argument of your thesis?
• How does it fit in with the work of Ms. Famous Scholar?
• Have you read the work of Mr. Important Author?

NOTE: Don’t get too flustered if you haven’t! Most scholars have their favorite authors and books and may bring one or more of them up, even if the person or book is only tangentially related to the topic at hand. Should you get this question, answer honestly and simply jot down the title or the author’s name for future reference. No one expects you to have read everything that’s out there.

• Why did you choose this particular case study to explore your topic?
• If you were to expand this project in graduate school, how would you do so?

Should you get some biting criticism of your work, try not to get defensive. Yes, this is a defense, but you’ll probably only fan the flames if you lose your cool. Keep in mind that all academic work has flaws or weaknesses, and you can be sure that your professors have received criticisms of their own work. It’s part of the academic enterprise. Accept criticism graciously and learn from it. If you receive criticism that is unfair, stand up for yourself confidently, but in a good spirit. Above all, try to have fun! A defense is a rare opportunity to have eminent scholars in your field focus on YOU and your ideas and work. And the defense marks the end of a long and arduous journey. You have every right to be proud of your accomplishments!

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Atchity, Kenneth. 1986. A Writer’s Time: A Guide to the Creative Process from Vision Through Revision . New York: W.W. Norton.

Barzun, Jacques, and Henry F. Graff. 2012. The Modern Researcher , 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Elbow, Peter. 1998. Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process . New York: Oxford University Press.

Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. 2014. “They Say/I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing , 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.

Lamott, Anne. 1994. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life . New York: Pantheon.

Lasch, Christopher. 2002. Plain Style: A Guide to Written English. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Turabian, Kate. 2018. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, Dissertations , 9th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Honors Program

Thesis examples.

• Thesis Supervisor
• Online Submission Instructions
• Online Approval Instructions
• Thesis Extensions
• Publishing in Open Commons

At this point in your college career you are probably most used to projects that can be completed in the span of one semester. Your thesis project will likely span multiple semesters and may be larger than any project you’ve taken on in the past. For those reasons alone, it’s important to look at examples.

Examples can also help you:

• Learn about potential topics
• Think creatively and reflectively about your interests and how you will contribute to your field
• Determine scope and scale of an Honors thesis (as opposed to a Master’s thesis or Doctoral dissertation)
• Identify potential thesis supervisors
• Understand methods that may be beneficial in completing your thesis

There are two ways to search:

• UConn’s Open Commons contains many recent Honors theses.
• by author’s last name
• by author’s major
• by thesis supervisor
• by the thesis supervisor’s department

If a thesis is available in Open Commons, the title will be hyperlinked within the above PDF files.  Hard copy theses from and 2019 are currently stored in the Honors Program office but are moving soon to the Archives.  Theses from 2018 and older are in the University Archives located at the Dodd Research Center. If you wish to see an older thesis, you must make arrangements through Betsy Pittman at the University Archives Office.

Thesis from 2020 and newer are not available for viewing. They would only be available if the author posted it to Open Commons and it was linked in the PDF’s above.

Note: Questions about the PDFs may be directed to the Honors Program Office .

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Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Examples of honors theses written by economics undergraduate students.

Posted with permission of the author. © 2019-2022 by the individual author. All rights reserved.

• "The Causal Effect of ACA Subsidies on Insurance Coverage Status Among California Adults"  - William Vereyken
• "Economic Impacts of Immigration Detention Centers Built Between 1990-2016 on U.S. Commuting Zones"  - Ekaterina Yudina

Spring/Summer 2022

• "The Impact of Indiv. Mandate on High-Income, Non-elderly Indiv. Health Insurance Coverage Rates and Racial/Ethnic Disparities"  - YeJin Ahn
• "An Economic Analysis of the 1997 Amhara Land Redistribution in Ethiopia"  - Ezana Anley
• "Affirmative Action's Effect on Educational and Wage Outcomes for Underrepresented Minorities"  - Vishnu G. Arul
• "Are the Effects of Racism Really That Black and White? A Study on the Effect Racism Has on the Productivity of Black   Footballers in the Premier League"  - Advik Banerjee
• "An Empirical Analysis of Industrial Concentration and Prices: Can We Blame Inflation on Corporate Greed?"  - Anton Bobrov
• "Tax Revenue Cyclicality and Income Inequality: Evidence from U.S. Counties From 1989 to 2019"  - Yiyang Chen
• "The Impact of Economic Opportunities on African American Migration Patterns in Oakland"  - Fernando Cheung
• "Impact of Tech Companies on Wages in the Local Economy"  - Niki Collette
• "Warm Welcome: Evidence for Weather-based Projection Bias in College Choice"  - Maria Cullen
• "Impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on Bilateral Trade with China"  - Pedro de Marcos
• "Renaissance of the Black Homeowner: Impact Evaluation of Michigan's Renaissance Zones"  - Rupsha Debnath
• "Lockdown Blues: The Effect of Social Norms on the Psychological Cost of Unemployment During the COVID-19 Pandemic"  - Dylan Hallahan
• "How Education Affects Health Outcomes Across Genders"  - Jessica Li
• "Is Increasing Diversity Inclusion Effective in Improving Companies' Performance in the Financial Services Industry?"  - Miranda Li
• "The Future Financial Status of the Social Security Program"  - Chloe Manouchehri
• "Does Recreational Marijuana Legalization Affect Hard-Drug Use? - Evidence from Cocaine Prevalence and Treatment Admissions"  - Arthur Weiss
• "Relationship Between Economic Status and Money Spent on Private Education Leading to Economic Inequality in South Korea"  - Jiho Lee
• "The Impact of Migrant Remittances on Rural Labor Supply: Evidence from Nepal"  - Amanda Wong
• "Confirmation Bias: The Role of Messages and Messengers"  - Hongyu (Randol) Yao

Spring 2021

• "Gender Equality and Economic Growth: Solving the Asian Puzzle"  - Zoya Ali
• "Women in STEM: Moving Up or Falling Off the Academic Career Ladder?"  - Sophia J. Bai
• "Time Dependence in Okun's Law at the State Level" - Sarah Baig
• "Labor Regulation and the Impact on Firm Behavior in India" - Vatsal Bajaj
• "Gender Representation in Academia: Evidence from the Italian Education System Reform" - Oyundari Batbayar
• "Money & Marriage on the Elementary Mind: A High-Level Analysis of Inequitable Child Development in LA County" - Matthew J. Chang
• "Unanticipated Unemployment Rate News on the Stock Market" - David Chi
• "Should Physicians Be More Collaborative? Determining the Relationship Between Patient Participation and Treatment Plan Confidence Across a Spectrum of Illness Severity in the State of California" - Saif Chowdhury
• "Modeling Optimal Investment and Greenhouse Gas Abatement in the Presence of Technology Spillovers" - Sabrina Chui
• "Understanding the Influence of Marginal Income Tax Rates on Retirement Investment Habits"  - Daniel Cohen
• "Infrastructure in India's Internal War: A District-Level Analysis of the Naxalite-Maoist Conflict" - Krunal Desai
• "Do Eucalyptus Trees Increase Wildfires?"  - Lila Englander
• "Understanding the Labor Outcomes of Hurricane Sandy" - Kevin Fang
• "Does TikTok Show Viewers the Content Relevant to them?" - Ekaterina Fedorova
• "The Impact of the Affordable Care Act Dependent Care Provision on Long-term Young Adult Labor Market Choices" - Anne Fogarty
• "Orchestra Sex Disparity: Experimental Evidence from Audience Members" - Richard Gong
• "The Big Three Medical Price Indexes: A Comparative Review and Analysis"  - Robert Hovakimyan
• "Effect of Value-Added-Services on Customer Reviews in a Platform Marketplace" - Shankar Krishnan
• "COVID19 Recession: Gender Layoff Gap Explodes" - Ember Lin-Sperry
• "The Gender Wage Gap in China: Learning from Recent Longitudinal Data" - Donghe Lyu
• "Local Graduation Policies as a Tool for Increasing College Eligibility: Evidence from Los Angeles" - Dan L. Ma
• "Trust in Government and Lockdown Compliance in Sub-Saharan Africa" - Charles McMurry
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Spring/Summer 2020

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• "Examining Local Price Levels and Income Distribution Over Time" - Josh Archer
• "Estimating the Effect of Grandparent Death on Fertility" - Jason Chen
• "Democracy in the Face of COVID-19: Have Less Democratic Countries Been More Effective at Preventing the Spread of This Pandemic ?" - Yi Chen
• "Understanding the Effects of Conditional Cash Transfers on Indigenous People in Mexico" - Arushi Desai
• "Microfinance and Payday Lending: Are they Solving a Problem or Creating One?" - Sophia Faulkner
• "The Risk-Taking Channel of Monetary Policy and Foreign Banks" - Noah Forougi
• "Ride of Die? Metropolitan Bikeshare Systems and Pollution" - Sean Furuta
• "Internet's Important Involvement in Information Industry Integration in Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana (and others): How the emerging internet affected the economic geography of the information industry" - Keming (Alex) Gao
• "The Relationship between Economic Crises and Long-Run Wealth Inequality" - Renuka Garg
• "Voter Bias in the Associated Press College Football Poll : Reconducting a 2009 study with new data in a $1 Billion-dollar industry that has seen significant changes in the past decade"  - Brent Hensley
• "Monopsony Exploitation in Major League Baseball: Using Wins Above Replacement to Estimate Marginal Revenue Product" - Jacob C. Hyman
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• "Efficiency, Bias, and Decisions: Observations from a Sports Betting Exchange" - Alexander Kan
• "The Effect of Medicaid Expansion on Substance Use Disorder Treatment Utilization: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act" - Christy Kang
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• "The Effects of Occupancy Taxes on the Short-Term Rental Market: Evidence from Boston" - Alan Liang
• "Corporate Types and Bank Lending in Contractionary Era: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies" - Zishen Liu
• "Financial Constraints on Student Learning: An Analysis of How Financial Stress Influences Cognitive Function in Children" - Simone Matecna
• "The Effect of Workplace Inspections on Employment and Sales - A Regression Discontinuity Analysis" - Jeseo Park
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• "The Effect of Intangible Assets on Value Added: Evidence from microdata across small and large firms in Europe" - Tamara Sequeira
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• "Effect of Campus Shootings on Academic Achievement: Examination of 2014 Isla Vista Killings" - Min Joo (Julie) Song
• "First-Degree Price Discrimination: Evidence from Informal Markets in India" - Rishab Srivastava
• "Who Benefits From Gentrification? A Case Study of Oregon Public High Schools" - Namrata Subramanian
• "Estimating the Economic Impacts of Wealth Taxation in France" - Jeffrey Suzuki
• "Transit-Oriented Development or Transit-Oriented Displacement? Evaluating the Sorting Effect of Public Transportation in Los Angeles County" - Yeeling Tse
• "How State Abortion Policy Restrictiveness is Associated with Unintended Pregnancy Outcomes in the United States from 2014-2018" - Ruhee Wadhwania
• "Global Food Security and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation"  - Aidan Wang
• "The Relationship Between Pharmaceutical R&D Spending and NME Development" - Taylor Wang
• "The Role of Individual Risk Attitude in Occupational Inheritance" - Yi Wang
• "Labor Market Segmentation: Evidence from U.S. Janitorial Jobs Advertised in English and Spanish" - Zijun Xu
• "Bias on the Brain: How Patient Gender Influences Use of Emergency Room Diagnostic Imaging" - Abigail Zhong
• "Age Effects, Irrationality and Excessive Risk-Taking in Supposedly Expert Agents" - William Aldred
• "Pricing Disparities for Minority Communities in Chicago: Rideshares and Taxis" - Matthew Cleveland
• "Where My Negros At? Evaluating the Effects of Banning Affirmative Action on Black College Enrollment" - Ellie Koepplinger
• "Race and Recession: How Minorities May Affect Downturns" - Alexander Szarka
• "Understanding the Effects of Canadian International Food Aid on Production and Trade" - Patrick D. Tagari
• "Urban Property Rights and Labor Supply in Peru: Heterogeneity Analysis by Gender and Educational Attainment" - Juan Sebastián Rozo Vásquez
• "Effect of High-Speed Rail on City Tourism Revenue in China: A Perspective on Spatial Connectivity" - Lingyun Xiao

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Examples of Previous Research Theses

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UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.

Honors & Theses

The Honors Thesis: An opportunity to do innovative and in-depth research.  

An honors thesis gives students the opportunity to conduct in-depth research into the areas of government that inspire them the most. Although, it’s not a requirement in the Department of Government, the honors thesis is both an academic challenge and a crowning achievement at Harvard. The faculty strongly encourages students to write an honors thesis and makes itself available as a resource to those students who do. Students work closely with the thesis advisor of their choice throughout the writing process. Approximately 30% of Government concentrators each year choose to write a thesis.

Guide to Writing a Senior Thesis in Government  

You undoubtedly have many questions about what writing a thesis entails. We have answers for you. Please read  A Guide to Writing a Senior Thesis in Government , which you can download as a PDF below. If you still have questions or concerns after you have read through this document, we encourage you to reach out to the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Nara Dillon ( [email protected] ), the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dr. Gabriel Katsh ( [email protected] ), or the Undergraduate Program Manager, Karen Kaletka ( [email protected] ).  

Writing an Honors Thesis

An Honors Thesis is a substantial piece of independent research that an undergraduate carries out over two semesters. Students writing Honors Theses take PHIL 691H and 692H, in two different semesters. What follows answers all the most common questions about Honors Theses in Philosophy.

All necessary forms are downloadable and may be found in bold, underlined text below.

Who can write an Honors Thesis in Philosophy?

Any Philosophy major who has a total, cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 and a GPA of at least 3.5 (with a maximum of one course with a PS grade) among their PHIL courses can in principle write an Honors Thesis. In addition, students need to satisfy a set of specific pre-requisites, as outlined below.

What are the pre-requisites for an Honors Thesis in Philosophy?

The requirements for writing an Honors Thesis in Philosophy include

• having taken at least five PHIL courses, including two numbered higher than 299;
• having a total PHIL GPA of at least 3.5 (with a maximum of one course with a PS grade); and
• having done one of the following four things:
• taken and passed PHIL 397;
• successfully completed an Honors Contract associated with a PHIL course;
• received an A or A- in a 300-level course in the same area of philosophy as the proposed thesis ; or
• taken and passed a 400-level course in the same area of philosophy as the proposed thesis .

When should I get started?

You should get started with the application process and search for a prospective advisor the semester before you plan to start writing your thesis – that is, the semester before the one in which you want to take PHIL 691H.

Often, though not always, PHIL 691H and 692H are taken in the fall and spring semesters of the senior year, respectively. It is also possible to start earlier and take 691H in the spring semester of the junior year and PHIL 692H in the fall of the senior year. Starting earlier has some important advantages. One is that it means you will finish your thesis in time to use it as a writing sample, should you decide to apply to graduate school. Another is that it avoids a mad rush near the very end of your last semester.

How do I get started?

Step 1: fill out the honors thesis application.

The first thing you need to do is fill out an Honors Thesis Application   and submit it to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) for their approval.

Step 2: Find an Honors Thesis Advisor with the help of the DUS

Once you have been approved to write an Honors Thesis, you will consult with the DUS about the project that you have in mind and about which faculty member would be an appropriate advisor for your thesis. It is recommended that you reach out informally to prospective advisors to talk about their availability and interest in your project ahead of time, and that you include those suggestions in your application, but it is not until your application has been approved that the DUS will officially invite the faculty member of your choice to serve as your advisor. You will be included in this correspondence and will receive written confirmation from your prospective advisor.

Agreeing to be the advisor for an Honors Thesis is a major commitment, so bear in mind that there is a real possibility that someone asked to be your advisor will say no. Unfortunately, if we cannot find an advisor, you cannot write an Honors Thesis.

Step 3: Fill out the required paperwork needed to register for PHIL 691H

Finally, preferably one or two weeks before the start of classes (or as soon as you have secured the commitment of a faculty advisor), you need to fill out an Honors Thesis Contract and an Honors Thesis Learning Contract , get them both signed by your advisor, and email them to the DUS.

Once the DUS approves both of these forms, they’ll get you registered for PHIL 691H. All of this should take place no later than the 5th day of classes in any given semester (preferably sooner).

What happens when I take PHIL 691H and PHIL 692H?

PHIL 691H and PHIL 692H are the course numbers that you sign up for to get credit for working on an Honors Thesis. These classes have official meeting times and places. In the case of PHIL 691H , those are a mere formality: You will meet with your advisor at times you both agree upon. But in the case of PHIL 692H , they are not a mere formality: The class will actually meet as a group, at least for the first few weeks of the semester (please see below).

When you take PHIL 691H, you should meet with your advisor during the first 5 days of classes and, if you have not done so already, fill out an Honors Thesis Learning Contract  and turn in to the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) . This Contract will serve as your course syllabus and must be turned in and approved no later than the 5th day of classes in any given semester (preferably sooner). Once the DUS approves your Honors Thesis Learning Contract, they’ll get you registered for PHIL 691H.

Over the course of the semester, you will meet regularly with your advisor. By the last day of classes, you must turn in a 10-page paper on your thesis topic; this can turn out to be part of your final thesis, but it doesn’t have to. In order to continue working on an Honors Thesis the following semester, this paper must show promise of your ability to complete one, in the opinion of your advisor. Your advisor should assign you a grade of “ SP ” at the conclusion of the semester, signifying “satisfactory progress” (so you can move on to PHIL 692H). Please see page 3 of this document for more information.

When you take PHIL 692H, you’ll still need to work with your advisor to fill out an Honors Thesis Learning Contract . This Contract will serve as your course syllabus and must be turned in to and approved by the DUS  no later than the 5th day of classes in any given semester (preferably sooner).

Once the DUS approves your Honors Thesis Learning Contract, they’ll get you registered for PHIL 692H.

At the end of the second semester of senior honors thesis work (PHIL 692H), your advisor should assign you a permanent letter grade. Your advisor should also change your PHIL 691H grade from “ SP ” to a permanent letter grade. Please see page 3 of this document for more information.

The Graduate Course Option

If you and your advisor agree, you may exercise the Graduate Course Option. If you do this, then during the semester when you are enrolled in either PHIL 691H or PHIL 692H, you will attend and do the work for a graduate level PHIL course. (You won’t be officially enrolled in that course.) A paper you write for this course will be the basis for your Honors Thesis. If you exercise this option, then you will be excused from the other requirements of the thesis course (either 691H or 692H) that you are taking that semester.

Who can be my advisor?

Any faculty member on a longer-than-one-year contract in the Department of Philosophy may serve as your honors thesis advisor. You will eventually form a committee of three professors, of which one can be from outside the Department.  But your advisor must have an appointment in the Philosophy Department. Graduate Students are not eligible to advise Honors Theses.

Who should be my advisor?

Any faculty member on a longer-than-one-year contract in the Department of Philosophy may serve as your honors thesis advisor. It makes most sense to ask a professor who already knows you from having had you as a student in a class. In some cases, though, this is either not possible, or else there is someone on the faculty who is an expert on the topic you want to write about, but from whom you have not taken a class. Information about which faculty members are especially qualified to advise thesis projects in particular areas of philosophy can be found  here .

What about the defense?

You and your advisor should compose a committee of three professors (including the advisor) who will examine you and your thesis. Once the committee is composed, you will need to schedule an oral examination, a.k.a. a defense. You should take the initiative here, communicating with all members of your committee in an effort to find a block of time (a little over an hour) when all three of you can meet. The thesis must be defended by a deadline , set by Honors Carolina , which is usually a couple of weeks before the end of classes. Students are required to upload the final version of their thesis to the  Carolina Digital Repository  by the final day of class in the semester in which they complete the thesis course work and thesis defense.

What is an Honors Thesis in Philosophy like?

An Honors Thesis in Philosophy is a piece of writing in the same genre as a typical philosophy journal article. There is no specific length requirement, but 30 pages (double-spaced) is a good guideline. Some examples of successfully defended Honors The easiest way to find theses of past philosophy students is on the web in the Carolina Digital Repository . Some older, hard copies of theses are located on the bookshelf in suite 107 of Caldwell Hall. (You may ask the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) , or anyone else who happens to be handy, to show you where it is!)

How does the Honors Thesis get evaluated?

The honors thesis committee will evaluate the quality and originality of your thesis as well as of your defense and then decides between the following three options:

• they may award only course credit for the thesis work if the thesis is of acceptable quality;
• they may designate that the student graduate with honors if the thesis is of a very strong quality;
• they may  recommend  that the student graduate with highest honors if the thesis is of exceptional quality.

As a matter of best practice, our philosophy department requires that examining committees refer all candidates for highest honors to our Undergraduate Committee chaired by the Director of Undergraduate Studies. This committee evaluates nominated projects and makes the final decision on awarding highest honors. Highest honors should be awarded only to students who have met the most rigorous standards of scholarly excellence.

College of Arts & Sciences

Thesis Topics

You are invited to pursue any topic that falls under the English department’s purview, and the Honors Committee will assume that you will pursue it with scholarly rigor, intellectual seriousness, and artistic integrity. You should follow your own interests and commitments in defining your project, though you should avail yourself of the advice of those faculty members whose expertise will help you focus your ideas and give them depth. Again, we welcome critical, creative, interdisciplinary, mixed genre, and hybrid creative/critical projects. Most successful applicants have derived their projects from interests developed during their time as English majors at Georgetown. During the actual writing of the thesis, of course, you will work closely with a faculty mentor.

Here is a partial list of the kinds of literary and interdisciplinary topics that Honors students have pursued over the past few years:

• Polyphony in the novels of Cormac McCarthy
• Women in post-Stonewall gay male literature
• Madness and skepticism in Hamlet and Don Quixote
• Dialogism in Toni Morrison and Christa Woolf
• The Booker Prize as post-colonial phenomenon
• Jazz in the Harlem Renaissance
• The scientific revolution and 18th-century narratives
• Irvine Welsh and dialect writing
• Sound and structure in scripts
• Identity and memory in Maxine Hong Kingston
• Influence of the internet on writing
• The written legacy of oral narratives in Amerindian culture
• Medieval women troubadours
• African-American women writers and their Biblical heritage
• Adult-child discourse in real-life conversation and classic children’s literature
• The role of bible-making in the works of Blake, Wordsworth, and Hardy
• Morality plays in the Middle Ages and the twentieth century

In addition, Honors students have written short story collections, memoirs, and collections of poetry. Students have also written hybrid creative/critical projects, such as a critique of postcolonial memoir within a postcolonial memoir. Those students who propose creative projects should have developed their skills through taking courses with the Georgetown English Department creative writing faculty or through participation in campus and professional journals and other creative venues.

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Honors Thesis Topics

Listed below are previous Neag School of Education Honors thesis topics from 2006 to present:

Jannatul Anika , Secondary Biology Education Thesis Supervisor: Catherine Little Expanding Teacher Diversity and Learning Achievements: Understanding and Supporting the Teaching Career Decision Making of Minoritized Students

The purpose of this study is to explore how college students of color who are considering (or have considered) the teaching profession describe the internal and external factors that are influencing their career decision. This project translates the observations and experiences around the lack of diversity in the teaching workforce and aims to understand the underlying reasons there is a shortage of teachers of color, with the goal of recommending solutions. In Connecticut during the 2021-22 academic year, 89.9 percent of public school teachers identified as White, while Connecticut’s population of students of color is more than 45 percent (Blanco, 2021; State of Connecticut, 2021). Students of color at two Connecticut universities participated in open ended surveys and interviews to share their reflections. The responses from students were complemented by interviewing current educators of color who shared their perspective on the field and their identities. The methods of this research emphasized the importance and value of listening to college students of color first in identifying points of dissonance in choosing the teaching profession before proposing recruitment policies and programs.

Jessi Cooper , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Catherine Little Autism, Gender, and Identity in College Students

Existing literature on autism’s relationships with identity and gender is sparse, and this study aims to investigate what few have: how do autistic females view these variables and their relationships? This is a qualitative, interview-based study of 10 college students who identify as autistic and identify as female and/or were assigned female at birth. Participants shared their experiences with autism diagnosis, gender identity, and navigating their sense of self. The study found four themes among participants’ responses: (i) Many types of diagnosis obstacles exist, as do mitigating factors for some of these obstacles, (ii) Various motives led participants to camouflage, but negative effects motivated many to reduce camouflaging behavior, (iii) Autism is related to both perceptions and enactions of gender, and (iv) Autism impacts identity in multiple ways outside of gender. These themes largely agree with and build on patterns found in the minimal existing literature.

Emily Dell’Orfano , Music Education Thesis Supervisor: Cara Bernard Mission Statements and the Online Presence of Children’s Choruses: A Content Analysis

The language used in an organization’s mission statement implies the values held by that organization. Common music education values have been top-tier education, musical excellence, and the cultivation of high-achieving, well-rounded individuals. However, during the post-2020 rise in attention to social justice, organizations have either extended or reworded their mission statements to reflect a greater pursuit of equity, inclusion, and accessibility. In recent literature there have been discussions of a conflict between the values of arts organizations, as standards of elite musical excellence are inherently in conflict with community accessibility due to the socioeconomic factors that determine a student’s access to the education, training, and resources that are required for a “high achieving” student. This study examined the mission statements of several well-known children’s choruses, as well as the same choruses’ Facebook pages, to analyze how certain values are projected in the mission statements, and how those values are made manifest in other aspects of online presence.

Taylor Emmerich , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Catherine Little Family Engagement in Connecticut Public Elementary Schools

In this study, I explored how Connecticut public elementary schools foster family engagement, including what patterns may differ based on aspects of school demographics, including indicators of general geographic location (i.e., rural, suburban, urban) and socioeconomic status of the population served. I was focused on examining the different strategies that schools use to foster family engagement and how educators perceive that these efforts may affect student success.

Carly Marinstein , Secondary Mathematics Education Thesis Supervisor: Megan Staples A Study of Math Teachers’ Perspectives on Equity

Equity is a central focus in the educational system. It is part of the conversation in every professional learning context and in any educational article. Math classrooms, in particular, are increasingly entering the dialogue; previously, some thought equity did not apply to mathematics and that math was free of biases. In reality, along with all other subjects, math has barriers to break down to ensure success of all students in the classroom. As educators wrestle with the question of how to make schools more equitable, they must consider what equity means and how stakeholders come to understand it. In this study, I examined aspects of this understanding by exploring what classroom teachers think about equity and how they define it. I analyzed definitions of equity from 19 seasoned Alliance District teachers in Connecticut and compared them to how key researchers are defining equity in the math classroom. I considered these questions: How are current teachers thinking about equity? Do their thoughts overlap with what the literature says about equity? Through my analysis, I found three major themes in the teacher responses: Relevance, fairness, and comfort. The literature describes an equitable math classroom as having four dimensions: Access, achievement, identity, and power. When comparing the three themes from teachers to the themes in the literature, I found many connections. Many commonalities were found when cross coding the data’s three themes to the literature’s four themes. Strong connections were found between identity and relevance, identity and fairness, and access and fairness. The heavy crossover between established works and teacher perspective highlights a set of collective views surrounding equity in mathematics classrooms.

Derek Mason , Special Education Thesis Supervisor: Catherine Little Special Education Teachers’ Stress and Stress Management in the Era of COVID-19

Previous research has indicated that teaching is a highly stressful career across subject areas, even before the Covid-19 pandemic. The additional duties and demands that special education teachers face warrant particular attention and investigation into their experience of stress. This study explored the perceived stressors, stress levels, and stress management techniques of current special educators in the field. The influence of the Covid-19 pandemic on how the participants describe their experience of stress and stress management was also examined. 37 special educators across the northeastern United States participated in an anonymous online survey consisting of a 29-item adapted version of the Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI; Fimian, 1988), three researcher-developed open ended questions, and a series of demographic questions. Results indicate that the special educators surveyed shared common stressors and stress management techniques throughout the pandemic and across their careers, the extent to which the teachers claimed the pandemic influenced their stress varied, and the participants ranked their levels of stress descriptively higher than in previous research.

Stephanie Millicker , Secondary Mathematics Education Thesis Supervisor: Del Siegle An Examination of Elementary School Students’ Opinions About Mathematics

Math is a class every student takes in school each year. Some students love math, some students hate math, and many students lay somewhere on the spectrum between those two extremes. To learn more about students’ opinions surrounding math, we surveyed Florida elementary school students at the beginning of the school year with questions related to their enjoyment and self-perceptions of their math ability. During the school year, an additional survey was administered after each math unit that asked them to quantify their levels of interest, challenge, engagement, and amount of new information learned in each unit. The survey results were examined to find correlations between categories and between a category and students’ grades in their math class. Eight statistically significant relationships were found. The relationships were between students’ self-perception of their math ability and perceived challenge of math lessons, self-perception of their math ability and enjoyment of math, self-perception of math ability and scores on math unit tests, perceived enjoyment of math and interest in math units, perceived engagement in math class and amount of new math learned, perceived engagement in math class and interest in math, and amount of new math learned and interest in math.

Chuck O’Coin , Secondary Mathematics Education Thesis Supervisor: Del Siegle Higher Education Burnout: The Effect of Burnout on Students

Burnout is a syndrome that has stark negative effects on multiple populations, including students in higher education. Burnout among students can be sourced from lofty expectations, heavy workloads, feeling unimportant, having high levels of empathy, personal struggles outside of the classroom, and experiencing depression or related mental illnesses, and it can drastically change the outcome of students’ time in school. The purpose of this study was to analyze the extent of burnout among students at UConn and whether differences exist in burnout experiences by student’s gender identity, academic year, and field of study. The outcome measures were the three core categories of burnout – exhaustion, cynicism, and self-efficacy. We found no difference between males and females with any categories of burnout. Education majors experienced lower cynicism levels and higher self-efficacy rates than majors not categorized into STEM, Arts/Humanities, or Education, and Education majors also experienced higher self-efficacy rates compared to STEM majors. There was no difference among any majors regarding exhaustion. Lastly, Juniors in college experienced higher levels of exhaustion than Graduate students, and Seniors experienced higher levels of self-efficacy than Freshman.

Alexa Schwartz , Special Education with a minor in American Sign Language Thesis Supervisor: Hannah Dostal An Evaluation of A Year-Long Instructional Writing Approach in Relation to the Spelling Skills of Elementary Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Through assessing the spelling skills of 40 deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students in grades 3-5, the goal of this study is to evaluate a year-long instructional writing approach called Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI). Students were administered the WJ III Subtest 3, Spelling, which measures a person’s ability to correctly write words that are said orally. The 40 students were administered the spelling subtest at the beginning and end of the academic year as a pretest and posttest to measure student growth. The Multilinguistic Coding System (MLC) was used to analyze the students’ pretests and posttests. The hope of this research is to bring more knowledge regarding emergent writing development, specifically spelling skills, to educators who work with DHH students in the educational system. Additionally, through assessing the impact of the intersection of identities, such as deafness, bilingualism, and disability, a more holistic understanding of emergent development will be achieved.

Micaela Collins Elementary Education “Really? You’re Puerto Rican?”: An Autoethnographic Exploration of a Multiracial Preservice Teacher Advisor: Grace Player

This thesis is an autoethnographic look by a multiracial pre-service teacher at her experiences in both K-12 classrooms and higher education, as a multiracial student and future teacher. The paper highlights some of the critical moments in the researcher’s life as they relate to her identity as a multiracial woman. These critical moments are then be used to further explore and explain the research that has already been done around multiracial students’ perspectives, with the hopes of expanding upon the research and offering another perspective and experience to the existing scholarship. The hope of the researcher is that the work presented here will help her to reflect on how her experiences have affected, and will affect, who she is as a teacher, show other pre-service and in-service teachers the importance of understanding multiracial student experiences, and add another account of a multiracial perspective to the growing literature around the issues presented in this paper.

Michael Flaherty English Education Educators’ Transfer of Educational Technology Skills From the COVID-19 Pandemic Advisor: Del Siegle

The Covid-19 pandemic presented unforeseen and completely unprecedented challenges for educators. With the entire world in lockdown, educators and students were forced to adapt on the fly to fully remote instruction utilizing a variety of technologies and applications to fit districts’ individual needs. However, as we eagerly return to the in-person classroom it is worth reflecting on the skills educators and students gained regarding specific educational technologies. There has been evidence that, when correctly implemented, technology integration improves student understanding of content area material as well as their relevant technology skills as required by state standards. We surveyed a variety of educators who attended the University of Connecticut iPad conference to see how working educators utilized technology during the pandemic and how they have used technology upon returning to the in-person classroom. Keeping with current research, some uses of technology have increased student engagement and help students stay organized in the midst of the semester and have seen continued success in the in-person classroom. However, utilizing technology for every student in every activity can be misguided, as risks of burnout and disengagement were found when students were asked to be on their devices for 7 hours a day, as during the pandemic. While this survey had a limited demographic, some of these larger concepts might guide teachers looking to incorporate technology wisely in their in-person classroom.

Francesca DePalma Elementary Education Female Representation in Popular Children’s Literature Advisor: Catherine Little

Female representation in literature is an important topic of study. Representation is important for many reasons, including the ways people connect with and see themselves in what they read. It is important for children to connect to characters and to see role models in what they read; such connections may support children emotionally and encourage them to read more. This study was a content analysis of a sample of popular children’s texts published over the last 40 years. The book sample included best-selling children’s and young adult literature in each decade from the 1980s to the 2010s, including stand-alone novels and novels that were part of a series. Each book was reviewed to document aspects of female representation. Some of the questions answered include frequency of male to female characters included in titles, the types of jobs that the protagonist’s guardians have, whether female characters need “saving” by male characters, and whether a female plays a key role in the plot of the story. While there were not significant changes to patterns over time, some results overall showed patterns. Some areas that show a pattern include jobs of female guardians, which tended to be fewer and less well described than jobs of male guardians, and female characters needing to be saved, which happened on a fairly regular basis across texts.

Madison Levine Biology Education Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions in the Pandemic Advisor: Catherine Little

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching as a profession is going through changes, as teachers and students alike learn to navigate distance and hybrid learning, technology, and entirely new ways of teaching and learning. While some teachers are viewing the pandemic as a way to reimagine education, others are struggling with the changing demands of online learning. Teacher shortages are not a new problem, but now have the possibility of worsening due to the new challenges that have surfaced during the pandemic. Preservice teachers are in the position of observing all of these events and challenges while engaging in professional preparation programs, and they also are experiencing unexpected challenges related to their access to schools and classrooms and the expectation to learn their future work under great uncertainty. A survey of preservice teachers and their attitudes towards their career choice shows findings of new factors that may play a role in their want to continue on this career path. Those factors include issues specific to the pandemic and other current events, such as safety concerns, adapting to virtual teaching and learning, student interaction, the uncertainty of school in the future, and antiracist teaching. These factors are situated within broader ideas that have changed or resurfaced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, such as support and protection of teachers, classroom environment, student interactions, and equity concerns. Again, these are situated within persisting factors that influence the retention of teachers such as classes and materials, student relationships, community, and shaping future generations.

Natalie Y. Wong Music Education The Role of Extracurricular Activities in the College-Decision Making Process Advisor: Catherine Little

Extracurricular activities play a vital role in a student’s education. Studies have shown that extracurricular activities improve educational outcomes, organizational skills, communication abilities, and social awareness. In this study, we asked college students how they recall prioritizing extracurricular activities in their college decision-making process. We also wanted to know if students who did participate in extracurricular activities continued from high school to college and why. The data were collected through a survey with both multiple choice and open ended questions. There were 285 participants who were either in college or had recently graduated. We used five main categories of extracurricular activities for our survey: prosocial activities, team sports, school involvement activities, performing arts, and academic clubs. Participants said they did consider extracurricular activities in their decision-making process, but such activities were not the main deciding factor for most participants. We also found that participants did continue their extracurricular involvement, most often because they enjoyed their activity in high school and wanted to continue it. When asked why they enjoyed participating, respondents cited social enjoyment, academic success, and connections in their career field.

Kiana K.A. Foster-Mauro Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Grace Player Mirrors of Our Own: Multiracial Representation in Children’s Picture Books

In this study, I analyzed the representation of multiracial individuals in children’s picture books, ages newborn-8. Specifically, this study closely analyzed 75 board and picture books published in the United States between the years 2009 and 2019 that feature mixed race characters. The identified texts were analyzed in a critical content analysis using a framework based upon Critical Race Theory. Through this framework, the researcher examined how multiracial characters in the texts are portrayed, the power dynamics, and what the texts say about various aspects of culture, including race, class, and gender. The researcher also analyzed the authors and illustrators of the selected texts, looking closely at the role that this plays in the dynamics of the texts. This study provides a closer look at representation within children’s picture books and children’s picture book authors/illustrators.

Kayla Fuhst Music Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Little A Study of Teacher Questioning in an Elementary Mathematics Classroom

In this study, I examined patterns in teacher questioning in an elementary mathematics classroom. The focus was on transcribed recordings of lesson components in which instruction was specifically focused on mathematical vocabulary within the context of the curriculum unit in use. The primary participant was a kindergarten teacher teaching in a summer enrichment program for students referred by their teachers for showing evidence of advanced academic potential in the classroom.  Twelve rising first graders registered for the summer class, which was provided as an intervention component of Project SPARK. Several patterns emerged in the teacher’s questions over the 3-week curriculum. After several rounds of coding, the findings demonstrated that the intersection of question form and question intent resulted in overlapping patterns, such as Eliciting Additional Response questions, or talk moves, generally being classified as Building Conversation questions, and the majority of closed and leading questions aligning with the Building Content Understanding questions.

Jonah Garcia Music Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Cara Bernard Teaching Practices, Institutional Cultures, and Access to Music Learning

The mission of the National Association for Music Education is “to advance music education by promoting the understanding and making of music by all” (NAfME, n.d.-b). Despite these aspirations of equality, research suggests that both demographics and geography have a role in determining who is able to participate and who will choose to participate in school music (Elpus & Abril, 2019; Salvador & Allegood, 2014). This study examined the factors that influence school music participation and the representation of student populations in the music programs of two Connecticut secondary schools. Names of schools and participants have been changed to preserve anonymity. This study utilized a collective case study approach, and participants included four music educators and the principals of the two schools. Data were collected through a document review and semi-structured interviews with each participant. Using a cross-case analysis, data showed that factors at the community, school, and program levels affected access to music classes and student interest in music learning opportunities. The findings suggest that certain teacher and administrator philosophies, policies, and practices are particularly effective in preserving and expanding music programs that serve socioeconomically diverse populations.

Elizabeth George Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Richard Gonzales How Teachers Manage Resource Inequity in Different Educational Contexts: A Case Study and Recommendations

This study explores how teachers make decisions and navigate different contexts to support their students. I investigated how teachers use agency, ownership, and learning in the positive, adaptive choices they make to achieve better student outcomes. The purpose of this honors thesis is to surface ideas about how teachers can serve students in different schools with various needs and different amounts of resources.

The research questions framing the study are as follows: (1) How do teachers make choices about how to utilize their professional support network? (2) How do teachers make choices about their instructional approach to support students? (3) How do teachers make choices to demonstrate they like, care, and think about their students? In the study, four practicing teachers from two different school districts are surveyed on their teaching experiences in their given district.

Overall, the results showed some common themes about decisions teachers make based on the interviews conducted. When discussing how they use their professional support network, many teachers mentioned the importance of collaboration with colleagues, as well as feeling supported, and meeting the needs of educators. In terms of instructional approach, teachers discussed their focus on students and the importance of having professional choice. When demonstrating care for students, teachers mentioned a love for the community and taking time to learn about students and their culture. In conclusion, the results show that regardless of the district and varying resources available, teachers used similar methodology when making decisions to support their students. The results are important as they show how teachers manage resource inequity in different contexts with similar beliefs and teaching practices.

Emily Rakers Special Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Joseph Madaus Examination of Online Accommodation Information for College Students with Disabilities in New England

The purpose of this study is to report on the status of information available to college students with disabilities on the websites of New England colleges’ centers for students with disabilities. Primarily, this study focused on information about the application process for a student to receive accommodations. Data was generated by compiling a list of common factors on the websites of centers for students with disabilities at colleges not in New England, and then searching the New England websites to see if they included these factors on their own websites. Three separate categories of schools were included in the study: 2-year schools, 4-year public schools, and 4-year private schools. The data was analyzed to find what information is most common on centers for students with disabilities websites and to describe any patterns by specific types of schools. The most common features on the websites were guidelines for disability documentation and a phone number or email address for a point of contact at the center for students with disabilities. Most schools also stated on their websites that IEPs, 504-Plans, and Summaries of Performance would not be sufficient documentation. It is hoped that the findings from this study will inform transitioning high school students with disabilities when they are researching the accommodation process in college.

Jillian Rutstein Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Dorothea Anagnostopoulos Helping Beginning Elementary Teachers Teach Mathematics Ambitiously: Resources and Impediments

As beginning teachers, novices often strive to find the most productive teaching strategies to support their students’ learning. Those practices involve conceptual, procedural, modeling, and feedback skills, all encompassed in the term ambitious teaching. As educators move towards developing the practices of ambitious teaching, they push past methods of memorization to engage their students in deeper, more conceptual thinking and problem solving. This study examines how one beginning teacher develops ambitious teaching practices during his first three years of teaching. It seeks, in particular, to understand the resources and materials that enable him to do so. Specifically, we seek to understand which social, conceptual, and concrete materials enable the beginning teacher to teach ambitiously in mathematics and which impede his efforts to do so.

The data for this study include interviews and observations. During his first three years of teaching, the novice teacher participated in seven interviews. Interviews asked about the resources and support the teacher used in his teaching, his views of students’ engagement, and learning in mathematics. Researchers observed the teacher teach nine mathematics lessons, three each year. Scores rated the ambitiousness of his instruction using the Protocol for Language Arts Teaching Observation (PLATO) adapted for mathematics instruction. PLATO scores showed an overall increase in ambitiousness from the first to third years of teaching and especially in the domains of instructional strategies and representation of content. The increase was supported by a consistent mathematics curriculum and resources from colleagues that supported teaching procedural skills. Despite the increase, we noted that the teacher struggled to teach conceptual strategies. This appears to be related to a decrease in support from instructional coaches and an increased focus on standardized test preparation from administration. The findings of this study help identify the resources that can support beginning teachers in teaching mathematics ambitiously.

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Samantha Cronin Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Catherine Little

Teacher Perceptions of Inclusive Pedagogies

Broad changes in demographics in the U.S. are also altering classroom compositions, such that teachers are now responsible for a much more diverse group of students. Although teachers often recognize the importance of responding to a wide range of student needs, they may express difficulty in actually doing so. In this study, I explored the ways in which teachers define and implement three prominent inclusive pedagogical approaches toward education: multicultural education, teaching for social justice, and culturally responsive teaching. By surveying elementary school teachers from across the United States, I was able to analyze the ways in which teacher definitions connect to actual practice, as well as the associated challenges with implementation in general. Overall, the participating teachers appeared to have only a basic understanding of inclusive pedagogies in practice. They tended to focus on content integration instead of deep-rooted, fundamental changes to school and social structure. This demonstrates a need for professional learning opportunities in which teachers are encouraged to expand their understanding of inclusive pedagogies in reasonable increments.

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Nicole Gerardin English Education Thesis Supervisor: Hannah Dostal

An Interdisciplinary Education: Just a Bridge Away

U.S. high school classrooms may not be reflective of what students will encounter outside of their walls. Many high schools separate subject area teaching and learning and, therefore, may not thoroughly provide students with multiple, discipline-specific and authentic lenses for interpretation to understand important concepts and solve complex problems. Existing discussions on the topic of providing students with an interdisciplinary secondary education note various benefits of the implementation of units that are inclusive of more than one discipline.

In this qualitative study, I sought to further my understanding of the benefits of and barriers to implementation of interdisciplinary units in five Connecticut high school classrooms. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and these interviews were then transcribed and coded. Following the initial coding of the interviews, codes were categorized under three major themes: benefits of interdisciplinary units, barriers to implementation of interdisciplinary units, and aids and effective strategies for implementation. Commonly purported benefits included an increased level of student independence and choice in the classroom, an enhanced and more authentic educational experience, and the ability to provide students with multiple lenses for interpretation. Barriers to implementation included departmentalized and restricted interaction between teachers, lack of specified professional development opportunities, and teacher skepticism.

Kathrine Grant Secondary English Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Elizabeth Howard

Investigating the Influence of Peer Tutoring for Supporting Students Learning English as an Additional Language

This project explored the use of peer-to-peer tutoring for students learning English as an Additional Language by surveying high school students currently participating in such a program at a local high school. The mixed methods study relied on student and teacher interviews as well as survey data to investigate the perceptions of peer tutors, tutees, and the teacher facilitator of the program on the academic benefits of the program, the contextual factors that supported their learning of English, and their recommendations for continual programmatic growth. Key findings indicate that the academic benefits include language learning, content knowledge, and leadership. Important contextual factors that affect students learning English were identified as shared identity, motivations, importance of peer relationships, socialization component of the club, and discomfort that was experienced in other academic and social situations. The study concludes with suggestions for programmatic improvement.

Isabella Horan Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Dorothea Anagnostopoulos

It’s Hard to Do Everything: Keeping Beginning Teachers of Color in the Profession

Beginning teachers are leaving the profession at higher rates than in the past (Lloyd & Sullivan, 2012). Teachers of color are leaving at even higher rates than their white colleagues; one in five teachers of color state will leave the profession within their first five years (Ahmad and Boser, 2014). With the increase of culturally and linguistically diverse students in the nation’s public schools, it is imperative that we both increase the number of teachers of color and enable them to stay in teaching (Dilworth & Coleman, 2014).  In this research study, we sought to identify some of the conditions that help teachers of color stay in teaching through the case study of Angel, an early career teacher of color. The data includes seven interviews with Angel over his first three years of teaching, collected as part of a larger study of beginning teachers’ preparation for ambitious instruction.  Analysis of these interview data show how Angel’s relationships with his students, colleagues, and principal were important to his staying in teaching.  These relationships provided him with a sense of professional competence and purpose as well as support and resources to develop his teaching practices.  Early opportunities for school leadership also helped integrate Angel into the school community.  At the same time, tensions with colleagues related to race and gender as well as mounting frustrations stemming from district and school testing mandates somewhat diminished Angel’s enthusiasm for teaching.  The study concludes by identifying the implications of these findings for research and practice.

Clarey Pass Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Catherine Little

Teacher Perceptions of Book Selection Practices in Reading Instruction

Leveled text systems are extremely common in elementary schools today. These systems group texts in order to guide students through a sequence of texts to improve their fluency and accuracy. While leveled text systems are meticulously designed to support students’ skill development, there is no real emphasis on motivation or enjoyability within these texts. It is well-documented that appropriate level of texts is important in supporting students’ skill development. Leveled texts place great importance on a book being challenging enough to promote problem-solving skills in reading, but not so difficult that it causes frustration or poses an impossible task to developing readers. However, it is also well-documented that motivation is a big factor in helping students gain skills in reading. These different emphases in reading instruction led to questions about how teachers felt about books they were selecting for their students, as well as their perceptions of what their students felt were important in selecting books. This research study seeks to find patterns in factors that teachers use when selecting books for their students to read, as well as their thoughts on what their students hold as important when self-selecting books. Teachers are also asked about their experiences working with leveled text systems, and their feelings of strengths and weaknesses within those systems. The findings of this study include that the promotion of skill development within a book as well as the interest level of the reader were two of the most prevalent factors teachers took into consideration when selecting books for students.

Clarissa Tan English Education Thesis Supervisor: Catherine Little

A Paradox of Identities: Perspectives of East and Southeast Asian American Students on Living and Learning in Predominantly White Communities

Many educators and policymakers—and society at large—view the Asian American experience through the narrowed lens of the model minority myth, which defines these students around academic success. While seemingly positive, these conjectures problematically oversimplify this student population’s experience. In this qualitative study, I sought to add to existing discussions and strengthen educator understanding of how East and Southeast Asian American students in predominately White schools interpret their own educational experiences with relation to their cultural identity. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with second- and third-generation East and Southeast Asian American undergraduates, who read Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese as a study text used to further facilitate discussions. Open-ended interview responses were coded and analyzed for common themes. Common trends included that students perceived the model minority stereotype as both beneficial and detrimental. Due to negative encounters, lack of visibility, and the absence of community in their educational environments, students struggled to accept and reconcile their cultural identities as Asians and as Americans. Students frequently described an existing need for culturally aware, inclusive, and proactive teachers and education systems.

Jami Zolotor Special Education Thesis Supervisor: Jennifer Freeman

The Educational Outcomes of 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Despite the prevalence of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS), there is still very little known about the educational outcomes of students with this genetic syndrome. Without knowing the educational outcomes of students, teachers and other educational professionals do not know how to intervene to improve the educational success of students with 22q11.2DS. There is a multitude of research that focuses on a particular area of weakness or strength in children and adolescents with 22q11.2DS, but there are no articles that describe the overall educational outcomes. Describing the educational outcomes of students with 22q11.2DS is a necessary first step in better understanding how to meet the educational needs of students with the genetic syndrome. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to gather descriptive information on what is known about the educational outcomes of students with 22q11.2DS. This study examined both qualitative and quantitative articles published about students with 22q11.2DS and systematically reviewed those sources using a mixed methods review to describe what is known about the educational outcomes of the students. This research found that students with 22q11.2DS have specific impairments in working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, visuospatial ability, motor ability, social skills, communication skills, intellectual ability, and academic achievement that impact the educational outcomes of children with 22q11.2DS. Implications for further research include using this knowledge of educational outcomes to implement interventions and accommodations related to the specific impairments and testing the effectiveness of these interventions and accommodations.

Amy Hetherington-Coy , Secondary Science Education – Biology Patrick Pierce, Secondary Science Education – Physics Thesis Supervisor: Todd Campbell Negotiating Coherent Science Teacher Professional Learning Experiences across University and School Settings This research investigates the assumptions underlying the work of a research practice partnership (RPP) made up of university science teacher educators and mentoring science teachers. With increased attention to what have been described as significant shifts proposed in science teaching and learning connected to recent standards documents in the U.S., increased attention and possibilities exist for collaborative work with inservice mentoring teachers to not only focus on professional learning connected to these standards documents, but to do so in ways that can increase the coherence between science teacher education programs and the local schools in which preservice science teachers find themselves navigating as they learn to teach. Drawing on the design-based research paradigm connected to conjecture mapping, this research articulated and tested, through qualitative methods, the design conjectures underlying mentor teachers’ experience within professional learning as part of the RPP. In the end, design conjectures that supported teachers to take on “learner hat” experiences in early stages of the RPP followed by engagement in curriculum co-design and implementation supported mentor teachers in beginning to reconceptualize visions of their teaching and learning, while also appropriating and tuning high-leverage tools to support a focus on student ideas in science classrooms. Finally, issues related to the complexity of teacher education programs were identified for needed increased attention into the future.

Bryan Kirby , Secondary Science Education – Biology Thesis Supervisor: Del Siegle Controversial Topics and State Approved Biology Texts: More Talk than Walk This study was a content analysis of how seven controversial topics were covered in four biology textbooks, half of which were the national editions while the other half were versions made specifically for the states of South Carolina and Texas.  The books were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively for scientific accuracy, depth of coverage, level of discussion encouraged, and overall number of pages covered. The seven issues examined were climate change, race, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), evolution, stem cells, vaccines, and the health effects of technology. Overall, there were few differences between the state adopted book and the national editions, as well as between both national editions in their coverage of the seven controversial issues.

Annie MacLachlan , Comprehensive Special Education Thesis Supervisor: Del Siegle Preservice Teachers’ Referral of Students for Special Education The purpose of this study was to understand which students teachers nominate for special education services, and what student qualities influence the nomination. Specifically, in this study, we investigated whether a student’s ethnicity and classroom behavior influence his or her nomination for special education. We created six profiles in which we varied ethnic names and classroom behaviors, and asked juniors and seniors in a selected teacher preparation program to evaluate the profile they were given. They were then asked to indicate whether or not they would refer their given hypothetical student for special education services, and to provide justification for their choice. The major quantitative findings of this study were that, in the selected teacher preparation program, there was not a statistically significant influence of (a) student race, (b) student behavior, or (c) the interaction of the two on preservice teachers’ referral decisions. The participants’ qualitative responses agreed with the quantitative results with regards that student race did not have an impact on referral. However, many preservice teachers cited student behavior in their open-ended justification statements as a significant influencer of their referral choices. The information from this study will help better prepare teachers to serve students with diverse learning needs.

Eva-Maria Maher , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Dorothea Anagnostopoulos Examining the Relationship between Clinical Placements and Pre-service Teachers’ Attitudes towards Diversity and Multicultural Education The purpose of this study was to determine, using survey data, whether undergraduate pre-teaching students experienced a change in racial bias/attitudes after taking a multicultural education course, and whether there was a difference in attitude change between students who were placed in urban, suburban, or rural settings for their clinical observation hours. Educators’ racial bias is becoming an increasingly important issue as demographics in America’s public schools are shifting, while the majority of American teachers are white (NCES, 2014). Because many preservice teachers lack genuinely diverse experiences before entering teacher education programs, many of these programs have been attempting to prepare pre-service teachers to work with diverse student populations by offering coursework and field experiences specifically designated for multicultural or diversity education (Valenti, 2006). Because multicultural or diversity education courses are often the first experience that preservice teachers have with diversity education, it is important to research whether or not these courses have the desired effect of creating culturally responsive teachers. This data reflected a statistically significant decrease in racial bias from the beginning of the semester to the end of the semester for the whole group. Of the three groups of pre-service teachers, suburban teachers experienced the most significant decrease in racial bias.

Anna McCormick , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Jean Marsden Exploring Problems and Resolutions in Multicultural Children’s Literature Children’s literature can serve as a mirror , reflecting children’s own lives or cultures, and as a window helping them to see and understand other cultures (Naidoo, 2014). When children don’t see their culture or other cultures represented it can send messages that that culture is not important enough to include, but many cultural groups are still underrepresented in children’s literature. Specific awards exist to bring light to some of these much-needed multicultural children’s books and the authors that write them. For this study, I selected 50 children’s books that had received awards for diverse children’s literature within the past 10 years and I performed a content analysis of key elements of the text, looking at specific aspects of character, problem and resolution to identify patterns regarding character identity and role in the problem and resolution. My findings indicated that across these texts the cultural identities of the characters tended to be critical to the problem and resolution. A common pattern in books where external growth occurred was that the environment and people in the environment became more accepting of and knowledgeable about differences and diversity, and in most of the books the characters had agency in resolving their problems. This study might serve to help teachers, librarians, and parents identify books that follow patterns of award winning literature in areas that are typically underrepresented and seek and find quality multicultural literature to share with children.

Benjamin Murray, Secondary History and Social Studies Education Thesis Supervisor: Catherine Little Perceptions of Advanced Courses in Relation to Gifted Secondary Education High school students are taking a large number of advanced and AP courses, and at an ever-increasing rate. Yet there has been little research into the effectiveness of these programs at supporting gifted secondary students. This study addressed the research question “In what ways do administrators and educators in secondary education perceive advanced courses such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or Early College Experience (ECE) to meet or fail to meet the needs of secondary gifted students?” I conducted a survey of administrators in public school districts in Connecticut about these perceptions. Survey respondents frequently expressed beliefs that the entry-level college experience and challenging level of coursework offered by AP, IB, and ECE programs were these programs’ greatest benefits, while commonly expressed drawbacks of these programs included strict curriculum alignment and pacing, as well as over-enrollment. Benefits of other gifted program components included a higher level of challenge for students, as well as offering increased opportunities for student choice and independence. Limitations of other programs largely centered around logistical difficulties with funding and personnel.

Jacqueline Ose , Secondary Science Education – Biology Thesis Supervisor: Morgaen Donaldson Effects of Project Opening Doors on AP Enrollment and Passing Rates in Connecticut High Schools Project Opening Doors, an Advanced Placement Incentive Program in Connecticut, aimed to increase access to Advanced Placement courses and exams for low-income and minority students. This study evaluates the effect of Project Opening Doors on the total number of AP exams taken, the total number of AP exams passed, and the percentage of total AP exams passed. It evaluates a longevity effect between pre, during, and post enrollment and passing rate data. Based on the results of this study, Project Opening Doors was successful in significantly increasing the number of exams taken and the number of exams passed from pre-program to post-program. Unexpectedly, after funding was removed, participation and success rates on AP exams did not fluctuate. The average passing rate of all AP exams taken across all school districts was consistent and did not change significantly between pre, during, and post program years.

Molly Pines , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Douglas Kaufman Teacher Perceptions of Arts Integration into General Education Curriculum In elementary schools, art is often taught as a supplement to general education, and it is frequently separated from academic subjects with “pullout programs.” However, incorporating arts into the general education classroom, and into academic subjects can potentially have positive outcomes such as allowing students to broaden their conceptions of the world and themselves and to make authentic connections across disciplines. The purpose of this research study was to examine teacher reports of the frequency and quality of arts integration into general education curriculum, as well as what teachers perceived to be its benefits or drawbacks. Thirty-one educators associated with a large university in the northeast United States completed a survey. The educators are special educators, specials teachers (educators who facilitate pullout programs for the arts, languages, or physical education), and classroom teachers. Most participants indicated that they saw the need for arts integration in general education curricula, although many described feeling constraints from district or curriculum requirements. Results show that most educators view the arts as beneficial for students’ cognitive retention of material, understanding of material, or emotional intelligence.

Abigail Plouffe , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Catherine Little An Analysis of Education Apps The use of apps on phones and tablets is on the rise for children, and many parents and teachers looking for educational ways for children to spend their screen time download apps from the education category of the app store. However, the labeling of an app as an “education app” does not actually mean that it has educational value. This study analyzed the top 30 apps listed in the iTunes app store to determine if the apps demonstrated key elements of learning theory, as well as curriculum alignment. Using a study by Hirsh-Pasek et al. as a framework, I developed a coding system to determine the level with which these key elements were present in each app. Each app was coded in four categories: Active Learning, Engagement, Meaningful Learning, and Social Interaction, with three criteria analyzed in each. The apps were also analyzed for Curriculum Alignment. Results revealed a high amount of Active Learning and a low amount of Social Learning. There  was a greater spread of Engagement and Meaningful Learning across the apps. About two-thirds of the apps lacked Curriculum Alignment. These results emphasize that consumers need to research or engage with apps more diligently to determine their educational value instead of merely purchasing based on the top lists on the app store.

Jacqueline Bickley , Secondary English Thesis Supervisor: Catherine Little High School English Teacher Perceptions of the Use of Academic Journaling In this qualitative study, individual interviews were used to explore high school English teachers’ beliefs about the purposes and benefits of reflective academic journaling and to uncover the ways in which they might implement this practice. The purpose of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of the purposes and practice of reflective academic journaling within the classroom, and to explore teachers’ perceptions of this practice in light of their teaching experience. Major findings included the discovery of reflection itself as the primary purpose for reflective academic journaling, followed by content and skill-related journaling. I also found that a prevalent indirect benefit is the improvement of student-teacher relationships, as well as the fostering of self-expression. It was more common for teachers to tie journaling to a specific artifact, as opposed to allowing students to free-write, and to create a dialogue that most commonly exists between students and teachers. I also found that many reflective academic journals are used in teachers’ assessment of students, and have an intentional academic focus. The most frequently mentioned significant challenge presented by reflective academic journaling is a lack of student motivation and understanding of its purpose.

Rachel Elizabeth Forte , Secondary History/Social Studies Education Thesis Supervisor: Catherine Little Teacher Perceptions of the Purposes of Social Studies Education Social studies as a subject in schools covers so many disciplines and has been so broadly defined that much debate has occurred over the way it should be taught. The way in which a subject is taught is directly relational to why it is taught, and thus this study established social studies teachers’ beliefs about the purposes of social studies education for students. Nine practicing social studies teachers and one current instructional coach from the Northeast United States participated in this study. Participants were interviewed in person and asked to consider their personal beliefs about the purposes of social studies education and how those beliefs manifest in their instructional practices, and they were additionally asked to rank in order of importance a set of purposes given to them. Based on the information obtained from interviews, the study concluded that the most frequently top-rated choices for possible purposes of social studies education from the teachers were promoting empathy, preparing students for civic engagement in a democratic society, and promoting critical thinking skills. Furthermore, all ten participants placed the purpose of instilling a sense of patriotism or national pride in students as the least important purpose (of a provided set of 10) in their classroom. Additionally, discussion with teachers highlighted certain tensions that some felt influenced their decisions, including educational system expectations of teachers and the current political climate’s role in the classroom. These findings matter because teacher reflection on the purposes of teaching social studies can help teachers to reexamine how these purposes explicitly appear in their instructional practices which directly affects how students learn in their classrooms.

Kelsey Ann Iwanicki , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Catherine Little Teacher Interpretation of High-Potential Behaviors during Critical and Creative Thinking Response Lessons Educators and researchers in gifted education are exploring multiple ways of addressing issues of underrepresentation of some populations of students in gifted programs. Multi-dimensional approaches to identification include working with teachers to recognize and to elicit high-potential academic behaviors from students. In this study, research team members conducted critical and creative thinking “Response Lessons” in K-2 classrooms while teachers observed for behaviors that might indicate high academic potential in their students. Teachers completed a pre-lesson survey indicating behaviors they anticipated and a post-lesson survey indicating what they observed. The purpose of the surveys was to demonstrate how teachers are interpreting high potential and to what extent a relationship exists between the behaviors indicated in the written lesson and the actual behaviors exhibited by students. Across surveys completed by 30 teachers, results indicated high consistency between expected behaviors and observed behaviors, and the behaviors expected and observed most frequently related to students’ curiosity, ability to learn quickly and easily, and inventiveness, while the least expected and observed behaviors included making advanced connections. Study results will inform ongoing efforts to support teachers’ observation of critical and creative thinking in young students.

Kaitlin Kamalei Jenkins , Elementary Education and English Thesis Supervisors: Doug Kaufman and Victoria Ford Smith Empathy and Empowerment in K-2 Read Aloud Sessions: An Analysis of the Inclusion of Multicultural Children’s Literature This study explored K-2 teachers’ perspectives on the use of multicultural children’s literature as read aloud books and those books’ connection to cross cultural empathy and cultural empowerment. It was guided by the following research questions: (1) Are teachers using multicultural children’s literature (MCL) for their read aloud books? Why or why not?; (2) How are teachers using MCL during their read aloud sessions?; (3) To what degree are teachers considering the development of cross cultural empathy in their students while picking out read aloud books?; (4) To what degree are teachers considering the development of cultural empowerment in their students while picking out read aloud books?; (5) What character elements of the MCL read aloud books promote the development of cross cultural empathy and cultural empowerment? How do they do so?; and (6) What character elements of the MCL read aloud books work against the development of cross cultural empathy and cultural empowerment? The data demonstrated that teachers do consider the development of cross cultural empathy and cultural empowerment through multicultural children’s literature. They do use multicultural children’s literature, but not frequently, because of a lack of resources. A model for multicultural children’s literature was developed at the end of this study to aid teachers.

Julia Kipphut, Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Del Siegle Parent Attitudes Regarding K-5 Homework The goal of this study was to provide educators with insight into parents’ perceptions of homework practices in K-5 education. Specifically, I was curious to see the role that parents had in their child’s homework and their perceptions of homework assignments. The results showed families who reported homework having a higher impact on them saw it as less beneficial. Families who saw communication between teachers and parents as clearly defined found homework more beneficial. Additionally, fathers thought that homework had less of a negative impact on families than mothers.

Amanda MacDonald , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Catherine Little Teacher Perceptions of Math Anxiety in Themselves and their Students Math anxiety is generally defined as a nervousness and a condition in which a person has an adverse response to a mathematically-related task or activity either physically or mentally that obstructs that person’s mathematical performance and learning experience. Prior research suggests that math anxiety is a real concern for students, as it may potentially harm their performance in the subject as well as deter them from many math-related activities in their lives due to the negative reactions that the anxiety can cause them physically, emotionally, or mentally. While many students may develop math anxieties in elementary school, it is also important to recognize that their teachers might also share some of these same math anxieties. The purpose of this study was to gather information on teachers’ perceptions of both their own and their students’ math anxiety. The research questions focused on (a) to what degree and in what contexts teachers perceive students to have math anxiety, (b) to what degree and in what contexts teachers perceive themselves to have math anxiety, and (c) what teachers know about addressing math anxieties. Fifty-eight teachers completed a two-part online survey with closed- and open-ended questions. Key findings showed that in general, teachers have a good idea about what math anxiety is and that it can negatively affect student learning, and about two thirds of participants reported teaching students who show signs of math anxiety. Nearly all participants were interested in learning ways to assist their students. About 40% of responding teachers reported having math anxiety themselves at least occasionally, and 30% reported having math anxiety while teaching math. The implications of this study include the importance of teachers’ preparation around math instruction and specifically around ways in which they can address math anxiety in the classroom context.

Jake Mulé , Secondary Science – Physics Thesis Supervisor: Del Siegle Perceived Benefits of Marching Band Participation for College Students College students have a limited amount of time to devote to a multitude of activities, and thus understanding the benefits of certain activities can prove invaluable. This study investigated the perceived benefits of participation in a college marching band for students. Members of the University of Connecticut Marching Band completed a survey about their perceived benefits of marching band participation. Based on the survey results, the study concluded that participants experience many positive benefits from participating in the collegiate marching band, the most prominent being social benefits. Furthermore, female participants reported higher levels of commitment, time investment, and physical health benefits than male participants. Many of the benefits were related to each other.  Only GPA was not correlated with any other category. The findings of this study are important because they can help guide students in selecting activities to participate in and highlight the benefits of marching band participation.

Jennifer Lynn O’Brien, Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Catherine Little A Study of Parent Perceptions of Advanced Academic Potential in the Early Grades Parents are key stakeholders in children’s education; this project, which is part of a larger study about effects of early identification of high potential, focused on parent awareness of the behaviors that indicate high potential and the kinds of resources that would support developing academic potential in the early grades (grades K-2). This project consisted of an online parent survey and a parent workshop with a card sort component in which parents indicated what kinds of resources would be priorities. The study took place in three school districts with large populations of families from low-income backgrounds. A total of 38 parents completed the survey, and 57 card sets were collected during workshops. Findings demonstrated that parents emphasized several key behaviors indicating high potential such as being highly curious; learning quickly and easily; and finding useful, often original ways to spot and solve problems. Overall, parents thought it was important to allow for independence, creativity, and critical thinking; as well as time together for fun and academics. Parents were interested in learning more about the best parenting practices for gifted students, ways to teach their children academic skills at home, and ways to partner with their children’s schools.

Emma Pavano , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Morgaen Donaldson Teacher Evaluation: Methods and Perspectives While much to do with the current education system is constantly in flux, the main goals of teacher evaluation have been present for decades. While phrased in a variety of ways, the purpose of teacher evaluation is generally defined by researchers as twofold: teacher accountability and professional development. In the past, these objectives have been met inadequately, but through our research into New Haven, Connecticuts’s TEVAL program we hope to shed some light on how other districts can improve their evaluation methods to better reach these goals.

Erica Ambrogio , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Brandi Simonsen The Effects of Self-Monitoring on the On-Task Behavior of a Student in the General Education Classroom The current study served to expand upon previous research about managing the off-task behavior of students who exhibit off-task behavior in the general education classroom. Self-monitoring has been identified as an effective and reliable strategy for increasing on-task behavior in various settings with students. The 6-year old, first grade student was selected by referral from his general education teacher and school staff. He attended an elementary school in an urban school district in Connecticut. The study employed an alternating treatments design with a baseline phase.  Specifically, after an orientation for both the student and teacher in using the Direct Behavior Rating tool to record behavioral data, the student was randomly assigned to self-monitor during one of two observation periods each day (during the unassigned period, he did not engage in self-monitoring).  Data did not support a functional relation between self-monitoring and off-task behavior; however, limitations related to data collection may have affected study results.  These limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

Alexandria Bottelsen , Secondary English Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Tom Deans Defining Writing: Teacher Perceptions of High School Writing Centers under the Common Core This study examines how secondary school teachers see the relationships among the Common Core State Standards for writing, their own teaching practices, and peer writing centers. Through conducting interviews with teachers across subject areas at two high schools with peer writing centers, the researcher discovered a paradox: that most teachers praised the concept of writing centers in general even as they saw them as not especially relevant for their own students and subject areas. While the standards did not appear to have a meaningful impact on teacher practices, the way these teachers defined writing significantly affected how they viewed the writing center as it pertained to their students. While all the participants highly valued writing as a process, they believe it is an individual—or otherwise non-social—process that differs significantly from subject to subject. Based on these findings, several implications and suggestions can be made for both schools and writing centers to better improve their relationship and the overall culture of writing across the curriculum.

I sabella Chantel Denay Gauthier , Special Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Rachael Gabriel Gender and Reading Proficiency: Is There a Significant Relationship for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders? School achievement studies have consistently shown that female students demonstrate higher levels of reading achievement and intrinsic reading motivation when compared to male students (Schwabe, McElvany, & Trendtel, 2015). Many studies tend to focus on the general education population when comparing scores between female and male students, and not the special education population. The purpose of this honors thesis is to provide quantitative data that will explore the relationship of reading achievement scores and gender with students who have been diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorders. The study methodology includes a quantitative two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results from the study indicate that there is no significant difference between the grades, or between genders, or with the interaction of the two when looking at reading achievement scores of students who have been diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorders.

Michelle Heyder , Secondary Mathematics Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Little Sources and Experiences of Math Anxiety in Post-Secondary Students Math anxiety is experienced on a regular basis throughout the country. In this study, I explored possible sources and experiences of math anxiety in post-secondary students, so as to inform the practice of teachers and those who are affected by math anxiety. For this study, university students completed a survey detailing their reported age of development, current frequency, and predicted frequency of math anxiety. From survey respondents, participants were purposefully selected to be interviewed to expand on their responses to the survey. Survey and open-ended interview responses were coded and analyzed for common themes, while multiple choice survey responses were analyzed for themes among frequency data. Common trends included that students often compared themselves to high-performing peers and considered having the inability to do math part of their identity. Students also frequently claimed that relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, as well as positive relationships with teachers and role models helped them manage their math anxiety best.

Alexandra Jabick , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Tamika La Salle Examining the Relationship between Student Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender and Kindergarten School Readiness Early childhood education is a topic of great interest. As gaps in achievement persist, policy makers are looking for ways to help children enter into school better prepared to succeed. A recent study lead by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) examines the effects of attending Connecticut’s state-funded preschool program on a child’s future school readiness skills. The current study extracts a subset of data from this study to examine early achievement in kindergarteners from across Connecticut, specifically to determine whether a child’s socioeconomic status, as defined by free or reduced lunch status, gender, or race have an effect on the child’s early academic skills. Significant differences in performance were only found between lower and higher SES groups and SES was a significant predictor of performance on PPVT-4, Oral Language, Math Facts, and Calculation.

Jessica Liu , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Little Classroom Discourse: Teacher Questioning and Student Participation in a Mathematics Summer Enrichment Program The purpose of this study was to observe what classroom discourse looks like within the context of a summer program for high ability students from underrepresented backgrounds. Fifteen classroom observations were conducted across three teachers’ classrooms to document teacher and student engagement in class discussions. Teacher statements and questions were classified into five major categories: informing, directing, deepening, connecting, and guiding. Results demonstrated that when teachers model talk moves, such as linking, students are more prone to use these strategies as well.

Pam McDonald , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Rachael Gabriel Literacy Across Disciplines: An Investigation of Text Used in Content-Specific Classrooms This pilot study focused on literacy within the higher grades, where classes are content-specific and organized into varying levels. Teacher views on literacy instruction as well as the types of texts used across the disciplines and course levels were explored. The following research questions guided the study: 1) Do early high school teachers view their class’ reading tasks as more discipline- or content-focused? 2) Does the complexity of the texts assigned in early high school vary across the various course levels? 3) Does the complexity of the texts assigned in early high school vary across the disciplines? 4) Does the authenticity of the texts assigned in early high school vary across the various course levels? Interviews from a total of 21 ninth and tenth grade teachers were analyzed, as well as sample texts from their classes. Teacher interviews were examined to determine their views—either more content-area based or disciplinary based— on literacy instruction within their content-area classrooms. The sample texts’ Lexile levels were analyzed across discipline (Language Arts, Math, Science, Spanish, and Social Studies) and course level (A, B, DI) in order to find any relationships that existed between text complexity and discipline or level. Finally, the authenticity of the sample texts—in relation to the course level they were being used in—was explored. Results indicated that most content-specific teachers view their literacy instruction as having a more content-area focused purpose rather than a disciplinary focus. Although no relationship was found between the complexity levels of texts across the course levels, a relationship was found between the complexities of texts in certain disciplines. Lastly, results did not show any significant relationship between the authenticity of a text and its course level.

Hannah Ragonese , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Catherine Little The Underrepresentation of Minorities in Gifted and Talented Programs: Educators’ Perceptions of Giftedness and Educator Referral Systems This study focuses on the underrepresentation of minority populations in gifted and talented programs, and more specifically teacher perceptions of high potential as they might relate to referrals of minority students for gifted and talented programs. In this study, 37 teachers of grades K-2 completed a survey about their perceptions of high potential. The survey also explored whether teachers were more or less likely to refer hypothetical students of different backgrounds to gifted programs. Findings indicated that teachers tended to look for physical academic output as the most important characteristic of giftedness. Findings also indicated that teachers participating in this survey were not influenced by students’ demographic characteristics (race, socioeconomic status, or English language skills) in making referrals to gifted programs. Suggestions for future research are noted regarding teacher role within the larger issue of underrepresentation.

Jessica Stargardter , Elementary Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. E. Jean Gubbins Underrepresentation of Minorities in Gifted and Talented Programs: A Content Analysis of Five District Program Plans Many educators and researchers recognize the issue of underrepresented minority groups in gifted and talented education programs. Since the landmark Supreme Court case Brown vs Board of Education in 1954, policies, laws, and standards have been attempting to establish equity in educational programs. This content analysis explores how select districts in the metropolitan region of Colorado align with the NAGC’s standard 2. The research showed that the majority of these districts followed NAGC’s standard 2, but the underrepresentation of minority groups within the metropolitan region of Colorado continued. National, state, and local districts need to do more to promote equity and diversity.

Anthony Steady , Secondary Social Studies Education Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Alan Marcus Engagement in the Social Studies Classroom Social studies education literature has indicated that students are not engaged in their social studies classes.  Within this view are a variety of theories attempting to explain why students are not engaged.  Surveys were administered to 184 suburban high school students in order to answer the question of which of these different views on how to engage students in the social studies classroom were most accurate.  The results from the survey showed that students found social studies to be more engaging than previously indicated, and that within students who either enjoy or do not enjoy social studies, there are common trends of instructional and curricular strategies that should be considered for improving engagement.  Among these strategies were more focused history courses, different classes based on preferred learning methods, and a need to continue researching methods to engage students despite the encouraging results that were found.

Daniel Arndt , Secondary Biology Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Jonathan Plucker Evaluation of Gifted Education using A-F School Grading Accountability Systems

A recent trend in accountability systems in the United States has been grading schools on an A-F scale. Some of the evaluation components included in these systems are standardized test proficiency rates and student growth measures. Traditionally, these systems have not emphasized accountability for gifted education programming or services. The accountability systems of the sixteen states in the U.S. under these A-F systems were analyzed for indicators that involve gifted education, which does not have a federal mandate or centralized decision-making. The frequencies of evaluation components were compared at the high school and elementary school levels. The only gifted education-specific components were based on AP and IB testing in high school. The lack of gifted education inclusion into these systems represents the current climate for gifted education in the United States.

Terra Briody, Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Catherine Little Parent Perceptions of Children’s Learning About Nutrition

At both the preschool and young adolescent age, modeling has a significant influence on the nutritional habits and physical activity levels of children. Parents set up the first routines regarding the availability of food, meal structure, and eating practices in the home, and they are also the primary models for young children. This study explored parent perceptions of elementary-aged children’s eating habits, with a specific focus on breakfast as a sample of eating behaviors, and the parents’ perceptions of themselves as nutritional models. The study also explored how parents engage children in nutrition-related activities. A total of 81 parents completed an online survey. Results indicated that parents support children’s engagement with nutrition by giving children support for making informed choices about food and by having children help with preparing food. Parents also demonstrated some awareness of themselves as models, but about a third of responses indicated that they rarely or never eat breakfast with their children.

Andrew Catanese , Secondary Mathematics Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Del Siegle Investigating the Mozart Effect with University Students

The purpose of this study was to shed further light on the concept of the Mozart Effect. This is the debated phenomenon that listening to Mozart may cause temporary increases in cognitive ability in certain kinds of tasks. Forty-two students from the University of Connecticut participated in a test involving mental rotation tasks; approximately half listened to Mozart while taking the test, and the other half took the test in silence. There was not a statistically significant difference between these two groups. However, the sample size was relatively small. The average test scores of the Mozart group was approximately 8.16, as opposed to approximately 5.87 for the group not listening to Mozart. Given this difference, it is possible that a study performed on a larger sample size would have enough power to show that a statistically significant difference exists.

Rachael Cerutti , Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Michael Coyne Study of Teacher Perspectives on Vocabulary Instruction

Direct vocabulary instruction is a key component of an early reading program, and effective vocabulary instruction may be significant in raising student achievement in reading. This qualitative study investigated kindergarten through 3 rd grade teachers’ perspectives of their reading programs’ vocabulary instruction. The study took place across 3 different schools, all of which use the same core reading program. The study aims to discover the participating teachers’ overall opinions of the quality of the vocabulary instruction, as well as other factors including time available to complete instruction, level of difficulty of the given vocabulary words, and the teachers’ own fidelity of instruction.

Amy Christensen , Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Tutita Casa An Investigation of Grade Three Students’ Vocabulary Usage in Written Mathematical Communication

While the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has long emphasized communication in the teaching and learning of mathematics, renewed attention is being given to this process with the advent of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Not only does the CCSS for Mathematics encourage teachers to have their students develop expertise in constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others, but the CCSS for English language arts stresses writing across academic areas. The CCSS-related assessments’ claim that they will measure students’ ability to communicate their reasoning cements the importance of this practice. Writing particularly about one’s mathematical reasoning naturally calls for students’ use of academic vocabulary. The Project M 3 units, developed for mathematically promising upper elementary students, emphasize reasoning-based oral and written communication, which includes mathematical vocabulary. This study investigates the differences between intervention and comparison groups of third graders’ vocabulary use in their writing on an open-response assessment, including formal and informal mathematical language. Intervention group students had been exposed to a communication-rich math curriculum, while comparison group students were instructed with their existing traditional math curriculum. Results showed comparison group students used slightly more precise language, while intervention group students tended to write more, and about more mathematical concepts.

Emily Gauthier , Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Catherine Little Teacher Perceptions of Students from Background Information

Teacher expectations influence student experiences in the classroom. This thesis explored teacher expectations; specifically, the study focused on the types and sources of information teachers purposely look at and use to form expectations of their incoming students prior to the beginning of the school year. The study also included exploration of whether or not those choices vary by the grade levels at which teachers have experience, as well as how teachers perceive conflicts between student performance and expectations of student performance. A total of 85 participants responded to a survey of open- and closed-ended questions. Results demonstrated that teachers attend to academic information over behavioral, that teachers avoid certain information to give students “fresh starts,” and that teachers’ choices regarding the information they use vary somewhat by the grade level experiences they report.

Julie Grossman , Secondary Social Studies Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Alan Marcus Political Cartoons as Tools for Developing Historical Empathy in Social Studies Classrooms

Political cartoons are visually complex, abstract images which citizens are frequently exposed to as a part of American civic life. Evaluating them is a necessary skill for productive citizenship and is one that should be taught in school. Social studies classes are perfect settings for students to analyze political cartoons because of their focus on effective citizenship and their use of historical thinking skills such as historical empathy. This skill is what allows students to emotionally engage with the discipline by understanding historical events from multiple perspectives and in the context of the appropriate time period. There is a dearth of research on the use of political cartoons to help foster historical empathy and that is where this research lies. Data were collected from 13 ninth grade students analyzing a set of political cartoons about slavery and a set of cartoons about police brutality. Their responses were coded for accuracy, recognition of the varied perspectives featured in the political cartoons, and reconciliation of personal opinions with the opinions of the political cartoons. One major result was that five out of thirteen students referred to slaves from the 19th century anachronistically as “African-Americans.” This showed that students struggled to think beyond the modern era and within the time period of the cartoons. Another major finding was that a majority of students chose the cartoon which aligned with their personal views instead of a more balanced perspective when asked to choose the cartoon which best portrayed the issue. This represented an inability and possibly an unwillingness of students to recognize the validity of perspectives besides their own and to think empathetically. Political cartoons, visual and biased representations of multiple perspectives, are challenging for students whose default thought processes are deeply situated in the present day and largely dependent on their own personal opinions. Social studies teachers should consider these issues when using political cartoons.

Alison Labaire , Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Catherine Little Teachers’ Perceptions of Student Reading Patterns

Reading motivation has been shown to have an effect on overall academic performance, with a strong positive relationship with reading achievement. Currently, there is a lot of concern about literacy achievement specifically pertaining to boys. This study surveyed teachers about their perceptions of students’ reading preferences and reading behaviors. We asked teachers to share supports and barriers to reading behaviors as well as students’ preferred books and genres. The genres most frequently reported as popular with boys were Comedy, Fantasy, and Science Fiction. The genres most frequently reported as popular with girls were Fantasy, Realistic Fiction, and Historical Fiction. Participants surveyed reported that having a range of topics, using props, and having engaging literature with relatable characters were all successful ways to increase interest to their students.  Participants reported that a wide selection of texts not only increases interest for students but also allows for differentiation, self-selection, and increased literary independence, according to participants.

Jennifer Moore , Secondary Mathematics Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Del Siegle Underachieving Gifted Students’ Achievement Patterns Beyond High School

The purpose of this study was to follow-up with underachieving middle school students from an NRC/GT Increasing Academic Achievement study, who are now of college age or slightly older. We were interested in determining how well they performed in high school and college, whether they turned around their academic underachievement, and what factors they perceived influenced their achievement or lack of achievement. Out of the 280 students who previously participated in the study, we located 90, and seven completed a survey. Out of those seven, five students were chosen. These five students, who were identified as underachieving gifted students in middle school, indicated that their academic achievement never improved throughout their school career and early into life because they failed to find meaning and value in their tasks. They wished their teachers had understood them better and reported being happy, but not fulfilled in their current work positions.

Bailey Muchin , Special Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Mary Truxaw Self-talk+ and Strategic Teacher Moves Aimed at Cognitive Advancement in Linguistically Diverse Elementary Mathematics Classrooms

This study’s objective was to determine the purposes of self-talk and related forms of talk (self-talk+) in linguistically diverse elementary mathematics classrooms, teacher moves that are often associated with self-talk+, and the relationship between self-talk+ and strategic teacher moves. This study analyzed transcripts, audio recordings, and video recordings from several elementary mathematics classrooms in dual language programs in order to determine the relationship among self-talk+ and strategic teacher moves. This study specifically focused on the purposes of self-talk+ that contributed to, or had the potential to impact, student cognitive advancement. The results of data analysis were mapped in order to visualize the relationships among self-talk+, strategic teacher moves, and cognitive advancement. The results associated with each research question were grouped by topic: purposes of self-talk+, teacher moves related to self-talk+, and relationship among self-talk+ and strategic teacher moves. The purposes of self-talk+ identified and aligned with the literature were found to include the following: ruminate on a difficult matter, increase understanding of a novel concept, redirect/restructure thought process, focus on technical aspects of a skill, effectively engage with a task, and increase understanding of a novel concept. Teacher moves used in conjunction with self-talk+ were found to include wait time, modeling, and prompting. Finally, it was found that when self-talk+ and these strategic teacher moves were used together, students were more likely to make significant cognitive advancements.

Jorie Predmore , Special Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Joseph Madaus Self-Concept of a High School Student with Cerebral Palsy in the General Education Classroom and Resource Room

This paper explores the different domains of self-concept for a student in high school with cerebral palsy. This case study provides a qualitative analysis of the self-concept of a specific student in the resource room versus this student in the general education classroom. The domains of self-concept examined were academic self-concept, social self-concept and general self-concept. The study also researched the difference in importance beliefs of academics and socialness in the two educational settings. The student’s academic and general self-concept appeared to be similar across the two settings, but his social self-concept was higher in the general education classroom. His importance beliefs about academics and socialness were also higher in the general education classroom.

Matthew Rescsanski , Music Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Joseph Abramo High School Musicians and their Perceptions of Music in Academic and Non-Academic Settings

Contemporary research has shown that school music programs have increasingly struggled with relevancy in recent years, as students primarily experience music outside of school through informal practices of popular music and culture. It is therefore extremely important for music educators to better understand the perceptions their students have of music in both of these settings. In this study, students were asked via survey and interview about their perceptions of the music they make in school and in other settings, such as at home, with friends, or as a part of a religious activity. Findings included a wide range of statements and numerical data from students about preferences and perceived differences between in school and out of school music, suggesting that a mixture of informal and formal classroom practices are needed in all music classrooms in order to better reach students with diverse musical experiences outside of school.

Melissa Scarbrough , Secondary World Languages: French Thesis Advisors: Dr. Catherine Little and Dr. Valerie Saugera Use of Phonetics in the Beginner French Classroom: A Look at Textbooks

World Language classrooms, as a result of their subject matter, delve heavily into Linguistics, most specifically in an area of Applied Linguistics known as Second Language Acquisition (SLA). This subcategory emphasizes determining learning differences between a first language and a second language. Within this, there is the focus of Phonology, and Phonetics, which analyzes how sound information affects SLA. Recent research has shown that explicit training in the phonetics of a second language supports overall growth in learning and using a second language. In this study, three of the most commonly used French as a foreign language textbooks were examined to determine the prevalence of exercises and activities from these books that support phonetics teaching. Results demonstrated a strong emphasis on the practicing of phonetic information, through speaking exercises, but limited instruction and support of phonetic principles.

John A. Bengston, Social Studies Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Alan Marcus Teaching Genocide: Problems and Possible Solutions

If students are to have a complete and well-rounded social studies education, there will be histories covered that are both disturbing and painful, and thus, controversial. This study examines how teachers teach a specific kind of controversial issue, genocide, to demonstrate the difficulties and methods involved. In branching out to teachers from different backgrounds and school districts, I sought to describe how specific individuals approach teaching genocide and how they solve various challenges surrounding this type of instruction. Such a description may inform other teachers about how to teach genocide effectively. Helping teachers recognize these issues would serve to open genocide education issues to both discussions and solutions that can only increase the quality of student education.

Kimberly Burk, Elementary Education, and Kathryn Fernberg, Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Catherine Little Influential Factors in Teacher-Student Relationships in the Classroom

We investigated practicing teachers’ perceptions of their relationships with their students in general and also focused on how their perceptions varied based on their gender and teaching experience. We surveyed teachers using the Problems in Schools Questionnaire, along with several researcher-generated questions. We received 252 responses to the survey from teachers with a wide range of levels of experience. We found few differences related to teacher gender, although when asked to describe a negative relationship they had had with a student, most teachers described a male student. Teacher experience was significantly negatively related to an approach that emphasized control in the classroom as opposed to student autonomy, suggesting that teachers may become less control-oriented and possibly more autonomy-oriented with more experience. Results also indicated that teachers considered trust, respect, communication, and a safe classroom environment to be critical to developing positive relationships with students.

Rebecca Duchesneau, Social Studies Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Catherine Little The Content of Teacher Questions in Individualized Reading Conferences

This study examined reading instruction in third through fifth grade classrooms, by analyzing individualized reading conferences conducted by five different teachers. Each teacher recorded conferences with three students: a struggling reader, an average level reader, and an advanced or higher level reader. I sought to examine what types of content teachers were addressing in these conferences, at what level teachers were asking students to analyze the text, and how teachers were differentiating for students with differing reading abilities. The results showed that teachers were addressing the follow content: plot, character, author, genre, setting, reading behavior, and vocabulary, with the largest emphasis on plot, character, and reading behavior. Teachers asked students to analyze the text on the surface, go further within the text, and go further beyond the text. Surface was the most popular out of this category, and even when teachers asked students to go beyond the text it was mostly to make connections. Lastly, while there was some differentiation, particularly with the low level readers, it did not seem systematic or planned.

Sarah Forte, English Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Catherine Little Time Patterns in Teacher Questions and Student Response

For this honors thesis, I conducted a qualitative and quantitative study to examine individualized reading conferences between five elementary school teachers and their students. Expanding from previous study, audio recordings of the one-on-one conferences were coded, timed, and analyzed. This study focused on the patterns between teacher talk and student talk, specifically on questioning, types of questions asked, and student responses. Three research questions were examined in this study: 1.What are the patterns evident in ratios of teacher talk time to student talk time in individualized one-on-one conferences? 2. What relationships are evident between function of teacher question and length of student response, as measured in words spoken and time elapsed? 3. What are the patterns evident among students of different reading levels in individualized conferences? Several key findings emerged from the study. Teachers talked for a greater percentage of time than their students, though students of a higher reading level generally spoke more during individualized conferences than students at average or lower levels of reading performance. The types of questions that got students to speak for a longer amount of time and speak more words were not always the questions that students were most often being asked to respond to. Questioning is an essential classroom practice, and this study suggests implications for teacher practice in the classroom and further research.

Laura Kent, Comprehensive Special Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Joseph Madaus Impact of Introduction to Exceptionality and Collaboration Course

The inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom requires that all teachers have the ability to teach students with disabilities and the ability to collaborate within the school environment with a variety of staff members within the school. Teacher preparation programs must incorporate the teaching of these skills into their curriculum. This study focused on determining the effects a class on exceptionality and collaboration had on preservice teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching students with disabilities and understanding of professional collaboration in schools. A survey was administered to a population of special education majors attending a university at the beginning and the end of their first semester in a teacher education program. Analysis of these surveys found that there was a statistically significant improvement in the preservice teachers’ self-efficacy for teaching students with disabilities, but there was not a large development in the understanding of professional collaboration in schools. While the preservice teachers did demonstrate an increase in understanding about the environment of professional collaboration in school, the understanding in other domains was limited. There did also seem to be a slight increase in knowledge of educational terminology that allowed the respondents to express their knowledge in different ways. The results from this study can be used to hone further studies on the influences on preservice teachers’ preparation for the field, and to influence how to improve preservice teachers’ understanding of professional collaboration in schools.

Jeffrey T. Moore, Comprehensive Special Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Del Siegle Honors Preparation: Examining Honors Students’ Perceptions of Preparation for Their Honors Program

Gifted students are some of the most promising learners in the country. This group contributes 6% of the total student population. Programming for these gifted students varies from school to school. Because there is no universal program for gifted students, they enter college with very different experiences. This study aimed to investigate which experiences and services in high school programs best prepared these gifted students for their college Honors courses and conversions. Juniors and Seniors in the UConn Honors Program completed a survey regarding their perceptions of their high school and college programs. Students’ perceptions of preparation for college Honors courses and conversions were related to feelings of challenge in high school classes, high school classes requiring complex thinking, and having a high level of choice in the content of college Honors courses and conversions. The number of Honors or AP classes that students completed in high school was not related to their feelings of preparation. There were no differences based on gender, class standing, and the time of acceptance to the UConn Honors Program.

Kelly Nelson, Mathematics Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Morgaen Donaldson Satisfaction with Teacher Preparation and Movement of Beginning Teachers

Keeping quality teachers in the classroom is a concern of policy makers, administrators, and other members of the education community. Teacher preparation programs strive to prepare graduates for the myriad challenges that teachers encounter in their profession and help graduates stay in education. This study seeks to determine what factors associated with teacher movement are reported by graduates of a teacher preparation program with two different populations of graduates. Recent alumni of the program were surveyed about their current job status, reasons for any decisions to change careers or schools, and satisfaction with their preparation program. Responses from 149 alumni were analyzed. Satisfaction ratings of the program were also examined to determine whether those who left the field of education or moved within the field of education felt differently about the quality of the program than those who stay in their first school. While there were no significant differences between satisfaction responses of the leavers, movers and stayers in education, other factors associated with teacher movement that were reported align with those found in the literature.

Camille Thomas, Mathematics Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Catherine Little Middle School Student Perceptions of Homework in Mathematics

Homework has been a source of debate in schools for the past several decades and will continue to be an important topic in the future. It is a traditional part of education but some debate its importance in the classroom. This study explored student perception of homework and their reported performance in middle school mathematics. The research questions focused on student attitudes about homework, the relationship of students’ self-efficacy and support resources to their homework completion, and the relationship of students’ general level of achievement in mathematics to their attitudes about homework. The study involved a survey of 230 middle school students and their mathematics teachers. The survey did not demonstrate reliable measurement of the hypothesized factors of purpose, self-efficacy, and support resources related to students’ overall perceptions about homework. However, overall, students reported positive attitudes and grades in math class. Gender and general level of achievement in mathematics class did show a relationship with certain aspects of students’ responses regarding homework.

Glen Ullman, Music Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Del Siegle Aspects of the High School Music Program and their Relationship with the College Marching Band Experience

A quality musical ensemble requires the director to be attentive to the needs and abilities of its members. This study examined various aspects of students’ musical and academic preparation in relation to their current experience with music in college. With more insight about the backgrounds of college musicians, and the way those backgrounds relate to their experiences in performing ensembles, music directors will be better able to tailor instruction to the needs of their musicians. For this study, a survey was distributed to members of the University of Connecticut Marching Band about their demographics, education, past musical experiences, and current attitudes toward music and marching. The study found that most participants were majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. However, participants who studied in these areas did not report any greater confidence in learning new formations than did participants in other majors. While a sizeable portion of the band comprised music, drama, and art majors, they were concentrated in the woodwind and brass sections, rather than percussion and color guard. The study also found that among the music activities participants completed prior to coming to college, the duration of private music study made a significant difference in students’ acceptance to the travelling pep band, whose members are selected based on their musical ability. The results suggest that individualized instruction is more effective than large group rehearsals for the purposes of developing individual musical ability. They also suggest that college marching bands might consider recruiting in underrepresented majors such as humanities.

James Wendt, Jr., Mathematics Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Megan Staples Developing Justification Skills in Middle School Mathematics

This study sought to examine justification learning in secondary school mathematics. It is often the case that students graduate from high school with few to no mathematical proof and reasoning skills. The goal of this study was to identify teacher practices in secondary school math classes that aided or hindered students’ learning of justification skills. This study was an examination of existing research data from a larger, NSF-funded project titled JAGUAR (Justification and Argumentation: Growing Understanding of Algebraic Reasoning). Data for this study comprised student pre- and post-tests as well as transcripts of lessons from seventh- and eighth-grade classes. Student pre- and post-tests for twenty-two classes were used to identify classes that could be compared meaningfully through a comparative case study. In-depth analyses of four focal classes and their implementations of JAGUAR justification tasks were conducted to identify practices that support or hinder students’ growth in justification and reasoning in middle school math classes. Across the four focal classes, frequent funneling by the teacher and acceptance of incomplete or less rigorous arguments was associated with little student learning of justification skills, while more pressing from the teacher coupled with a demand for higher-level arguments was associated with enhanced student learning of justification skills.

Comparing Students’ Abilities to Conduct Online Research and Teacher Internet Use in Two States: A One-to-One Laptop State and a State Without a One-to-One Laptop Program Jennifer Berke , Comprehensive Special Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Donald J. Leu

New online literacies, through which individuals read and understand information on the Internet, are becoming essential for today’s students to develop, so that they can be proficient at using the Internet to locate, synthesize, evaluate, and communicate information online. While an achievement gap traditionally exists among today’s students in economically advantaged and disadvantaged states when examining offline reading comprehension test scores, it is important to examine students’ online reading abilities to determine whether an achievement gap exists in this area as well. This research study focuses on students and teachers in two states of differing economic statuses, Connecticut and Maine. While Connecticut is an economically advantaged state, Connecticut’s students do not have access to a one-to-one laptop to student ratio. On the other hand, while Maine is an economically challenged state, its students have access to a one-to-one laptop to student program. This indicates that students in Maine have 24/7 access to laptops & the Internet. This study examines whether or not a one-to-one laptop program can help to overcome the traditional achievement gap found among economically advantaged and disadvantaged states, by looking at Connecticut and Maine students’ online research comprehension scores on an assessment called the ORCA. It also examines teachers’ Internet practices in Maine and Connecticut, through a Teacher Internet Use Survey (TIUS), to determine whether or not teacher Internet practices have an effect on their students’ online reading comprehension abilities. The results of the study demonstrate that overall, there is no mean difference between the ORCA scores of students in Connecticut and in Maine. Additionally, the results indicate that teachers in Maine more frequently use the Internet for class assignments, and that they explicitly teach their students how to locate information online more often than teachers in Connecticut. These results suggest that teacher Internet practices, in addition to having full access to laptops and Internet, may help students perform better on online reading comprehension assessments.

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Academic Self-Concept and Student Preferences for Grouping Formats in Elementary Reading Instruction Lindsay Brand , Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Susan Payne

This study explored the relationship between students’ perceptions of grouping practices used in reading instruction and their academic self-concept levels. This study sought to identify students’ preferences regarding a variety of grouping formats, with specific attention paid to same- versus mixed-ability grouping, and to determine whether these preferences were related to differing levels of academic self-concept. Participants were 36 third grade students enrolled at an urban Connecticut elementary school. Data were collected using two questionnaires that surveyed participants about their attitudes toward different types of reading instruction and their self-ratings regarding ability and enjoyment in reading and in school in general, respectively. Subsequent quantitative analyses and qualitative comparisons were used to investigate the significance of this relationship. The goal of this study was to provide data and draw conclusions that would aid classroom teachers at the test site in identifying and implementing the types of reading instruction that their students preferred and found most desirable, with an eye to promoting student engagement. Students reported that same-ability groups were most well liked, followed by mixed-ability groups, whole-class instruction, and same-ability pairs. Working independently was liked the least. Same-ability groups were viewed as most desirable for nonreaders and least desirable for poor readers. No significant relationship was found between students’ preferences for grouping practices or perceptions of these groups and their academic self-concept levels. However, correlations between responses to pairs of individual items as well as key descriptive differences between the preferences and perceptions of students of high, middle, and low academic self-concept were further discussed.

Defining Mathematics: Academic, Social, and Personal Factors that Influence How Students Conceptualize Mathematics Jonathan Bruneau , Mathematics Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Megan Staples

What is math? This is a fundamental question that researchers have explored by looking at how students conceptualize mathematics. The student’s conceptualization of mathematics is how the student understands, defines, and feels about mathematics, a combination of both attitudes and perceptions. Using a survey, this study explored current student conceptions of mathematics at the secondary level. After analysis of survey results, a select group of students were interviewed regarding their responses to the survey to better understand the factors that played a critical role in the formation of their conceptualization of mathematics. Findings from the study indicate students agree that mathematics is a conceptual process, dealing with the logic system and usefulness of mathematics to solve problems, as well as a procedural process, looking at algorithms and computations. Common themes that run throughout the interviews indicate that the most important factor that influences a student’s conceptualization of mathematics is prior mathematics classroom experiences. The applicability of mathematics also seemed to play an important role, whereas taking standardized tests had less of an influence on student conceptualization of mathematics.

Practicing and Preservice Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy for Character Education Carolyn Lowe , Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Catherine Little

This study explored preservice and practicing teachers’ perspectives on their preparation to support students’ character development and their sense of efficacy in implementing classroom practices related to this area of education. The research questions framing the study were as follows: (1) What levels of efficacy around character education do practicing and preservice elementary teachers from the same teacher preparation program report? (2) How do efficacy levels differ between practicing and preservice teachers? (3) What influences on their efficacy for character education do practicing and preservice teachers report? The study involved a survey of 79 practicing and preservice teachers, with similar group sizes between the two groups. Results overall were similar to previous research using an instrument assessing teacher efficacy for character education, with overall scores somewhat positive about teachers’ efficacy in this area. Descriptive results also suggested a possible pattern of slightly higher levels of efficacy for character education among preservice teachers as compared to practicing teachers, although the difference did not prove to be statistically significant. Teacher responses also indicated the importance of both personal and professional experiences in developing skills for supporting student development in this area.

How Teachers Approach Student Disengagement in Secondary Mathematics Classrooms Kelly Macko , Mathematics Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Megan Staples

Boredom is a negative emotion which plagues the high school mathematics classroom, but there are strategies that teachers can use to try to decrease boredom and its negative effects. Once teachers identify that students are disengaged, strategies that increase self-efficacy and task value are used to decrease disengagement. In this study these strategies are classified as proactive or reactive. Seven teachers, three from an urban school and four from a suburban school, were interviewed and observed to identify which of the strategies are actively used. Both proactive and reactive strategies were used in both settings, with the proactive strategy of relating to the students’ lives and the reactive strategies of giving students an opportunity to engage being the most common. There was not a significant difference in the strategies used in the urban and suburban settings, but the methods used to implement these strategies varied slightly. While not all strategies were used, many of the researched methods of decreasing disengagement can be seen in the secondary mathematics classrooms.

Exploring Challenges and Barriers Faced by Educational Aid Organizations Operating in Sub-Saharan Africa Julie McGarry , English Education, and Paul Steller, Mathematics Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Anysia Mayer

The deadline for the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals is 2015 and represents a unified effort through the United Nation to relieve the world’s people from poverty (United Nations Development Programme 2012). One goal calls for the achievement of universal primary education. This study seeks to identify the challenges and barriers faced by educational aid organizations operating in Sub-Saharan Africa (non-profits, NGOs, branches of UNESCO, etc.). Prior research shows that these challenges and barriers can be grouped into six critical success factors: achievement of gender equality, poor health, poor geographic location, the presence of armed conflict, low quality educational professionals, and the structural design of buildings. A survey was administered and responses made to represent action and confidence composite scores for each organization’s experience with each critical success factor. This study seeks to compare various organizations’ experiences with these factors and compare the findings with the literature. Additionally, the study seeks to compare experiences between and within organizations and establish any patterns. The results showed a moderate correlation of organizations’ action and confidence composite scores related to armed conflict as well as between the action and confidence composite scores of eight organizations.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perspectives on Extrinsic Rewards, Motivation, and Student Autonomy Bridget O’Connor , English Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Wendy Glenn

Intrinsic motivation is characterized by a willingness to complete a task out of internal interest, while extrinsic motivation describes the motivation to complete a task due to external pressures. Different types of rewards in the classroom can promote extrinsic or intrinsic motivation within students. This study examined Neag IB/M students’ attitudes on extrinsic rewards and student autonomy, and explored whether those attitudes affect how future teachers plan to reward students and motivate them in their future classrooms. The study also sought to determine if there is a dissonance between the types of rewards Neag IB/M students find most intrinsically motivating, and what they will be able to realistically implement in their own classrooms. Participants in the study were Neag School of Education Integrated Bachelor/Master Teacher Preparation students. Participants included juniors, seniors, and fifth-year students enrolled in the program during the Fall 2012 semester. Participants were given an anonymous online survey to determine their attitudes on extrinsic rewards and autonomy.

Hitting Both Ends of the Spectrum: Examining Neag IB/M Preservice Teacher Identification of Twice-Exceptional Students Kathryn Schneider , Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Del Siegle

This study examined the willingness of juniors and master’s year preservice teachers in the Neag School of Education to recommend twice-exceptional students to a gifted program. Preservice teachers were presented with three different hypothetical student bios that contained descriptions of a gifted student, a nongifted student, and a possible twice-exceptional student. The preservice teachers ranked their willingness to refer these students to a gifted program. Of 193 total students in the Neag School of Education surveyed, 109 were juniors, and 84 were master’s year students. Preservice teacher responses were collected and examined using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Overall, the preservice teachers were significantly more willing to Definitely Recommend or Recommend with Reservations students who were just gifted or gifted with ADHD, and less likely to recommend students who had a learning disability in addition to their giftedness.

Practicing Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs Regarding their Use of Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices Margaret L. Seclen , Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Catherine Little

Rapidly changing demographics in our country indicate that teachers are more likely today to encounter culturally and linguistically diverse students in their classrooms than at any other point in the last half-century. Culturally diverse students may often regard schools as alien and hostile settings because they find that some of the teaching methodologies are usually unfamiliar to them. Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) offers potential to effectively address these low levels of academic performance because CRT practices allow students to learn in meaningful ways by connecting classroom learning to students’ interests, prior experiences, and cultural backgrounds. CRT appears to be an appropriate pedagogical and instructional approach that can positively contribute to the learning and school experience of culturally diverse students. However, it appears that teachers may not be adequately prepared in CRT pedagogy and instruction, preventing them from properly addressing the needs of their culturally diverse students. This study explored practicing elementary school teachers’ perspectives on their own use of CRT practices and their confidence in implementing these same practices. As expected from previous research, teachers felt more efficacious in their ability to execute general teaching practices that do not necessarily require an in-depth knowledge of their students’ cultural background than teaching practices that do incorporate students’ culture.

A Comparative Analysis of Repertoire Selection Patterns for All-State Choral Music Christopher Wasko , Music Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Catherine Little

Selecting concert repertoire is one of the most challenging components of teaching high school choral music, because the teacher must choose music that is both pedagogically valid and programmatically sound. Professional literature has cited several criteria for selecting quality repertoire, including a wide diversity of musical styles and genres, accurate representations of multicultural music, and music that is challenging but still accessible both to the singers and to the audience. This study juxtaposes these published criteria with patterns that emerge in the repertoire selections of All-State concert programs, which are assumed to use challenging and accessible music given the high-profile, competitive nature of the All-State program. The study focuses specifically on the prevalence of certain stylistic periods or genres, composers, and individual pieces, as well as whether or not a piece has accompaniment, English text, or is written or performed in the familiar Western choral tradition.

Brenna Claire Dunnack, Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Howard Reading Instruction Strategies for English Language Learners in Dual-Language and Mainstream Classrooms

This study investigated the reading instruction strategies utilized in dual-language and mainstream classrooms. A review of literature that focused on strategies for English Language Learners, specifically Spanish-English bilinguals, provided a basis for the observations. Two classrooms, an English dual-language classroom and a mainstream classroom, in a school with a high English Language Learner population were observed for this study. The student researcher observed each classroom five times to determine the usage of reading instructional strategies. After observations were conducted, each teacher was interviewed to learn about their perceptions of working with ELLs. In addition, the Spanish dual-language teacher was interviewed. Both classrooms effectively utilized instructional communication and leveled questioning. The mainstream classroom utilized more comprehension strategies such as questioning and predicting during reading activities. The dual-language classrooms displayed vocabulary support by identifying vocabulary. However, some strategies were not utilized during observations. Reading instruction could include more modified materials to suit the needs of Spanish-English bilinguals. The instruction in the classrooms was more focused on phonics and decoding as opposed to comprehension.

Sarah E. Harris, Secondary Social Studies Education University Scholar Major Advisor: Dr. Catherine Little Associate Advisors: Dr. Preston Britner, Dr. Peter Baldwin, and Dr. Diane Quinn Educator Preparation to Respond to the Needs of Homeless Children & Youth: Perceptions of School Personnel

American poet John Howard Payne commented on a universal idea, writing, “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.” Yet, for 1.5 million children in the United States each year, Payne’s words fail to capture reality. As they move from shelter to shelter with their families or live in group homes while waiting to be placed in foster care, these children have no place to call home. With schooling that is inconsistent in location and in curriculum, and living conditions that are not conducive to homework and study, they often struggle to maintain academic achievement. Students experiencing homelessness need extra support from schools, yet too often they get “lost in the crowd.” This study examined educators’ perceptions of homelessness and the academic and social needs of homeless students, as well as the preparation that teachers and other school personnel report that they have received in pre-service preparation programs and through professional development opportunities to address the unique needs of homeless children and youth. The project explored educator preparedness to respond to this population of students, in connection with federal legislation and professional recommendations on the issue. Survey and interview data were collected from educators in four New England school districts, two small suburban districts and two larger urban districts. Survey data across all districts indicated that educators are confident in their roles as “mandated reporters.” Despite this general awareness, however, respondents indicated much lower levels of knowledge about the requirements of the McKinney-Vento Act, federal legislation that outlines schools’ responsibilities regarding the support of students in homeless situations. Interview data indicated that educators perceive school leadership and communication between school administration, faculty and schools as the most important factors in shaping schools’ response to this unique population. Data collected in this study have been used to create an online guide that will provide resources to help educators more effectively respond to the needs of homeless students.

Briana Hennessy , Secondary Mathematics Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Megan Staples Getting to the “Why”: Teacher Practices that Support Sound Student Justifications

Though the mathematical and education communities both value justification and argumentation in the middle grades classroom, teachers have historically found these practices difficult to support.  This paper discusses teaching practices that are associated with high levels of mathematically acceptable argumentation by students. Data were collected on seven committed teachers who explored justification and then implemented the same justification task over two years. Thus, the data reflected fourteen different implementations of the same task, allowing us to compare lessons directly. The findings describe how teachers’ Focusing Students’ Mathematics and Providing Scaffolding Questions are consistently associated with high levels of justification, while Leveraging a Critical Classroom Community and Providing Task Specific Tools are only sometimes associated an increased level of justification in a classroom. There are implications for teachers wishing to implement their own justification tasks, and researchers wishing to further study justification at the middle school level.

Robert K Janes III, Secondary Mathematics Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Megan Staples Bar Graphs and Baselines: Student Perceptions of Distortions in Real World Graphs

It is important for every educated member of our society to be able to read, comprehend, and interpret graphs. To that end, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and the Common Core State Standards have endorsed a kindergarten through eighth-grade mathematics curriculum that is rich in data analysis and graphical literacy skills. These skills are important, as graphs in the public sphere may include certain features that can cause misperceptions of the data. Such features may be intentional or unintentional and can include non-zero baselines, representing data with extra dimensions, stretching and shrinking graphics, not displaying outliers, and more. It is unclear whether the recommended mathematics curriculum prepares students to accurately comprehend these kinds of common graphs. This study investigated how effectively the kindergarten through eighth-grade public mathematics curriculum prepares students to read graphs that contain distortions. It focuses on student perceptions of the data through interpretation of bar graphs. A survey instrument was created to measure student perceptions; it included multiple graphical comprehension questions about a set of bar graphs with zero baselines and others with non-zero baselines. The instrument was used to assess 159 ninth-grade students in a school in a New England suburb. Each student had successfully completed eighth grade. Students were asked to answer a variety of comprehension questions about graphs that accurately represented and misrepresented data. The results from this survey suggest that many students are susceptible to graphical misperceptions while comprehending a graph with a non-zero baseline. While the current curriculum gives students strategies to solve mathematically rigorous graph comprehension problems, it may not give students the skills to make  qualitative  conclusions about real world graphs. It is the hope of the researchers that this study may inform future curricula on a local and state level.

Kara LaMonica, Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Mary Truxaw The Perceptions that Linguistically Diverse Students have Regarding Effective Mathematics Instruction

The study’s objective was to determine what strategies elementary aged students found effective when they were learning mathematics, with a particular focus on linguistically diverse students. This study compared the views of groups of linguistically diverse students and monolingual students regarding what strategies helped them learn mathematics. The linguistically diverse group of students was self-identified as having knowledge of a language other than English. This group is referred to as the SWALK (Students With Additional Language Knowledge) group.  This study also looked at how often teachers used the strategies that students identified as most effective. Teachers and students were given surveys that used a five point Likert scale. The surveys were designed to include strategies organized according constructs that were found in the research literature to be helpful for English language learners.  Experts validated surveys and constructs.  The constructs included the development of academic language, linguistic scaffolding, conceptual scaffolding, social scaffolding, and cultural scaffolding. Students were asked to rank how helpful they found a strategy, and teachers were asked to rank how frequently they used the same strategies.  Questions were grouped by construct, and means and standard deviations for each construct were examined for all groups and subgroups. The research found that students reported that conceptual scaffolding was the most helpful construct.  Teachers reported using most strategies very frequently, but the construct that teachers reported using most often was social scaffolding; interestingly, no group or subgroup of students reported social scaffolding as being the most helpful construct. Students reported that the least helpful construct was cultural scaffolding, which was also the construct that teachers reported using least frequently.

Julia Leonard, Special Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Michael Faggella-Luby Changing Roles: Special Education Teachers in the Response to Intervention Model

In response to policy, research, and practice, the field of special education evolves to meet the demands of the current education system.  The most current educational model, Response to Intervention (RTI) has prompted changes in all aspects of special education service delivery. The purpose of this honors thesis is to provide quantitative and qualitative exploration of the changing roles of special educators as a result of RTI implementation. The study methods included a quantitative 48-question survey and a qualitative follow-up interview. The results from the study indicated that special education teachers perceive an increase in the amount of time they spend collaborating with others and assessing students. The results of the study also indicated changes related to the essential components of RTI including increases in universal assessments and progress monitoring. The qualitative analysis revealed additional themes related to job stress and general education accountability.

Dana Lovallo, Secondary Spanish Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Manuela Wagner High School and University Students within the Spanish Classroom: Comparing Attitudes toward Native and Non-Native Spanish Teachers and Overall Preferences

This research study examined and compared student preferences within the Spanish classroom at both the high school and university levels.  Attitudes toward native and non-native Spanish teachers were also examined and compared.  A survey was administered to 347 high school and university students.  Data showed differences in motivation between the grade levels as well as different uses of Spanish, a variety of favorite activities within the classroom, and more.  Other subcategories were also explored such as the difference in preferences between the students who had native Spanish teachers and those who had non-native Spanish teachers as well as differences in attitudes based on the “level” of Spanish the students were taking.  This research can be used to help Spanish teachers become more aware of student preferences within the classroom and adjust instruction, boost teacher efficacy, influence language teacher preparation programs and more.

Juliana MacSwan, Elementary Education University Scholar Major Advisor:  Dr. M. Katherine Gavin Associate Advisors: Dr. Fabiana Cardetti, Dr. Tutita Casa, Dr. Catherine Little Kindergarten Mathematics:  An Observational Study of Learning Centers in Diverse School Settings

This qualitative research study investigated how centers were used in kindergarten math classes and students’ mathematical engagement and authority within centers in five classes field-testing the Project M2: Mentoring Young Mathematicians measurement and geometry units. Data were collected from three observations in each of the five classes as well as observations from trained professional development staff working on the field-test and teacher exit interviews.  Results indicated that in four of the five classes two-thirds of the centers related to the unit objectives and students spent over 90% of time in unit related centers.  There were a variety of centers using geometry and measurement activities to reinforce unit objectives that students engaged in across classes.  The main mitigating factors were the number of adults, transitions between centers, hands-on centers, and writing centers.  Results showed that providing students with mathematical centers related to the unit objectives can increase students’ mathematical authority in the classroom, giving students the opportunity to engage in the mathematics independently. Effective classroom management, a carefully designed and practiced center transition system, and one or two additional adults in the classroom promote the optimal student engagement and authority in mathematics.

Britteny McMullen, Secondary Mathematics Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Alvaro Lozano-Robledo Perceptions of Peer Tutoring in a Post Secondary Setting

Research shows that peer tutoring has been effective in helping students learn mathematics in elementary school and middle school levels.  However, very little research has been done on the effectiveness of peer tutoring in a higher lever setting.  This purpose of this study was to learn about student perceptions on the effectiveness of peer tutoring on their own math classes and abilities.  The implications of this study present support that peer tutoring is very effective in post secondary math classes.

Rebecca Mears, Special Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Brandi Simonsen Exploring the Use of Point Cards With and Without Home-School Communication for Students With Autism and Similar Disabilities

Research has shown that point cards are an effective Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) intervention.  Research has also demonstrated that communication between home and school leads to positive results for students.  This study investigated whether a home-school communication system, when added to the established use of a point card, decreased off-task behavior in students with autism and similar disabilities.  I conducted two experiments using a modified reversal design.  Two students and at least one teacher participated in each of the experiments.  Participants alternated between two forms of the point card, one incorporating the home-school communication system and one without.  For one student in the second experiment, the researchers also investigated if there was a functional relationship between the plain point card intervention and student off-task behavior.  Results indicate that there was not a functional relationship between home-school communication and the effectiveness of point cards with students with autism and similar disabilities: the point card with communication system did not lead to decreased off-task behavior when compared to the point card without the communication aspect.

David Pyrch, Secondary Mathematics Thesis Advisor: Dr. Tutita Casa Teachers’ Use of Real World Connections in Secondary Mathematics

This study investigated teachers’ use of real world connections in mathematics.  A survey was conducted with 29 practicing high school math teachers in Connecticut to determine what types of real world connections are used, how often they are used and what the purpose of their use is.  Teachers reported using word problems with realistic contexts and mentioning real world examples while teaching as the most frequently used type of real world connection.  Sixty percent of the teachers reported that the need for more resources, ideas, or training about what connections to make or how to make them is at least partly a reason for not making more real world connections.

Caroline Ronk, Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Catherine Little Teachers’ Perceptions of Student Motivation for Achievement and Learning in the Classroom

Students’ self-perceptions and their perceptions of how others view them have a tremendous influence on their motivation and their achievement.  How students view themselves plays a large role in potential or lack of academic achievement. Teachers need to understand their students’ self-perceptions and be aware that teachers’ own perceptions of their students impact student achievement, performance, and goals. Through semi-structured interviews, this qualitative study aims to examine teacher perspectives on students’ varying achievement goal orientations and motivation and explore how teachers try to shape student motivation given these potential factors. Findings indicate that teachers observe several influences that affect student motivation for learning and achievement such as self-efficacy, personal relationships, connectedness to school, and school environment. Actions teachers take to shape student motivation include tracking student progress, setting high expectations, providing individualized instruction, and creating a positive and safe learning environment.

Danielle Schindler, Special Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Catherine Little Teacher Approaches to Preparing Students Emotionally and Motivationally for Standardized Tests

Extensive attention has been given in recent years to the academic preparations students and teachers complete prior to standardized testing. However, somewhat less attention has gone to the strategies teachers use to respond to students’ stress levels or to ensure that students are sufficiently motivated to do well on tests. There is some research to demonstrate how teachers are trying to reduce test anxiety among students, yet the literature also suggests that teachers often use “fear appeals” to provide motivation. This study explores the degree to which teachers explicitly connect their strategies with students’ test anxiety and the ways teachers respond to student concerns regarding tests. Six elementary school teachers were interviewed about what they do to prepare students for upcoming tests. Results demonstrated that teachers have observed students with test anxiety in their classes and are using test-taking strategies and providing students with words of encouragement to try to reduce anxiety.

Eileen Stewart, Secondary History/Social Studies Education Thesis Advisor: Dr. Catherine Little Gifted Educators’ Perceptions of Response to Intervention

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a model that involves a school-wide effort to improve academic progress for all students. For students who do not respond to typical classroom instruction, they are moved through levels of intensive interventions and tiers that help them meet their individual goals. RTI can potentially be applied to the other outlying population of students, those who achieve significantly above the normal academic level. Students identified as gifted, or above average, have frequently not received instruction targeting their needs because their achievement levels lie above the level of their typically-achieving age peers. Looking forward to the future, some individuals propose using RTI to address the needs of students identified as gifted. This study examines gifted educators’ perceptions of RTI in order to better understand the future implications of RTI as applied to gifted education. This study examined gifted educators knowledge of RTI, whether they felt RTI was applicable to gifted education, self-confidence with RTI, and whether they were witnessing actual implementation in their schools. The results of this study support the idea that there is more research to be done in order to fully understand how RTI could be used within gifted education. Currently, many gifted educators are not witnessing RTI implementation in regards to gifted students, and many have not received professional development or training in terms of RTI within gifted education. However, the study demonstrated that gifted educators do desire professional development related to RTI.

Alexi Wiemer, Secondary Education and English Thesis Advisor: Dr. Del Siegle Examining Pre Service Teacher Knowledge of Student Rights and Tort Liability

This study explored how knowledgeable preservice teachers in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut were in the field of student rights and tort liability. This field has grown in importance due to a recent increase in student lawsuits and the expectations that teachers know these laws when they become certified. A total of 183 students were given a survey in their education classes with 27 statements of famous misconceptions about student rights and tort liability. Students were asked to determine if these statements were true or false and how confident they were in their answer. The average percentage of correctly answered questions for student rights and tort liability was 59.15% and 50.27% respectively. There was no statistically significant difference for questions answered correctly based on differences in gender, major, or class standing. A total of 54% of students surveyed cited the Neag School of Education as their most common source of legal knowledge.

Examining Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Creativity John Ehlinger Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Del Siegle

This study examined the attitudes of preservice teachers about creativity and compared them with those of inservice teachers. Preservice teachers completed an instrument that has previously been used to analyze inservice teachers’ perceptions of creativity, and results were compared to the norms of the instrument. Participants were taken from a population of junior year students accepted into the IB/M program in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. The participants completed a 37-question survey with 12 demographic/short answer questions. The hypothesis was that preservice teachers would value creativity and have higher hopes for the implementation of creative practices within their classrooms than teachers already practicing in the field. However, results showed that inservice teachers held a significantly higher creativity-based teacher self-efficacy, t(796) =6.209, p<.001, and societal value of creativity, t(796) = 8.802, p<.001, than preservice teachers.

The Role of Discourse in Students’ Learning in the Mathematics Classroom Ashley Ruegg Secondary Mathematics Eduction Thesis Advisor: Megan Staples

Research has shown that students in classrooms oriented toward conceptual discourse display higher levels of engagement and enjoy learning more than their peers in traditional classrooms. The study sought to investigate student learning, dialogue, and perceptions in classrooms oriented toward conceptual discourse. Do students in classrooms oriented toward conceptual discourse differ in their mathematical understanding from students in traditional classrooms? The study centered on two high-level seventh grade Pre-Algebra classrooms. One class was more oriented toward conceptual discourse than the other class. Throughout the course of the study, eight classroom lessons were observed, and 6 students were interviewed. The interviews consisted of mathematical problems designed to assess the students’ conceptual understanding and questions about the students’ opinions regarding mathematics and discourse. Classroom observations focused on the conceptual nature of student dialogue. Results indicated that the students in the class oriented toward conceptual discourse performed better on a common end-of-unit assessment than the students in the other class. As expected, the students in the classroom oriented toward conceptual discourse engaged in more conceptual dialogue than the students in the more traditional classroom. There was no discernable difference in the opinions about mathematics and discourse between the students in the two classes.

Middle School Students’ Perceptions and Conceptual Understanding of Reading Kelly Shea Secondary English Education Thesis Advisor: Catherine Little

Middle school students’ perceptions and conceptual understanding of reading were measured. A total of 1,371 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in two urban middle schools in Connecticut took the Likert scale Perceptions of Reading Survey, which addressed students’ reading habits and definitions of reading and literacy. Analysis suggests that students’ conceptual understandings of reading are complex and context-based. Students perceive reading mostly as a school-related activity and are not likely to associate many forms of New Literacies with reading. Despite these limited definitions, these students have positive self-images of themselves as readers, and they believe reading to be useful for their future, entertainment, and daily lives. A correlation exists between perceiving reading as useful and exhibiting a range of reading habits. Perceiving reading as useful also showed a significant positive correlation with defining literacy as including not only comprehension but higher-level text analysis as well. Data from the Perceptions of Reading Survey were also compared to reading achievement data; results demonstrated a significant positive relationship between several subscales, notably the Self-Image subscale, and the achievement measures.

Elementary Students’ Attitudes toward Science: An Exploratory Study Tara Stockmon Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: David M. Moss

The objective of this research was to examine fifth grade students’ attitudes toward science at a grade 5-6 upper elementary school. A total of 236 participants completed a questionnaire titled the Simpson-Troost Attitude Questionnaire, Revised (STAQ-R; Owen, Toepperwein, Marshall, Lichtenstein, Blalock, Liu, Pruski, & Grimes, 2008), along with two additional open-ended questions developed for this study. Student attitudes were examined with respect to differences in gender and primary school attendance, along with any previous science-related experiences that may have influenced their beliefs. Data from the questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics for each subscale. The five subscales included Motivating Science Class, Self Directed Effort, Family Models, Science is Fun for Me, and Peer Models. Reported averages indicated minimal gender differences, yet greater variation was seen among students grouped by primary school. Responses to the open-ended questions were coded based on students’ self-reported reasons for liking or disliking science. The majority of the students indicated they liked science, overwhelmingly citing the nature of science as the reason for their attitude. Examining student attitude toward science will serve to inform ongoing curricular reform initiatives.

The Effect of Study Abroad on Preservice Teachers Katherine Swedberg Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Del Siegle

Study Abroad experiences are growing in popularity at leading U.S. college institutions. The University of Connecticut Study Abroad website states that “There is no better way to learn about yourself, expand your worldview, acquire marketable skills, and, importantly, develop the habits of mind and action that will prepare you to tackle the global issues facing our time.” Because these aims describe professional skills as well as individual growth, it is useful to survey individual students who take part in these programs and gather from them a retrospective account of what they have taken away from the experience. This study examined the effects of studying abroad on a group of education graduate students enrolled in the Neag School of Education. The researcher surveyed 8 of the 12 students who went abroad in the Fall of 2010 to London, England, with the Neag School of Education. Questions targeted a reflective process of what knowledge the preservice teachers were able to gain and what challenged them while abroad, as well as what effect this has had on their ideas of teaching for the future. Recommendations included adding a study abroad element as a requirement in the school to fulfill the multiculturalism and diversity requirement as well as to give their highly prepared teacher candidates the most comprehensive and embedded knowledge of how to be teachers of an increasingly diverse community of learners.

Reading Interests and Preferences Among Middle School Students Christine Barile Secondary English Education Thesis Advisor: Catherine Little

The purpose of this study was to explore patterns in the reading interests and preferences of middle school students. A 56-question survey was administered twice in a school year to 592 students in grades 7 and 8 in an urban school district in Connecticut. The surveys inquired about the students’ reading preferences across twelve different factors, and were analyzed on the basis of pretest vs. posttest as well as male vs. female reading preferences. The students’ topic preferences did not change significantly from the pretest (administered in September) to posttest (administered in April), but did differ significantly by gender. Females indicated a higher interest than males in reading about interpersonal relationships, human sciences, art, music, fantasy, and writing, whereas males indicated a higher interest than females in reading about money, technology, athletics, business, social studies, and mathematics. For both groups, money was the most highly preferred topic, and writing was the least preferred.

Relationships Between Participation in Out-of-School Time Activities and Urban High School Students’ Attitudes Toward School Kelly Kennefick Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Rene Roselle

This study looked at the relationship between attitudes toward school and participation in out-of-school time (OST) activities for urban high school students. The study compared students’ attitudes toward school, their academic self-perceptions, and attitudes toward teachers and classes in relation to their participation in various OST activities. The study used the School Attitude Assessment Survey, a questionnaire using a Likert scale, and a participation survey about the activities the students participate in and for how many hours. Data indicated that students agreed with the positive academic self perception statements, as well as the positive statements towards their teachers and attitudes, but varied responses were found for the attitudes toward school statements. A recommendation to schools is to encourage students to participate in out-of-school time activities in order to receive potential positive benefits.

Experienced Teachers’ Views on Classroom Management: Investigating How Management Skills Are Learned Peter Macala Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Del Siegle

Classroom management has repeatedly been found to be an area of struggle for beginning teachers, and it often takes several years for teachers to become comfortable with their management styles. Examining the ways that experienced teachers finally developed successful management strategies could help to inform methods of making novice teachers better prepared in their first professional years. This study looked at the classroom management practices of successful teachers and the way that these teachers developed their management styles. The researcher conducted and completed observations and interviews with 7 teachers over the course of 2 weeks. These teachers were nominated by their elementary principals as having exhibited exemplary classroom management techniques. The teachers that were interviewed in the study employed a variety of management techniques in their classrooms, which in turn were learned from a variety of sources. These sources included preparation programs, professional seminars, observations of other teachers, and intuition. Recommendations for future teachers included finding a variety of ways to observe classroom settings at a specific grade level, seeking opportunities to collaborate with other staff members, and having a plan to manage classroom behaviors prior to the start of the school year.

Reactions and Attitudes: How Elementary Male Students Described Their Summer Reading Experiences Allison Magdefrau Elementary Education Thesis Advisors: Catherine Little & Sally M. Reis

For approximately ten months of the year, children attend school. In that time, they will have gained knowledge and progressed, especially in their reading skills. The foundation of success in multiple content areas is dependent on one’s ability to read. During the summer, children’s experiences differ, and without the shared experience of school, the progression or regression of their reading skills will vary considerably. Educators, researchers, and parents need to think about the summer months and the implications that those months have on a child’s future academic success, because evidence suggests that many students lose ground on their reading skills during the summer without access to books or strong encouragement to read. Part of encouraging students to read involves allowing students the opportunity to express which book topics and genres interest them the most. This qualitative study was designed to explore aspects of the questions of what students read during the summer and what motivates them to engage in summer reading. Within that context, the study explored the following more specific research questions: How do students respond to receiving a bag of books to read during the summer? How do students describe their summer reading experiences? How do students’ choices for summer reading reflect their self-identified reading interests? Five boys were provided with books matching their expressed interests and contacted regularly over the summer. Results demonstrated that all five took advantage of the opportunity to read one or more of the provided books, and that the interpersonal contact with the researcher seemed to be an important influence on their decisions to read.

Teachers’ Views of Human Rights Education Sarah Stockmann Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: John Settlage

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that education should be “directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms… promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups.” This study surveyed 53 teachers on their views of Human Rights Education, including their familiarity with the concept, their self-efficacy with teaching it, and conditions that would increase the likelihood of their teaching it. The study found that, regardless of familiarity with the topic, years of teaching experience, or school location (urban/suburban), most teachers were open to teaching Human Rights Education. They did identify the need for better resources in the form of lesson plans, teaching materials, and professional training. In addition, support from other teachers, administration, and parents was felt to be important in order for them to undertake Human Rights Education. The best strategy to move forward with Human Rights Education would be to provide resources and support for teachers so that we can be living up to the expectations put forth in the UDHR.

Jennifer M. Jaruse Thesis Advisor: Brandi Simonsen The Functional Relationship between Type of Reinforcement (Verbal and Tangible) and Behavior for a Student with an Emotional/ Behavioral Disorder

This study looked at the functional relationship between type of positive reinforcement and problem behavior in a case study of a teenage student with an Emotional or Behavioral Disorder (E/BD).  The study compared the effectiveness of type of reinforcement (tangible, verbal or combined) that showed evidence of significantly decreasing a problem behavior in this student.  The study used an alternating treatment method; the student was presented with either a desired motorcycle picture (tangible item), behavior specific praise statements (verbal), or both reinforcers for 12 minutes per day.  Using a 30-second partial interval data sheet, the student’s behavior was coded, data were graphed, and visual analysis was used to determine which type of reinforcement implemented decreased the target behavior.  Following training, data indicated that all conditions decreased the problem behavior but tangible positive reinforcement had the most impact on decreasing the problem behavior of teasing peers and increasing positive social interactions.

Kelly Nicole Almeida, Secondary Mathematics Thesis Advisor: Del Siegle Motivation and Learning in Mathematics Pre-service Teachers

Based on a review of literature of conceptual and procedural knowledge and motivation, the purpose of this study was to test the relationship between conceptual and procedural knowledge and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Thirty-eight education students with a mathematics focus (elementary or secondary) in their junior, senior, or fifth year completed a survey with a Likert scale measuring their preference in learning (conceptual or procedural) and their motivation type (intrinsic or extrinsic). Findings showed that secondary math-focused students were more likely to prefer learning mathematics conceptually than elementary math-focused students. However, secondary and elementary math-focused students showed an equal preference for learning mathematics procedurally and sequentially. Elementary and secondary students reported similar intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Extrinsically motivated students preferred procedural learning over conceptual learning. While there was no statistically significant preference with intrinsically motivated students, there was a trend favoring preference of conceptual learning over procedural learning. These results tend to support the hypothesis that math-focused students who prefer conceptual learning are more intrinsically motivated, and math-focused students who prefer procedural learning are more extrinsically motivated.

Scott J. Bonito, Spanish Education/Spanish Thesis Advisor: Manuela Wagner Motivational Factors Affecting Secondary Foreign Language Learners

The purpose of this research was to find what factors affected secondary foreign language learners in two schools in Connecticut. A 40-question Likert-style survey was used to gain student perspective on what they felt contributed to their level of motivation to continue foreign language study. The survey was given to students in one urban and one suburban school. There were three factors that came out significantly different during the study, using t tests comparing results from the two schools: parental use of language, level of intrinsic motivation, and classroom décor. Students in the suburban school rated intrinsic motivational factors and classroom décor more highly than students in the urban school, while students in the urban school indicated a higher rate of parental use of the language. It seemed, on a general scale, that a higher level of parental use of the foreign language didn’t necessarily contribute to a higher level of intrinsic motivation to take the foreign language, as students in the urban area (an area where the foreign language was used more often) had a lower level of intrinsic motivation. Further study to isolate these factors can be done using the basic information gleaned from this study.

Thomas J. Broderick, Secondary Social Studies Thesis Advisor: Rene Roselle Teacher Retention and Lived History

Teacher retention issues beleaguer the nation’s poorest schools. The poorest schools are often in urban centers and enroll primarily non-white students. Access to a qualified teacher is one of the best determinants to student achievement, and the ability of an inner-city, non-white school system to retain such teachers can only contribute to the district’s future success. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine urban teacher retention through an individualized economic framework by interviewing two diverse urban educators. Through the results from a series of iterative, in-depth phenomenological interviews, this study provides information as to why teachers remain in urban schools and points to key characteristics of these individuals, including personal acceptance, a history of working with children, and personal awareness. This study finds that there is no replicable “model” set of characteristics for teachers who remain in the profession.  It suggests that teacher retention is a product of an individual’s lived history.  For administrators this study suggests that spending some time interviewing potential teachers about their personal lives would better indicate who will remain teachers down the line.

Shelly E. DeSisto, Secondary English Thesis Advisor: Jason Stephens Assessing Student Perceptions of Classroom Goal Structure and Autonomy Support: The Creation and Validation of a Vignette-Style Instrument

This study sought to create and validate a vignette-style measure of students’ perceptions of classroom goal structure and autonomy support.  Seventy-nine seventh grade students from a suburban middle school completed the newly developed four-vignette instrument. Each hypothetical vignette depicted, in varying degrees, two dimensions of classroom environment: achievement goal structures (mastery and performance) and level of student autonomy. Reliability analyses yielded strong alphas for all three scales across the four vignettes.  Results from the manipulation check indicated significant differences in perceived goal structures (mastery and performance) as intended but an unpredicted result for perceptions of autonomy support.  Specifically, students’ perceptions of classroom goal structures appear to moderate their perceptions of autonomy support in that classroom.

Elizabeth A. Hines, Special Education Thesis Advisor: Brandi Simonsen The Relationship Between Pictures and Problem Behavior for a Young Student with Autism

This study looks at the relationship between functional communication training using picture icons and problem behavior in a case study of a young student with Autism. The study used an alternating treatment method; the pictures were available to the student for 10 minutes and then were not available for 10 minutes during three phases of baseline, teaching, and maintenance. Using a 10-second partial interval data sheet, the student’s behavior was coded, data were graphed, and visual analysis was used to determine if a functional relationship was evident. Following training, data indicate that the presence of picture icons was related to a (a) decrease in problem behavior, (b) an increase in appropriately engaged behavior, and (c) an increase in correct use of the pictures to request a preferred item during both conditions.

Brian McDermott, Secondary Mathematics Thesis Advisor: Megan Staples The Impact of Cooperative Learning in Mathematical Problem Solving on High School Students

This study investigated students’ reactions to a cooperative learning environment by assessing their performance before and after being part of a cooperative group and by soliciting their opinions on cooperative work that they had just completed. Several instruments, including two surveys that used Likert-scale based responses, as well as Math Crossword puzzles, were used in this study. Participants completed an individual mathematical logic problem then had the chance to solve a similar logic problem as a member of a randomly assigned group. They then attempted to solve the first logic problem again, and the changes in individual student scores were noted. There was an increase in the number of students who correctly solved the individual mathematical logic problem after having been a part of the cooperative groups. There was also a strong connection between the students who provided incorrect answers to the individual problem during the second administration and the success of their cooperative group. The findings suggest that students who are part of successful cooperative groups are more able to perform well on individual tasks that are closely related to the tasks on which the group worked. The questionnaire used to measure student confidence before and after the cooperative group experience also showed that students were slightly more confident in their responses after having been a part of a cooperative team. Students’ written responses also indicated that they felt favorably about the chance to share thoughts and ideas with their peers before solving an individual problem. These findings suggest that teachers who provide a cooperative learning environment that is productive can expect students to approach individual mathematical tasks with a greater level of confidence and perform at a higher level on tasks on which they must work alone.

Marissa Meade, Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Catherine Little Student and Parent Attitudes and Behaviors in Reading

This study explored reading attitudes and behaviors of the parents of elementary students, as a way of trying to determine connections between parental behaviors related to reading and their children’s attitudes toward reading. The study involved the development of an instrument to measure parent attitudes and behaviors; an instrument was piloted with a smaller group of parents and children and then tested with a larger group. The three factors the final instrument measures are personal interest, confidence, and reading interactions. The sample included a total of 99 parents of elementary aged children, in the two separate survey groups. The student participants in this study were the children of the adult participants, and were in the first through the fourth grades. The students completed a survey assessing their attitudes toward reading on two scales, their academic reading attitudes and their recreational reading attitudes. Results showed limited relationships between student attitudes and parent behaviors, which may be indicative of an issue with one or both instruments. Results of the parent survey alone indicated several patterns, including a negative correlation between the number of children in the family and the amount of time spent reading together by a parent and child. There was also a relationship between the birth order and the amount of time spent reading with a parent, which revealed that the children in this study who were the oldest in their families spent more time reading with a parent than children who were either middle children or youngest children. Additionally, children in this study who spent more time watching television than reading with a parent spent significantly less time reading overall than children who spent more time reading than watching television.

Aimee Pont, Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Sarah Hodgson School Environments and Behaviors of Students on the Autism Spectrum

This study explores the relationship between the different environments within a school and the stereotyped behaviors of students with autism.  The study seeks to identify whether the behaviors of these students are similar or different in the different environments, testing the idea of environment as a stimulus for these behaviors.  The study is a naturalistic observational study, and a change in prevalence of these stereotyped behaviors during the duration of the study is not a focus of this study.

Nicole Smith, Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Del Siegle The Mathematics Teaching Efficacy of Pre-Service Teachers: Exploring the Relationships with Mathematics Self-Efficacy, Attitude, and Courses Taken

Teachers’ beliefs about their own ability to influence student learning effectively have been shown to have a positive relationship with student achievement, as well as other positive student and teacher behaviors. Teachers with strong self-efficacy beliefs are more likely to be better teachers. The current study explores the factors that relate to the development of teaching efficacy for pre-service teachers just entering the beginning semester of their teacher education program. In the study, 48 education students reported their previous college mathematics course experience and completed a Mathematical Attitudes Survey, a Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale, and a Personal Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Scale. Findings showed that previous course experience, attitudes towards mathematics, and mathematics self-efficacy all had a significant positive relationship with personal mathematics teaching efficacy. Between-group comparisons were also conducted using ANOVAs. Mathematics concentration majors reported higher levels of mathematics teaching efficacy, mathematics self-efficacy, and positive attitudes towards mathematics than non-mathematics concentration majors. For elementary and secondary education majors, the only difference found was in mathematics teaching efficacy, with elementary education majors reporting higher levels than secondary education majors. This type of information is crucial for teacher education programs that wish to improve the training and education of future teachers.

Danielle Tower, Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Jaci VanHeest Relationship Between Athletic and Academic Success: A Pilot Study

This study aims to reveal that a competitive sports culture exists in the United States, and due to this sports culture and competitive disposition, student athletes are more motivated in academic endeavers. Previous research describes sports cultures; however, the current study investigated the factors impacting academic motivation and sport motivation. Furthermore, the interrelationship of these two factors was assessed. A qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews with four high school varsity student athletes (two male; two female), was used as the tool in attempts to support these claims. The research hypothesis suggested that high school students who participate in the equivalent of college non-revenue sports, have a competitive disposition which also motivates them to perform well in school.

Donald E. Briere III, Special Education Thesis Advisor: Del Siegle The Effects of a Unified Sports Basketball Program on Special Education Students’ Physical, Social, and Global Domains of Self-Concept: Four Case Studies

This study sought to explore the effects of a Unified Sports basketball program on disabled students’ physical, social, and global domains of self-concept. The program included both disabled and non-disabled participants. Teams learned about and practiced the game of basketball twice a week (during their gym class) and then ventured to competitions across Connecticut to play against other schools. The competitions occurred towards the end of the program. Four students were involved in this study: three females and one male. The students’ disabilities varied and included mobile impairment, traumatic brain injury, and learning disabilities. The study used a pre- post-test survey approach, with a 32-item survey instrument. Each item measured one of the three domains of self-concept being studied. One-on-one interviews were also conducted by the researcher with each participant upon the participant’s completion of the Unified Sports basketball season. The participants’ high ratings on the pre-survey’s five-point scale limited room for growth on the post-survey. When both survey results and one-on-one responses were synthesized on the whole, the Unified Sports basketball program was shown to have a positive effect on students’ attitudes. All participants verbally expressed their highly positive feelings about the program, and all recommended that the program be continued in the future. Social self-concept demonstrated the most significant positive change, and physical self-concept showed the least.

Jeffrey Corbishley, Secondary Mathematics Education Thesis Advisor: Mary Truxaw Mathematical Readiness of Entering College Freshmen: A Comprehensive Exploration of Mathematics within Connecticut Public Universities and Colleges

A central goal of many college admissions officers in the United States is to admit entering students who are prepared for the college curriculum at their university or college. Professors within the universities and colleges are the people who determine the level of readiness, or ability to successfully perform well in college mathematics courses, for incoming students. The results from previous studies have shown that students in the United States rank below the international average in mathematics achievement at the end of secondary school. This implies that the United States as an entire entity fails to produce high-level mathematicians by the final year of secondary school. It is therefore important to see how well entering college freshmen are prepared for the rigor of college mathematics. This study attempted to answer the question of how well the students entering different universities and colleges throughout Connecticut meet the readiness expectations of professors and other faculty members who teach mathematics courses. Twenty-two faculty members from seven Connecticut colleges and universities responded to an online survey asking them to rate entering student skill level in key areas of the NCTM standards, to rate the importance of these constructs, and to comment on student areas of strength and weakness in mathematical readiness. Participants rated student readiness levels in the poor or very poor range in all skill areas, while also rating all of the skill areas as important to very important. Overall, participants do not view students as prepared for college mathematics. Implications for secondary mathematics education are discussed.

Katherine Elizabeth Ferrise, Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Catherine Little Middle School Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy and how it Relates to Teacher Characteristics and School Profile

This study explored the concept of teacher efficacy, which includes the constructs of personal teacher efficacy and general teaching efficacy. Personal teacher efficacy is defined as a teacher’s personal belief about how successful he or she can be in gaining positive results with his or her own students. General teaching efficacy is defined as a teacher’s belief that the teaching profession as a whole is powerful enough to encourage learning regardless of a student’s background, economic status, or any external school factors. Previous research has demonstrated a positive relationship between teacher efficacy and student achievement. This study was performed in order to explore how teachers’ self-efficacy relates to other variables in the educational system, including overall student achievement in a district and individual teacher variables such as experience, grade level taught, and subject area taught. The aim of the study is to begin to develop understanding of these relationships so as to explore, in the future, ways to promote and support both teacher self-efficacy and student achievement. This study focused on teachers in two public middle schools. The sample consisted of 19 fourth to eighth grade teachers. Participants completed a survey assessing perceptions of general teaching efficacy and personal teaching efficacy. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the sample overall and for relevant subgroups. An independent samples t test revealed no differences between the teachers at the two schools, despite large differences in the school demographics and achievement results for each school overall. The only teacher characteristic that appeared to have a relationship to self-efficacy results was years of teaching experience. Across the sample, personal teacher efficacy scores were higher than general teaching efficacy scores, and scores throughout demonstrated moderately positive perceptions of efficacy. Although study results are not generalizable, further study of middle school teachers as a specific teacher population is recommended.

Sherryl Hauser, Secondary Mathematics Education Thesis Advisor: Catherine Little Relationship of Mathematics Self-Efficacy Beliefs to Mathematics Anxiety Much is being done to strengthen mathematics education and provide support for students, with the aim of improving mathematics performance. One approach to this effort involves considering the emotions and motivations that students bring to the classroom and that provide the context from which students perform. Some factors that may contribute to student performance are math self-efficacy, or students’ beliefs about their own mathematical abilities, and math anxiety, or feelings of uneasiness that students may experience in association with mathematics. This study examined the relationship between the two in undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory statistics course. As hypothesized, results showed that a significant inverse relationship exists between math anxiety and math self-efficacy. While no significant differences were found among age groups, the research uncovered differences between groups that perform at different levels in math classes, with students who reported higher grades in math courses also reporting higher math self-efficacy. Gender also played a role, as males exhibited higher levels of mathematics self-efficacy than females. Implications for practice are discussed, including directing more attention towards helping students both to increase their math self-efficacy and to lower math anxiety.

Kate Krotzer, Secondary Spanish Education Thesis Advisor: Mark Olson Student Interest and Participation in a Secondary Spanish Classroom

This study was an exploratory study that aimed to describe students’ interest levels and participation patterns in Spanish class. Participants were 17 students from a mid-sized, urban high school in New England. The participants completed a survey about their interest and appreciation for Spanish class. The participants were also observed in their Spanish classroom for their participation incidences, which were recorded for type and content. Interest level in Spanish class overall was found to be high for both males and females. For participation, there were more called on by name incidences than hand raising incidences and there were noted gender differences. The content for the majority of the participation incidences was for homework and grammar. No relationship was able to be determined between student interest level and participation; however, this study provides a means to describe student interest and their participation patterns which can be applicable in the classroom.

Linda Tran, Secondary Mathematics Education Thesis Advisor: Del Siegle Relationships among Male and Female Middle School Students’ Attitudes and Achievement in Mathematics

This study explored the relationships among sixth-grade students’ attitudes toward mathematics and achievement with regard to gender. Students’ attitudes toward mathematics were examined by using the Attitudes Toward Mathematics Inventory (ATMI), which gathered information about students’ self-confidence, value, enjoyment, and motivation in mathematics. Mathematical achievement was measured by student scores on the Iowa Algebra Aptitude Test and the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. The results of the study showed that significant differences existed between male and female students’ achievement in mathematics. However, no significant differences between male and female students’ attitudes toward mathematics in any of the four constructs were indicated. Furthermore, there were no strong relationships found between students’ attitudes toward mathematics and achievement in mathematics.

Tara Tully, Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Del Siegle Career Beginnings: Investigating the Impact and Effectiveness of College Preparation Programs on Elementary Students

Since the mid-1970s, college enrollment for White, non-Hispanic youths has increased significantly, jumping from only 33% in 1976 to nearly 45% in 1997 (Report of the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative Working Group on Access to Postsecondary Education, 2001). According to this USDOE report, students from historically underrepresented minority groups have not shared in this substantial growth in college-going rates. As a result, a number of initiatives, such as the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education’s Career Beginnings program, have been developed to help facilitate underrepresented student populations’ transition to college. Career Beginnings, like many other college-access programs, has traditionally been marketed towards high school juniors and seniors, although it has recently begun to target its campaign at a significantly younger audience. Partnering with various Connecticut colleges and universities, Career Beginnings has begun sending fifth grade students to tour these establishments. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of these advanced intervention programs by comparing Hartford fifth graders’ thoughts on college before and after a March 31, 2006, visit to the University of Connecticut. After the visit, students indicated they knew more about college and were more likely to believe that they could be successful in college. Males’ confidence in being successful in college grew more than females’ confidence. Students whose family members had not attended college showed the greatest drop in not knowing about college. Overall, the students indicated more positive attitudes about college attendance.

Erica Berg Secondary Education – English Thesis Advisor: Courtney Bell

This Was Not on the Syllabus! An Examination of First-Year Urban Teachers’ Self-Efficacy

Many first-year teachers find it difficult to meet the needs of all their students, partially because they feel their college coursework left them ill-prepared for the complexity they face in the classroom. This feeling is particularly true among urban teachers who often face crowded classrooms of diverse students with a wide range of instructional needs. This study is a comparative case study of two University of Connecticut graduates during their first year teaching in urban schools. Using mixed-methods, the study draws on interviews, questionnaires, and videotape data shared as a part of a monthly teacher study group of similar graduates. The study also draws on group conversations in which teachers discussed their ability to reach the needs of all of their students, as this was related to their preservice coursework. My findings suggest that many first-year teachers feel university coursework failed to help them in many ways. One teacher felt the coursework did not help her at all, while the other teacher felt it helped her but she still could not meet all of her students’ needs. The study supported the concern that many first-year, urban teachers do not feel confident in the classroom as a result of their preparation from preservice coursework. With this lack in confidence, the teachers may be more likely to leave their urban positions, contributing to the high turnover of teachers in urban placements.

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Elizabeth Condon Secondary Education – Science Thesis Advisor: Del Siegle

Why Education Students Believe They Underachieve

One hundred fifty-eight junior and senior pre-service teachers (UConn education majors) completed a 20-question survey on which they indicated reasons for doing poorly in classes. A factor analysis on the 20 reasons for underachievement produced a six-factor solution. Reliability analysis of the factors resulted in the selection of three factors: Poor Academic Skills, Lack of Importance, and Inability to Concentrate. Males were more likely than females to indicate that poor academic skills and lack of importance were reasons for attaining poor grades. There were no differences between juniors and seniors or among elementary, middle, and secondary prospective teachers.

Rebecca Curtin Special Education Thesis Advisor: E. Jean Gubbins

Effects of Music Therapy on Children with Autism

Autism is a serious developmental disorder with onset in early childhood. The disorder is characterized by repetitive and restricted patterns of behavior, impairments in social interaction, and an inability to communicate effectively. Music therapy has been shown to be a successful means towards improving these deficits. Most people with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum have been reported to respond positively to music, making it an excellent therapeutic tool. This honors thesis reviews the current literature on the practice of music therapy within autistic populations. This honors thesis also seeks to determine if there is consistent research to support the use of music therapy as a way to increase social interaction and communication skills in individuals on the autism spectrum.

Elyse Davis Secondary Education – Mathematics Thesis.Advisor: Catherine Little

Differentiation in the Mathematics Classroom: Teacher Practices and Perceptions

The purpose of my thesis was to explore current methods of differentiation being used to respond to the needs of gifted mathematics students in grades 2-4 in an urban school district. Specifically, the study used a survey to explore the frequency of teachers’ self-reported use of a variety of specific instructional methods in mathematics with both average students and gifted students, with comparison of the mean differences in strategy usage with the two groups. In addition, through literature review and expert interview, the study explored the supports and barriers to differentiation for advanced students in elementary mathematics classrooms. Eight teachers completed the survey. Across the group teachers indicated relatively infrequent use of all instructional strategies on the survey, and there was little distinction between strategies used with gifted students and those used with average students. Strategies used somewhat more frequently included selected questioning and thinking strategies; however, it was uncle whether teachers used these strategies to respond specifically to student differences. Survey results echoed interview comments and previous research regarding the infrequent use of differentiation strategies, particularly those strategies requiring more preparation and those specifically suited to the needs of the gifted.

Stephanie Eleck Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Sally Reis

Students’ Perceptions of Renzulli Learning Systems

In this study, students’ use of and reactions to Renzulli Learning System (RLS) were examined. RLS is an online profiling system, assessing students’ interests, learning styles, and product styles and matching them to a unique, individualized database of enrichment activities. Of particular interest in this study were students’ interests in the use of RLS with project ideas to extend their learning. Data were collected using questionnaires and student observations. Findings suggest that students enjoyed using RLS in school and that the majority had ideas for projects using RLS. Students who used RLS had positive experiences in learning about their own interests and furthering their learning using planned enrichment activities.

Jenna Ferrara Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Catherine Little

Preservice Teacher Preparation in Meeting the Needs of Gifted and Other Academically Diverse Students

The issue of how to respond to the diverse academic needs of students is one of the central challenges of teaching. For my Honors Thesis, I conducted a project to study how preservice teachers develop an awareness of the needs of academically diverse learners and how they intend to implement and/ or modify instruction to meet those needs. Participants were preservice teachers from one university. They were surveyed to investigate (a) their attitudes and beliefs towards academically diverse learners; (b) the teaching practices they would utilize in response to academic diversity in their classrooms; and (c) the confidence they have in their abilities to identify and address these various needs in their classrooms. Several strategies, including activities to enhance creativity, cooperative learning, individual instruction, problem-solving activities, and projects, were indicated by participants to be appropriate for all students. Small differences were found based on the preservice teachers’ year of placement in the School of Education, indicating that as students progress through this program, they may learn more about different techniques and when and for whom they are appropriate; hwever, differences across groups were not statistically significant. Results also indicated that across the different years in the program, preservice teachers did not have very high or very low confidence in addressing these issues in their own classrooms. Each grouping of preservice teachers scored around the midpoint on the confidence scale.

Jillian Klapatch Secondary Education – English Thesis Advisor: E. Jean Gubbins

Analysis of Reading Strategies Used by High School Juniors

The purposes of the study were to determine to what extent students are strategically active when reading text for literatqre/English class and to find out if there is a correlation between reading strategy use and motivation to read. Four classes of Juniors in a suburban high school completed the survey about reading strategies used in English and literature classes. Students were also asked to respond to a four-question survey about their motivation to read. Oerall, students do not use reading strategies to a large extent. Some strategies were used more than others, and the use might differ based on content area. High achievers were more likely to use the strategies more frequently, but the differences in percentage of use were not vast. The results indicate that there was a low correlation between reading strategy use and motivation to read. Motivation correlated with Self Reflection Strategies but not with Monitoring While Reading and Post Reading Evaluation Strategies. The data gathered about motivation indicate that motivation and enjoyment are moderately correlated, but reasons such as grades, parents, and college did not have a strong relationship with overall motivation.

Danielle Maher Secondary Education – English Thesis Advisor: Wendy Glenn

Gender and Literacy: The Student Perspective

The purpose of the study was to further research regarding how boys and girls feel about the gender gap in reading and literacy, or if they do not believe there is a gender gap at all. The study was also designed to find out how these students feel about their own individual performance in reading. It examined students’ perceptions of themselves as readers in comparison to their own gender, as well as the opposite gender. The research questions that guided this study were as follows: (1) Do boys and/ or girls believe one gender enjoys reading more than the other? (2) Do boys and/ or girls believe one gender is naturally better at reading than the other? (3) How do boys and girls feel about how gender affects interest and performance in English class? (4) Where do these student opinions originate? The study was conducted with the cooperation of 46 randomly selected students at Johnston Middle School located in a suburban Connecticut town. Surveys about gender and reading were completed by all 46 participants. Three boys and three girls were randomly selected from the group to participate in individual interviews that also probed student understandings with respect to gender and reading. The data from the surveys and interviews were organized and analyzed in tables and charts according to general themes that emerged. It was discovered that many of the perceptions students held regarding gender and reading were not necessarily true. For example, a majority of boys and girls believed that girls pleasure read more during both the school year and the summer than boys do. In actuality, girls and boys reported pleasure reading the same amount during both the school year and the summer. Implications for the study include the importance for expanding educator and student knowledge about the stereotypes that exist among students regarding gender and reading and the origins of those stereotypes. It is important to recognize these stereotypes in order to understand how the students see a division between genders. If these stereotypes are ever going to be overcome, they first need to be recognized. Secondly, educators should be aware of the integral part that book choice plays in a student’s motivation to read. Lastly, educators and parents have to be aware that· how students feel about themselves as readers in comparison to their peers affects self­efficacy and motivation to read.

Stacy Marcus Special Education Thesis Advisor: Joseph Madaus

Asperger Syndrome: Historical Developments and Current Trends

Asperger syndrome is a condition that affects the way a person communicates and relates to others. Although Aspergei syndrome is a disorder on the Autism spectrum and it shares a number of common traits with autism, including difficulty in social relationships and limited imagination and creative play, people with Asperger syndrome usuaily have fewer problems with language than those with autism. People with Asperger syndrome are often of average or above average intelligence. Asperger syndrome was classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV in 1994; thus, the research on Asperger syndrome is only beginning. As a result, the nature of this puzzling social disability is largely unknown. Furthermore, the number of individuals being diagnosed is rising, creating new challenges in schools. This honors thesis summarizes research presently available on Asperger syndrome and considers current trends and educational implications.

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Emily McCoy Special Education Thesis Advisor: Joseph Madaus

Obsessive Compulsive Perfectionism

Obsessive Compulsive Perfectionism or’ OCP has become a very well-known disorder seen in individuals in the United States. Perfectionism falls on a continuum of beneficial or good to negative or harmful forms. The positive form of perfectionism can drive an individual to accomplish great things, whereas the negative form can hinder normal, everyday actions and paralyze an individual. In this form, perfectionism is the irrational belief that a person and his or her environment must be perfect, and it causes individuals to strive to be the best, to reach the ideal, and’to never make a mistake. High levels of perfectionism have been observed in individuals with eating disorders and individuals suffering from depression; the disorders appear to be linked.Institutions throughout the United States are seeing a rise in both males and female patients suffering from Compulsive Perfectionism. The disorder has become more prominent in the field of mental disorders and thus more research is being conducted to determine the symptoms, any causes, and the harmful and helpful effects of the disorder.

Katherine Rinaldi Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Catherine Little

Acts of Friendship: An Examination of the Interpersonal Relationships of a Child with Autism within an Inclusive Classroom

Research has indicated that children with autism display socially inappropriate behaviors in their interactions with others (American Psychiatric Association; Scheuermann & Webber; & Simpson and Myles, cited in Simpson, de-Boer, & Smith-Myles, 2003). Yet, it is critical for all children to have the opportunity to forge peer relationships (Bagwell, Newcomb, & Bukowski, 1998). High-functioning children with autism must be placed in environments in which peer interactions are available. However, this integration must be carefully organized because of the special needs of the child. The type of environment, the extent to which the environment is monitored, and the amount of information disclosed with regard to the child’s disorder all must be considered (Cole, Vandercook, & Rynders, 1988; Ochs, Kremer-Sadlik, Solomon, Sirota, 2001; Simpson, de Boer-Ott, & Smith-Myles, 2003). This case study of one 8-year-old child with autism used classroom observations and interviews with the parent and school personnel to examine interpersonal relationships, specifically focusing on acts of friendship. An act of friendship is defined as the behaviors of two or more children who engage in play, partake in conversations, and/or help those in need (Gross 2002). The collected data were analyzed using the procedure of inductive data analysis. Each category of data was reviewed in order to acquire a general sense of the information and to consider its greater overall meaning. Next, a list of all occurring topics was generated and coded. The data were then interpreted to formulate generalized assertions. Interviews and a questionnaire revealed that the adult participants held differing perspectives as to what constitutes friendship. Due to these varying perceptions, the degree to which the child’s interactions were viewed as positive or negative in nature differed respectively among the adults. Observations of play indicated that the child with autism initiated a greater number of acts of play with her peers than they did with her. The issue of children with autism forging interpersonal relationships within an inclusive class requires further examination. Future research possibilities include the study of inclusive classroom transitions, maturational issues, and the special needs child’s own perception of friendship.

Mary Serrell Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: Del Siegle

A Case Study Investigating Literacy Activities in the Home

A large body of research documents the positive influence of routine involvement in literacy activities on young children’s achievement. Studies have researched the impacts of home environments in which the quantity and diversity of print is rich, and in which there are extensive opportunities to participate in literacy activities. Yet, not all parents and guardians are aware that they should not just be reading to their children but involving their families in fun and creative literacy activities. In this research, the results of qualitative interviews are reported and numerous new literacy activities that engage young children based on these interviews are proposed.

Amanda Vogel Special Education Thesis Advisor: Catherine Little

Effective Reading Instruction in Elementary Classrooms: Promoting Strategies that Respond to Student Needs and Interests

Reading instruction is crucial to all students’ education, and it has implications on an individual’s entire academic and personal life. Educators face a variety of challenges as they consider how best to provide literacy instruction to their students, because of the large number of differing instructional principles, pedagogies, and methods for teaching reading. The focus of this thesis was an in-depth literature review of effective reading instructional practices in elementary schools, with key :findings including emphasis on the need for appropriate texts, adequate time with texts, suitable reading tasks, and dedicated teachers. The review was paired with an exploration of the key component of responding to student interests. Students’ reading interests were studied through a reading interest survey completed by 158 elementary students participating in a voluntary after-school program. The data indicated that a majority of students in this study have positive attitudes about reading and that they have clear interest in specific types of books and literacy activities. Preferred book genres within the sample included novel/ chapter books, fantasy books, mystery books, and scary books, while preferred activities included talking about the book with a friend, creating a game or puzzle, writing a story or poem, and watching a movie about a book that was read. Research on literacy instruction suggests that such interests can be incorporated into literacy activities and text selection as a way of promoting effective reading instruction.

Courtney Worcester Secondary Education – History Thesis Advisor: Alan Marcus

”I Have a Normal Life, They Definitely Did Not”: How Students Identify With History Through Feature Films

Students’ identification with history, one way of supporting a student’s historical understanding, has become an important goal for history teachers. Helping students to identify, or see themselves in history, typically not only catches students’ interests but also affects how they evaluate historical events and figures. While the ways in which students identify with history through print sources and photographs have been widely studied, my research, a part of a larger study performed by Dr. Alan Marcus, looks at how students identify with historical figures portrayed in film. With the increase in teaching aids throughout the past decade, including VCRs and projectors for educational use, teachers now have the technological capacity to show more films in the classroom. Knowing how students identify with films will help teachers choose films in a more purposeful and meaningful way. To explore the question of student identification with film,1 analyzed student survey responses to a variety of feature films shown in two history classrooms, one in an urban district and another in a suburban district. The two most common ways students identified with the films wre with regard to their personal experiences, or more specifically their struggles, and their values. These :findings were contrary to previous research based on print sources, which found that students identified with characters of their own ethnicity and gender. This may reflect the fact that unlike a person in a photo, a character portrayed in film is more than just a face without a voice. It is very apparent that they are involved in problems and react according to their values. For teachers, it is important when choosing films for history classes to understand the struggles students face’ everyday and their values; this may make the difference between providing an experience through which students identify with history and one in· which they do not.

Teresa Yelenik Elementary Education Thesis Advisor: M. Katherine Gavin

An Examination of Gender Differences in Mathematics Performance by Fourth Grade Students in an Innovative Gifted Mathematics Program

Over time gender differences in mathematics performance have decreased, yet they have not vanished. In particular, males continue to outperform females in mathematics on standardized tests (e.g., National Assessment of Educational Progress [NAEP], 2005; Trends in International Math and Science Study [TIMSS], 2003). Studies have been conducted in the hope of finding ways to increase female mathematical performance. Research has shown five components of classroom instruction that increase females’ performance in mathematics. The five strategies include the use of writing, the use of practical problems, verbal discourse, the use of manipulatives, and cooperative group work (e.g., Gurian & Henley, 2001; Sadker & Sadker, 1994). This study examines gender differences in mathematical achievement of fourth grade males and females participating in an innovative gifted mathematics program, Project M3: Mentoring Mathematical Minds. The goals of the program include the five components, listed above, that have been shown to increase girls’ mathematics performance. The subjects, ninety males and eighty-nine females, began participating in the program in third grade and were fourth graders at the time of this study. The students were from ten schools, eight in Connecticut and two in Kentucky. The schools were of varying socio-economic status, with seven considered as low socio-economic status. All of the students were identified as having mathematical talent potential. The participants were given two pretests at the beginning of their fourth grade year, the mathematics section of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and a mathematics open-ended response assessment. At the end of their fourth grade year the students were given the same two tests as a post-assessment. The scores were examined from pre to post in search of growth and gender differences. The results of this study found significant growth in mathematical achievement and mathematics open-ended response achievement from pre- to post-testing .. There were no gender differences in scores found on either one of the tests. There were also no significant gender differences in the amount of growth, pre to post, on either one of the tests. The results of this study support the five research-based ineans of improving females’ mathematics achievement. It appears that the goals of Project M3 are working since all students in the program, both male and females, are improving from pre- to post-testing. The fact that this study shows no gender differences among participants in the program is also encouraging, perhaps suggesting a means of improving all students’ mathematical achievements.

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Biopsychology, Cognition, & Neuroscience

Mohammad Shayaan Aqil - Sleep and self-regulation: A longitudinal analysis across adolescence. (Mentors: Daniel Keating & Edward Huntley)

Sally Berson - The associations between systemic inflammation, white matter volume, and global cognition in an older adult population. (Mentor: Laura Zahodne)

Michelle Busschots - Unequal distribution of baby care and gratitude to one’s partner. (Mentor: Robin Edelstein)

Caroline Candy - The developmental timing of material hardship and its association with ADHD symptom severity in adolescence. (Mentor: Christopher Monk)

Allison Choe - Executive functioning and treatment regimen adherence among adolescents with type 1 diabetes. (Mentors: Alison Miller & Christopher Monk)

Claire Fanning - The pediatric behavioral health nursing consultation service: Improving care delivery for youth experiencing mental health concerns and their families in a children’s hospital. (Mentors: Nasuh Malas & Daniel Keating)

Kathleen Good - Learning from the truth campaign: Can we tackle big food as we did big tobacco? (Mentor: Ashley Gearhardt)

Briana Hay – Barriers to mental health treatment seeking in older adults. (Mentor: Hans Schroder)

Michael Hicks - Investigating internal and external distraction in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. (Mentors: John Jonides & Han Zhang)

Jada Houston - Endorsement of the superwoman schema moderation effects on gendered microaggression appraisal and response. (Mentor: Denise Sekaquaptewa)

Ajay Keerthy -Sound source tracking by auditory cortical neurons. (Mentor: Gideon Rothschild)

Mack Kroll - Aversion to sucrose: Optogenetic inhibition of GABAergic neurons within the ventral pallidum. (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Abhishek Menon - Enhancing motivation: Role of ventral pallidum GABA neurons in ‘liking’ and ‘wanting’ rewards. (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Charlotte Moss - An examination of associative memory using functional near infrared spectroscopy.(Mentors: Benjamin Hampstead & Patricia Reuter-Lorenz)

Jennifer Murray - Defining multi-dimensional associations in fear conditioning: Implications for abnormal fear responses. (Mentor: Natalie Tronson)

Julia Plawker - Associations between youth exposure to community violence and brain structure. (Mentor: Luke Hyde)

Arun Rajarajan - Effects of valence and anxiety on value-directed learning. (Mentor: Cindy Lustig)

Madeline Sage - Relationships between anxiety and brain activation during extinction recall. (Mentor: Elizabeth Duval)

Gretchen Stemmler - Dissociating 'liking' and 'wanting' within the ventral pallidum: An optogenetic study. (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Sebastian Suqi - Consuming psychedelic substances: Motivation and perceived effectiveness. (Mentor: Kai Cortina)

Lucas Tittle - The role of nucleus accumbens shell corticotropin-releasing-factor in incentive motivation. (Mentor: Kent Berridge).

Sofia Urban - Cues and contexts: Measuring reactivity and memory in patients with fibromyalgia. (Mentor: Elizabeth Duval)

Augustine Vanlianuk - Fast changes during the retention intervals improve older adults' working memory. (Mentor: Cindy Lustig)

Adithi Voleti - Neuroanatomical characterization of corticotropin releasing factor projections from central amygdala to the ventral tegmental area. (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Jingqi Zhu - Early-life educational quality and brain health in diverse older adults. (Mentors: Laura Zahodne & Ji Hyun Lee)

Psychology 

James Baybas - How do we read complex words? A lexical morphology priming study. (Mentor: Iouila Kovelman)

Rachel Beiter - The effort heuristic and scientific reasoning. (Mentor: Priti Shah)

Abigail Binder - Parental attitudes about children’s gender nonconforming books. (Mentors: Susan Gelman & Shelly Schreier)

Callie Cade - How close personal relationships negatively impact witness ability to recognize subtle gender bias. (Mentor: Denise Sekaquaptewa)

Kamryn Casey - Individualized intergenerational connections reduce isolation amongst college students and older adults. (Mentor: Jacqui Smith)

Sherry Chen - Atypical beta power fluctuation while listening to an isochronous sequence in stuttering. (Mentors: Ioulia Kovelman & Soo-Eun Chang)

Nikita Daniel - “I am not sure what else I could do to help her more”:  Perceptions of partner support and relationship satisfaction in older couples living with multiple chronic conditions. (Mentors: Courtney Polenick & Robin Edelstein)

Francesca De Geronimo - The relationship  between internalizing and externalizing behavior problems and prospective selfon adolescent alcohol and marijuana use occasions. (Mentors: Daniel Keating & Sarah Stoddard)

Marissa DeLeon - The effect of witnessing and labeling gender bias on performance and behavior for men and women in STEM. (Mentor: Denise Sekaquaptewa)

JiaChen He - Are causal diagrams more beneficial for people with lower working memory capacity? (Mentor: Priti Shah)

Gautham Jayaraj - The COVID-19 college student mental health study: Three-year observational study using the Roadmap app and Fitbit wearable sensors. (Mentors: Sung Won Choi & Martin Sarter)

Carolyn Ji - Mental health help-seeking intentions & coping strategies of Chinese international students in the United States. (Mentor: Donna Nagata)

Grace Jung - Childhood precursors of hopelessness in late adolescence. (Mentor: Sheryl Olson)

Swathi Karthik - Modulation of reward behavior after the onset of fear learning. (Mentors: Christian Burgess & Natalie Tronson)

Ashley Ke – Asian Americans coping with discrimination and identity threats: Gender differences. (Mentor: Mari Kira)

Noor Khalaf – Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social anxiety, social behaviors, and loneliness in college students. (Mentor: Dina Gohar)

Sydney Kohrman - Adolescent depression symptomatology and alcohol use: The potential role of self-medication. (Mentor: Daniel Keating)

Barbara Lu - Demographic differences in the five factor borderline inventory short form among racial, sexual, and gender minority undergraduate students. (Mentor: Craig Rodriguez-Seijas)

Emma Morse - I know I'm stressed, but what are you?: Effects of acute stress on empathic accuracy and support transactions between cohabiting couples. (Mentor: Amie Gordon)

Sydney Phlegar - Stress and co-parenting relationships: Using language style matching as an indicator of extra-dyadic stress and team problem-solving. (Mentor: Robin Edelstein)

Michelle Ptak - Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among intern physicians working before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A repeated annual cohort study. (Mentors: Srijan Sen & Karina Pereira-Lima)

Nayiri Sagherian – Impacts on mental health from discrimination and trust in social networks within MENA populations in America. (Mentors: Myles Durkee & Toni Antonucci)

Aviva Satz-Kojis - Explanations for gender differences in preferences for submissive sexual fantasies. (Mentor: Terri Conley)

Manjiang Shen - Worker subjectivity under organizational control in China’s internet industry. (Mentor: Mari Kira)

Ishita Shukla - An experimental study on reducing the orgasm gap in heterosexual partnered sex. (Mentor: Terri Conley)

Nidhi Tigadi - Impacts of bicultural stress and shame on the wellbeing of South Asian college students in the United States. (Mentor: Donna Nagata)

Tyla Tolbert - A collective assessment: How the perception of HBCUs and PWIs relate to psychosocial outcomes of African American attendees. (Mentor: Myles Durkee)

Alicia Wang - I can’t tell if you’re listening: Effect of sleep deprivation on perceived partner responsiveness. (Mentor: Robin Edelstein)

Yijin Wang - Measuring critical thinking through performance assessment tasks and think-aloud protocol among college students. (Mentor: Kai Cortina)

Marley Warren - Criterion and clinician bias against sexual- and gender-minoritized individuals in the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD): Vignette experiment. (Mentor: Craig Rodriguez-Seijas)

Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience

Mikayla Bergwood - Associations between observed parent-child interactions and white matter connectivity in adolescents (Mentor: Christopher Monk)

Olivia Varney-Chang – Closer look at ethnic and racial identity: Measuring the frequency of ethnic and racial identity activation and its association with psychosocial adjustment (Mentors: Kai Cortina & Kevin Miller)

Joshua Cohen - Predictors of physical health in school-age children, testing mediating variables (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Hannah Davies – The effect of glucocorticoid receptor knockdown in corticostriatal projections on the propensity to attribute incentive value to reward-cues (Mentor: Shelly Flagel)

Taylor Gordon – The influence of yoga practice and progressive muscle relaxation practice on sleep improvement in school-age children (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Robert Hsu – The influence of altruism and empathy on the endowment effect (Mentor: Stephanie Preston)

Nickolas Interrante - Hurtful reward in the ventral tegmental area and central amygdala (Mentors: Kent Berridge & David Nguyen)

Monica Iyer - Longitudinal associations of infections with dementia: 28-Year analysis of 3.5 million New Zealand citizens (Mentor: Leah Richmond-Rakerd)

Brianna Kenar – The role of educational quality in explaining racial disparities in cognition (Mentor: Laura Zahodne)

Sarah Klausner - Visual disruptor reveals impaired attentional control in mice with the common choline transporter coding variant (Mentor: Martin Sarter)

Elizabeth Lee – The effect of working memory re-exposure on episodic memory in older adults (Mentor: Patricia Reuter-Lorenz)

Carrie Magee - Instrumental social support, social connectedness, and coping styles in adolescents with interpersonal problems (Mentors: Alejandra Arango & Cheryl King)

Eva McAlister Lopez - How do a bilingual’s two languages interact? Cross-linguistic transfer of morphological awareness in Spanish-English bilinguals (Mentor: Ioulia Kovelman)

Leonard Miller – The relationship between volunteering and mental health outcomes in college students during COVID-19 (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

Kendall Mills – Patterns of aggression across despotic and tolerant species of macaque (Mentor: Alexandra Rosati)

Thiany Riddihough - Social connectedness and depression severity as predictors of mental health service use among male college students at risk for suicide (Mentor: Cheryl King)

Rachel Ritter - Are male binge drinkers more impulsive than female binge drinkers? Behavioral and neural sex differences during the go/no-go task (Mentors: Jillian Hardee & Lora Cope)

Julia Salamango – Behavioral flexibility in semi-free-ranging chimpanzees (Mentor: Alex Rosati)

Madison Salvato - Exploring the efficacy of aripiprazole and related compounds to reduce levels of toxic ATXN3 in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (Mentors: Maria do Carmo Pereira da Costa & Omar Ahmed)

Madhulika Shastry - Self-construal and systems of thought (Mentor: Shinobu Kitayama)

Jessica Stout - Brain function during face processing associated with depression symptoms in individuals with social anxiety disorder (Mentor: Elizabeth Duval)

Zoe Taswell – Is error-related negativity (ern) associated with externalizing behavior in adolescence? (Mentors: Daniel Keating & Liu Yanni)

Sally Valcarcel - Bilingual reading development & COVID-19 (Mentor: Ioulia Kovelman)

Ridge Weston - Plate-based complex implantation: A novel neurosurgical technique developed in rats (Mentors: Brendon Watson & Gideon Rothschild)

Andrea Bavikatty - TikTok, body image, and eating behavior: An analysis of college-age women (Mentor: Rona Carter)

Aissa Cabrales – “We just cried for the families”: The emotional impact of large-scale immigration worksite raids on faith responders (Mentors: William Lopez & Lorraine Gutierrez)

Kathryn Chang - The effect of reducing gender essentialism on prejudice against gender nonconforming children (Mentor: Susan Gelman)

Mason Cox – Associationsbetween risky sexual behaviors and the externalizing spectrum of psychopathology among a sample of undergraduate students (Mentor: Craig Rodriguez-Seijas)

Allyson Dobrowalski – What it means to be a “real” native: Restrictive definitions of native identity undermine well-being (Mentors: Stephanie Fryberg & Laura Brady)

Alaina Gregory – Women and the leaky pipeline to stem: Is survivorship bias impacting our understanding of the barriers to women leadership? (Mentors: MS Krishnan & Carol Holden)

Augusta Guo – The influence of self-identification on everyday microaggressions and critical consciousness in Asian individuals in the U.S. (Mentors: Mari Kira & Fiona Lee)

Max Hernand – Understanding relations between treatment failure and mental health outcomes with illness identity (Mentors: Stefanie Russman Block & Hans Schroder)

Rachna Iyer - The effects of anxiety and upliftment on their regulation on creativity (Mentor: Dina Gohar)

Ariella Kushner – To sneeze or not to sneeze: The interpersonal consequences of infectious disease concealment (Mentor: Josh Ackerman)

Ximena Mancilla Delgado - Latine parental documentation status and adolescents’ perceived discrimination (Mentor: Deborah Rivas-Drake)

Caroline Maywood – Children’s expectations and judgements of conformity to ritual activities (Mentors: Felix Warneken & Nicole Wen)

Amy Nowack - Children’s evaluations of intentions regarding violations of novel public-health measures (Mentor: Felix Warneken)

Shi Xin Ooi - Am I good enough? The role of perceived competitive climate students’ sense of belonging across cultures (Mentor: Kai Cortina)

Morgan Palmer - Correlates of cognitive strategy use among socioeconomically diverse older adults (Mentor: Laura Zahodne)

Madeline Paxson - Is cupid colorblind? Color evasion in interracial romantic relationships (Mentors: Robin Edelstein & Fiona Lee)

Jessica Pelton - Educational experience of children with and without disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic - parental perspectives (Mentor: Kevin Miller)

Talia Rubin - What elements of the kids’ empowerment program promote flow and engagement? (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Nathan Schooner – Assessing the relationship between multiracial adolescents’ friendships and ERI development (Mentor: Deborah Rivas-Drake)

Julia Smith - The impact of discouragement of educational attainment on episodic memory in later-life (Mentor: Laura Zahodne)

Gabrielle Solowiejczyk - Stress predictors and outcomes in children (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Jessica Steir - Children’s use of race in their understanding of COVID-19 transmission: The role of essentialism in parents’ and children’s explanations (Mentors: Danielle Labotka & Susan Gelman)

Yicong Sun - Comparing the prediction of college adjustment in Asian American and Asian international students: Do acculturative strategies matter? (Mentor: Donna Nagata)

Elise Whitney - Title: Retention-interval context changes increase correct rejections in working memory (Mentor: Cindy Lustig)

Tara Woodward - A modern settlement house movement: The impact of neighborhood centers on climate resilience (Mentors: Raymond De Young & Myles Durkee)

Warda Yousuf - The grass is not greener on the other side: A qualitative study utilizing psychological frameworks to understand the beliefs, attitudes, and policies that are shaping violence within Rohingya refugee camps (Mentor: Joshua Rabinowitz)

Diane Yu - Looking beyond stigma: Cultural factors associated with mental health help-seeking behavior and attitudes in Asian and Asian American college students (Mentor: Donna Nagata)

Lara Zammit - Biopsychosocial predictors of empathic accuracy in romantic relationships (Mentor: Amie Gordon)

Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience 

Natalie Antenucci - When Freedom is Constraining: Freedom Increases Perceived Constraint for Those Low in Psychological Resources (Mentor: Shinobu Kitayama)

Alyssa Asmar - Investigating the Neural and Behavioral Consequences of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (Mentors: Gideon Rothschild & Joonyeup Lee)

Natalie Austin - The Consequences of Positive and Negative Mood on Affective Working Memory (Mentor: Patricia Reuter-Lorenz)

Kendra Beaudoin - Cocaine-Induced CFos Levels are Modulated by G Protein-Coupled Receptor-1 Activation in Male Rats (Mentor: Jill Becker)

Jason Brenner - Payoff Magnitude Affects Value Learning for Win and Loss Associations (Mentor: Patricia Reuter-Lorenz)

Samantha Cerpa - Ready for a Change? Cueing an Upcoming Modality Shift Eliminates Contextual Boundaries for the CSE (Mentor: Daniel Weissman)

Hana Chung - Do Cultural Tendencies Change During COVID-19? A Task Analysis of Implicit Independence (Mentor: Shinobu Kitayama)

Manasa Dittakavi - Health Behaviors and Compliance of Healthcare Workers (HCWs) at Risk for COVID-19 (Mentors: Sung Choi & Martin Sarter)

Lynn Freimanis - Does Expressiveness in Facial Action Potentiate Emotional Neural Responses and Subjective Ratings of Emotion? (Mentor: Shinobu Kitayama)

Hunter Glew - Perpetrators of the Acting White Accusation (AWA): Contributing Factors and Mental Health Implications  (Mentor: Myles Durkee)

Gabrielle Hooper - The Beneficial Effect of Cognitive and Creative Activity Engagement for Cognitive Functioning in Older Adulthood (Mentors: Laura Zahodne & Neika Sharifian)

Lily Johnston - Government Trust and Perceptions of Public Health Message Credibility (Mentors: Holly White & Priti Shah)

Jacquelin Kwentus - The Therapeutic Mechanisms of Neural Stem Cell Transplantation in Alzheimer’s Disease (Mentors: Lisa McGinley & Thad Polk)

Verity Lee - Behavioral Models of Neural Pleasure Circuitry: Effects of Sex Differences (Mentors: Bo Duan & Ada Eban-Rothschild)

Mengyuan Liu - The Effect of Subliminal Reward Signal on Reinforcement Learning (Mentor: Taraz Lee)

Jaden Mann Bryant - Re-examining the Divergent Aging Trajectories of Cognitive and Affective Working Memory (Mentor: Patricia Reuter-Lorenz)

Preetha Pamidighantam - Rest assured: Can Resting-State Neural Oscillatory Activity in Schizophrenia Explain Impairment in Behavioral Response to Facial Stimuli? (Mentor: Ivy Tso)

Sohini Pandit - Examining the associations between material hardship, internalizing symptoms, and white matter connectivity in adolescents (Mentor: Christopher Monk)

Sarah Payne - The Influence of Pathogen Threat on Mate Value Perceptions (Mentor: Joshua Ackerman)

Amanda Peters - Associations Between Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Neural Indices of Executive Functioning (Mentors: Pamela Davis-Kean & Elif Isbell)

Neema Prakash - Testing the Efficacy of Mood Lifters in Different Populations (Mentor: Patricia Deldin)

Rachael Rich - Childhood Maltreatment and Adolescent Rule-Breaking Behavior: The Roles of Protective Family Context and Prospective Self (Mentors: Daniel Keating & Edward Huntley)

Aleija Rodriguez - Low Overexpression of Ubiquilin-2 Exacerbates Tau Pathology in vivo (Mentors: Julia Gerson & Laura Zahodne)

Alexandra Simmons - Remote Cognitive Testing during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Validation Study of Online, Self-Administered Cognitive Assessment Tools (Mentor: Cindy Lustig)

Natalie Szlachta - The Regulation of Dscam Expression in Developing Neurons (Mentors: Bing Ye & Natalie Tronson)

Quynh Tran - Flowing into Hyperfocus: Hyperfocus and Cognition in Adults with ADHD (Mentor: Priti Shah)

Sydney Wilhoite - Mechanisms Underlying the Association Between Childhood Adversity and Later-Life Cognition (Mentor: Laura Zahodne)

Miles Camiener - Interpreting the Same News Differently: Examining Differential Policy Agreement Between Partisan News Sources (Mentor: Joshua Rabinowitz)

Aber John Espinoza - The Potential Benefits of Challenge Mindset for First-Generation College Students’ Wellbeing (Mentors: Stephanie Fryberg & Nadia Jessop)

Ibitayo Fadayomi - When loved ones transgress against us: How close relationships between transgressors and targets influence moral decisions (Mentor: Ethan Kross)

Seth Finkelstein - Evaluating Distressing Events for School-age Children (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Nicole Fraija - The Relationship Between Subjective Age and Three Episodic Memory Tests (Mentor: Laura Zahodne)

Catherine Garton - The Influence of Intellectual Humility and Moral Reasoning on Partisan Polarization (Mentor: Stephanie Preston)

Onyul Haque - Is Trusting Others Obligatory or a Preference? (Mentor: David Dunning)

Anna Hedin-Urrutia - “Invisibility of Lesbian Possibility”: Examining the influence of male partner opinions on the relationship between sapphic body image and sexual agency (Mentor: Lucretia Ward)

Valeria Hernandez - Sexual Guilt or Sexual Conservatism? An Investigation of Mosher’s Sex Guilt Scale (Mentor: Terri Conley)

Deborah Ho - Developing a Data Analysis Pipeline for Novel Bio-Logging Tools (Mentors: Matt Gaidica & Ben Dantzer)

Xiang Ting Ho - Corss-cultural Differences in Perceived Responses to Capitalization Attempts and Relationship Satisfaction (Mentor: Robin Edelstein)

Yun Gi Hwang - The effects of bilingualism and culture on children’s literacy and academic achievement (Mentor: Loulia Kovelman)

Ava Kaufman - Pleasure after Trauma: The Associations of Childhood Sexual Abuse and Negative Sexual Messages with Adult Sexual Satisfaction (Mentor: Terri Conley)

Sydney Kayne - Like Mother, Like Daughter: Load Sharing During Puberty (Mentor: Rona Carter)

Lucy Loch - Association of current and early life stressors with maladaptive eating behaviors: An investigation of Life Course Theory (Mentor: Ashley Gearhardt)

Ellie Maly - The Mental Health of Emerging Adults: Hostile Home Environments and COVID-19 (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Sophie Martel - Learning in a Pandemic: How Parent Child-Conversations Relate to Children’s Understanding of COVID-19 (Mentors: Susan Gelman & Danielle Labotka)

Brianna McManamon - Understanding the Association Between Loneliness and Suicidal Behaviors in Latinas: A Preliminary Examination of Hopelessness and Depressed Mood as Potential Mediators (Mentor: Edward Chang)

Ryan Rich - A Novel EEG Measure of Neural Distinctiveness: Providing Temporal Insights into Neural Distinctiveness (Mentor: Thad Polk)

Abigail Richburg - Body Image in LGBTQ+ Young Adults: Current and Developmental Influences (Mentor: Abigail Stewart)

Jian Sun - Exploring the Psychology of Environmental Senescence through fMRI (Mentor: Stephanie Preston)

Caroline Touzeau - The Role of Generational Cohort and Technology Use in Adults’ Moral Judgments of Digital Tracking (Mentors: Susan Gelman & Nicole Cuneo)

Alexis Vatterott - Emotion Socialization in Early Childhood: Factor Structure and Associations with Emotional Adjustment Between Ages 3 and 19 Years (Mentor: Sheryl Olson)

Lance Ying - Nation, Culture, and Antecedents of Perceived Organizational Support: A Comparison Study between the United States and China (Mentor: Mari Kira)

Hayley Yu - Trauma: A Risk Factor for Food Addiction? (Mentor:Ashley Gearhardt)

Elizabeth Ahearn - DHEA: Moderating Factor of Psychological and Physiological Responses to Stress (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

Jabir Ahmed - Oral Contraceptives and the Vulnerability to Acute Stress-induced Depression and Anxiety (Mentor: Natalie Tronson)

Adrienne-Denise Bilbao - A Preliminary Study on the Relationship Between Sleep, Depression and Cardiovascular Dysfunction in a 4 Sample Population (Mentor: Patricia Deldin)

Shreya Chandra - Sleep Quality and Executive Function in Diverse Older Adults (Mentor: Laura Zahodne)

Danielle Destiny - Behavioral State-Dependent Brain Stimulation Improves Manual Dexterity (Mentors: Michael Vesia & Taraz Lee)

Anthony Edgar - Investigating the Effects of Value-driven Attentional Capture on ADHD and Control Participants  (Mentor: John Jonides)

Jordan Gregory - Sex Differences in the Acquisition of Pavlovian Conditioned Approach and Fear Conditioned Behaviors in Rats (Mentors: Jonathan Morrow & Jill Becker)

Brooke Huizenga - Main Lifetime Occupational Demands, Late Life Cognitive Functioning and the Moderating Role of Gender (Mentors: Laura Zahodne & Neika Sharifian)

Joseph Jackowski  - The Manifestation of Meaning: How ‘Generic-You’ Emerges in Military Personnels’ Writing (Mentor: Susan Gelman)

Sumrah Jilani - The Role of the Medial Amygdala in Motivation  (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

David Kamper - N400 Latency Effect in Lexical Access - A Meta-analysis (Mentor: Jonathan Brennan)

Sylvia Hyun Jee Kim - Cognitive Costs of Active Facebook Use (Mentor: Oscar Ybarra)

Anna  Kittendorf - Effects of Urbanization on the Behavior of Fox Squirrels (Sciurus niger) (Mentor: Ben Dantzer)

Sydney Kornbleuth - Impacts of Acculturative Stress and Substance Use on the Mental Health of University of Michigan Students (Mentor: Myles Durkee)

Zarin Kothari - Longitudinal Study of ERN and CRN in Children: Kindergarten to First Grade (Mentors: William Gehring & Elif Isbell)

Kyra Lipman - Understanding the Family Member Experience in the ICU: Expectations vs. Reality (Mentors: Thomas Valley & Elizabeth Duval)

Hilary Lowitz - Do Young Children Demonstrate a “Reverse” Endowment Effect? Tracking Ownership and Object Preference in Owned Toys Versus Peers’ Toys (Mentor: Susan Gelman)

Lindsey Meister - Autobiographical Memory in Older Adults: Self-Relevance and the Reminiscence Bump (Mentor: Jacqui Smith)

Charmi Patel - Comparing Cortical Excitation and Cortical Inhibition in the Orbitofrontal Cortex hotspot (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Sara Pisanelli - Functional Connectivity Between Ventral Striatum and Dorsal Premotor Cortex Is Predictive of Reward-Related Enhancement of Motor Skills (Mentor: Taraz Lee)

Emmanuel Saint-Phard - Evaluating an Academic Success Program’s Effectiveness in Promoting Sense of Belonging, Sense of Capability, and Academic Outcomes among Black Students (Mentor: Denise Sekaquaptewa)

Sarah Samsundar - Age, Gender Roles, and their Association with Mental Health (Mentors: Noah Webster & Toni Antonucci)

Tayah Schuett e - Investigating Corticotropin Releasing Factor Neuronal Circuitry in Positive and Negative Reward Motivation (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Kayla Smith - Spatial Navigation Performance Associated with PTSD and Trauma Type (Mentor: Elizabeth Duval)

Zoe Solomon - Examining the Relation Between Big Five Personality and Social Media Use Across Platforms and Populations (Mentor: Adriene Beltz)

Joshua Svinarich - Mapping the Anterior Cingulate Cortex for a Hedonic Hotspot. Effects of Optogenetic Stimulation on ‘Liking’ and ‘Wanting’ in Rats. (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Amanda Szczesniak - The Influence of Marital Commitment on Mate Guarding (Mentor: Stephanie Preston)

Jean Tyan - Revealing the Roles of Sleep-Preparatory Behaviors in Sleep Physiology (Mentor: Ada Eban-Rothschild)

Giselle Uwera - Examining Health Behavior Constructs in the Context of Low Food Accessibility (Mentor: Allison Earl)

Devin Ablow - Loneliness and Negative Affective Conditions in Polish College Students: Clarifying If and How Feeling Socially Isolated is Associated with Expecting the Worst, Not Expecting the Best, or Both?  (Mentor: Edward Chang)

Laura Brasseur - Validation Study of Cartoon-Based Visual Analogue Pain Scale Towards the Construction of a Novel Pain Scale (Mentors: Holly White & Priti Shah)

Sarah Broner - Social Support Moderates the Link Between Familial Risk for Depression and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal-Axis Stress Response (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

Logan Burley - Facial Gender Ambiguity (Mentors: Susan Gelman & Victor Mendoza)

Rachel Clark - Is Swiping Bad for You? Dating Application Use and Mental Health Outcomes Among College Students (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

Michael Falbo - The Influence of Political Party Affiliation on Agreement with Political Statements (Mentor: Daniel Kruger)

Spencer Gines - How Does Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor Relate to Ketamine Treatment for Depression and Chronic Pain? (Mentors: Patricia Deldin & Ryan Cardinale)

Sylvia  Gisler - Developing Morphological Awareness: Predictive Characteristics of Production Errors (Mentor: Ioulia Kovelman)

A bbey  Hamlin   - Social Engagement and Episodic Memory in Black and White Older Adults (Mentor: Laura Zahodne)

Stuart Hannah - Small-Group Composition Effects on Executive Function in Early Elementary School (Mentor: Frederick Morrison)

Riley Jouppi - The Great Food vs. Eating Addiction Debate: Effects on Obesity Stigma and Policy  upport (Mentor: Ashley Gearhardt)

Ameera Kamalrudin - Using Animation to Facilitate Second Language Learning (Mentor: Twila Tardif)

William Katzman - The Relationship Between Childhood Anxiety and Maternal Attachment Styles (Mentors: Kate Fitzgerald & Julie Premo)

Riley Marshall - Minority Stress and Sexual Minorities of Color: The Mediating Role of Mastery (Mentor: Ramaswami Mahalingam)

Marisa Meyer - Exploring the Role of Digital Play in Child Development (Mentors: Jenny Radesky & Shelly Schreier)

Kathleen Nelson - Investigating Relationship Between the Error Related Negativity at Ages 4-6 and Anxiety at 7-10 (Mentor: Kate Fitzgerald)

Madalyn Osbourne - Predictors of Perseverance and Optimism in the Kids' Empowerment Program  (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Akari Oya - Cardiovascular Reactivity to Interpersonal Stress: The Roles of Race and Chronic Stress (Mentors: Kira Birditt & Richard Gonzalez)

Laraine Pesheck - Together or Not at All: How Shared Interests Between Partners Encourages Stable Self-Definition (Mentor: Robin Edelstein)

Salam Qalieh - Cross-Cultural Variation in Emotional Reasoning and Behavioral Causality in Regards to Depression and Neurasthenia (Mentor: David Dunning)

Miranda Schaffer - Experience of Sexual Assault and Perfectionism as Predictors of Self-Destructive Behaviors in Female College Students: Distinguishing Between Self-Harm and Suicidal Behaviors (Mentor: Edward Chang)

Emma Schillinger - Temporal Associations Between Reasons for Alcohol Use and Alcohol Consequences in Adolescents and Emerging Adults (Mentors: Daniel Keating & Edward Huntley)

Shannon Shaughnessy - Predictors of Character Strengths for Children Participating in the Kids' Empowerment Program (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Hayley Simon - To Conceal or To Reveal: Examining What Children Understand About Revealing Their True Identity While Online (Mentor: Susan Gelman)

Allison Urban - “Achievement has no color:” Colorblind Ideologies and Race & Ethnicity Course Selection (Mentor: Fiona Lee)

Rhianna Vergeer - Do Eating Disorder Treatment Outcomes Differ for Individuals with Comorbid Substance Use? Examination in an Adolescent Eating Disorders Partial Hospitalization Program (Mentors: Jessica Van Huysse & Ashley Gearhardt)

Alexandra  Wormley - The Influence of Pathogen Threat on Traditionalism (Mentor: Joshua Ackerman)

Jiayin Yuan - Loyal Friend or Dutiful Citizen? How Culture Shapes Responses to Moral Violations (Mentor: Ethan Kross)

Yiwen Zhong - The Effect of Anecdotes on Science Evidence Evaluation (Mentors: Audrey Michal & Priti Shah)

Kiran Ajani - Decision Trees: An Effective Tool for Evaluating Generalizability of Medical Research Studies? (Mentors: Audrey Michal & Priti Shah)

Ruchica Chandnani - The Effects of How South Asian Women are Portrayed in American and South Asian Media (Mentor: Muniba Saleem)

Kendall Coden - Investigating Behavioral Cross-Sensitization Between Cocaine and d-Amphetamine in Sprague Dawley Rats Following Repeated and Intermittent Infusions (Mentor: Terry Robinson)

Elizabeth Estes - Exploring Associations Between Child Maltreatment and the Volume of the Extended Limbic System in a Population-Based Sample of Adolescents (Mentors: Luke Hyde & Melissa Peckins)

Anusha Garg - Mind Wandering in the Context of Personal Concerns and Personality (Mentors: Sripada Sekhar & Colleen Seifert)

Samantha Goldberg - Stressful Event Exposure is Related to Hippocampal Activity During Extinction Recall (Mentor: Elizabeth Duval)

Laura Huerta Sanchez - Investigating the Role of Corticotropin Releasing Factor Neurons in Motivation Using Optogenetic Inhibition (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Dora Juhasz - The Need for TLC (Tender Loving Cell Phone): Smartphones and Socialization Behaviors among College Students (Mentor: Daniel Kruger)

Zaina Khoury - Wealth Essentialism in Children and Adults (Mentors: Susan Gelman & Margaret Echelbarger)

Elizabeth Kruse - Grey Matter Markers Predicting Future Substance Use in Adolescents (Mentors: Jillian Hardee & Cindy Lustig)

Sanika Kulkarni - Children’s Inferences about Digital Tracking as a Result of Ingroup and Outgroup Differentiation  (Mentor: Susan Gelman)

Catherine Lawton - Does 100.4 Mean Exactly 100.4? Expert Interpretations of Precise Numbers (Mentor: Priti Shah)

Nathan Lwo - Neural and Behavioral Correlates of Visual Attention Cognitive Training and tDCS in Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Mentor: John Jonides)

Arushi Mahajan - Novel Attention Training Paradigm Minimizes Distraction through tDCS Enhanced Cognitive Training (Mentor: John Jonides)

Megan Mitchell - Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Following Prolonged Cardiac Arrest: Predicting Neurological Outcomes in a Porcine Model (Mentors: Alvaro Rojas-Pena & Jillian Hardee)

Kelsey Owen - Anandamide and Hedonic ‘Liking’ within the Posterior Ventral Pallidum Hotspot (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Dasha Peppard - Investigating Engaged Learning and Transformational Impact in an Action Learning Program (Mentors: Mari Kira & Gretchen Spreitzer)

Mariam Reda - Influence of Trauma Type and Sex on Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Adolescents (Mentor: Israel Liberzon)

Emma St. Pierre - Type A Aortic Dissections Worsen Quality of Life and Mental Health (Mentors: Bo Yang & Bruno Giordani)

Rachel Tanenbaum - Caregiver Adaptation in Disorders of Sex Development (Mentors: David Sandberg & Jennifer Cummings)

Jessica Zhao - The Influence of Real-Time Emotion and Baseline Negative Urgency on Daily Food Consumption (Mentor: Ashley Gearhardt)

Jessica Alexa - Effects of Cognitive and Affective Distraction on Working Memory Performance (Mentors: Alexandru Iordan & Patricia Reuter-Lorenz)

Harrison Angoff - Unique Influence of Abuse and Neglect on School Behavior: An Exploratory Study (Mentor: Christopher Monk)

Diego Barcala-Delgado - Parents’ Ethnotheories of Maladaptive Behavior in Young Children: A Comparison of Spain and the U.S. (Mentor: Sheryl Olson)

Anna Bergson - Children’s Attributions of Persistence of Individual Identity Following Transformations (Mentors: Susan Gelman & Kristan Marchak)

Megan Burns - Exploring Social Class Through Decision Making Paradigms and Evaluating Social Class Measurement Systems  (Mentor: Richard Gonzalez)

Andrew Canvasser - Collaboration and Creativity: Implementation and Improvement in the Educational Environment (Mentor: Colleen Seifert)

Kristen Cross - Beyond the Sidelines: Parental Involvement in Latino/a Adolescents' Extracurricular Activities (Mentor: Rosario Ceballo)

Chanelle Davis - Racial Identity as a Moderator of the Associations Between Parental Incarceration and Psychological Functioning and Aggression Among Black Adolescents (Mentor: Stephanie Rowley)

Taylor Galdi - Unskilled, Unaware, and Influential: The Dunning-Kruger Effect in Juries (Mentor: David Dunning)

Rachel Ghosh - Father-Daughter Relationships Among College Students: Implications for Other Interpersonal Relationships and Academic Outcomes (Mentors: Rona Carter)

Keegan Giffels - The Existence of Bisexual Miscategorization (Mentor: Arnold Ho)

Michael Harrington - Improving Causal Reasoning in a College Science Course (Mentors: Colleen Seifert & Priti Shah)

Jessica Hejka - Maternal Positive Parenting and the Development of Children’s Later Empathy and Externalizing Behavior (Mentor: Sheryl Olson)

Jean Anne Heng - Examining the Effects of Effortful Control Training in Clinically Anxious Preschool Children  (Mentors: Julie Premo & Kate D. Fitzgerald)

Shannon Jajko - Gender Essentialism Measure for Children (Mentors: Susan Gelman & Arnold Ho)

Sally Kafelghazal - Relationship between Contact with Gender Non-Conforming People and Race Essentialist Beliefs (Mentor: Arnold Ho)

Hadi Katebi - Manipulating Ideological Preferences Through Exposure and Inoculation (Mentors: Joshua Rabinowitz)

Janet Kim - Slow Life Strategists Hold More Growth Mindsets (for Intelligence not Physical Attractiveness) (Mentors: Oliver Sng & Joshua Ackerman)

Daejin Kim - Motivation and Grip Strength on Young and Older Adults (Mentor: Cindy Lustig)

Alexandra Mangus - Appropriate Punishments for Perpetrators of Sexual Assault  (Mentor: Abigail Stewart)

Juliette Ni - Culture Difference in Depression and Neurasthenia: The Implication of Hypocognition in Mental Health (Mentor: David Dunning)

Rizzo Nichols - Is Consent Sexy? An Evaluation of Direct, Verbal Consent in Erotic Fiction (Mentor: Terri Conley)

Emily Olin - Intersectionality and Charismatic Leadership in Female Leaders of Community-based Organizations: A Cross-Cultural Study (Mentor: Ramaswami Mahalingam)

Shima Sadaghiyani - Finding Strength in Adversity: Exploring the Process of Postadversarial Growth among Culturally Diverse Individuals (Mentors: Mari Kira & Fiona Lee)

Rachel Atkinson - Motivational Learning Styles are not Determined by Individual Differences in Levels of FAAH (Mentors: Jonathan Morrow & Terry Robinson)

Alexandra Chloe Eastman - Adolescent Psychopathology and Substance Use: The Moderating Effect of Prospective Self (Mentors: Daniel Keating & Edward Huntley)

Maya Khalil Eter - Examining the Ability of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Augment Working Memory Training (Mentor: John Jonides)

Penelope Clare Farris - Work-Family Conflict and Cognition among Older Adults Working Full-Time (Mentor: Laura Zahodne)

Dana Elise Feldman - The Role of the Nucleus Accumbens in Context Fear Conditioning (Mentor: Natalie Tronson)

Saheli Ghosh - Induced Human Neurons as a Model to Study the Role of Mitochondria in Alzheimer’s Disease (Mentors: Michael Uhler & Jill Becker)

Jared Benjamin Goldberg - Assessing Teacher Understanding of Student Executive Functioning and Predictions to Academic Achievement (Mentor: Frederick Morrison)

Julia Aseel Haidar - The Effects of Saturated and Unsaturated Fatty Acids on Mitochondrial Trafficking and Function in Sensory Neurons (Mentors: Amy Rumora & J. Wayne Aldridge)

Julia Charlotte Harris -  Slow-Wave Sleep Disruption in Adolescence: Brain Responses to Monetary Reward and Loss (Mentors: Laura Cope & Robert Zucker)

Michael John Hendrickson - Teacher Response to Student Misbehavior: Assessing Potential Biases in the Classroom (Mentor: Kai Cortina)

Elizabeth O'Brien Hinckley - Can Generic You Increase ‘Your’ Sense of Belonging (Mentor: Ethan  Kross)

Elizabeth Hubbard - Counteracting Nucleus Accumbens-Mediated Fear Behavior with Optogenetics (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Joshua Levi Krasney - Central Amygdala-Induced Attraction towards Aversive Shock Rod  Recruits Mesocorticolimbic Brain Circuitry (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

George Lu - Long-lasting Neuroimmune-Mediated Changes Following Peripheral Immune Challenge (Mentors: Natalie Tronson & Katie Collette)

Diana Cecilia Marino - Predicting Gun or Knife Violence Against Women Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Margarett Sha'Lisa McBride - “Do I Belong in my Community?” Latino Adolescents' Perceptions of Neighborhood Belonging (Mentor: Rosario Ceballo)

Julia Aisling Menzel-Smith - Neurological Development and Injury among Premature Lambs Supported by the Artificial Placenta (Mentors: Kent Berridge & Alvaro Rojas Pena)

Tanisha Mitra - Individual Differences in the Motivation for Cocaine and Neuronal Activity Induced by a Cocaine-Paired Cue (Mentor: Terry Robinson)

Lining Pan - Role of Ventral Hippocampus in Context Fear Conditioning in Males and Females (Mentor: Natalie Tronson)

Kevin C. Pasquale - The Identification of Microvascular Variations in Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) through Machine Learning Algorithms (Mentors: Michael Wang & Henry Buchtel)

Isabel Cristina Quinones - Characterization of Health Behaviors in Transgender Youth (Mentors: Jessica Van Huysse & Ashley Gearhardt)

Grecia Quiroga - Testing Associations Between Sign and Goal-Tracking and Risk Factors for Obesity in Children (Mentor: Ashley Gearhardt)

Melanie Racenstein - An Aging Study of Somatosensory and Motor Dedifferentiation using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Behavioral Measures  (Mentor: Thad Polk)

Ruby Siada - ABC Brains: Linking Early Childhood Experience to Neural Activity and Obesity (Mentor: Ashley Gearhardt)

Elisabeth Silver - Perpetrating Sexism: An Investigation into the Effects on Men’s Psychophysiology (Mentor: Sari van Anders)

Khyati Somayaji - Effect of Estrous Cycle on Severity of Sepsis in C57Bl/6 Female Mice (Mentors: Joanna Spencer-Segal & Jill Becker)

Akemi Tsutsumi Rioboo - The Effects of Spanish-English Bilingual Dominance Profile in Children’s Literacy Skills (Mentor: Ioulia Kovelman)

Annie Zalon - Exploring the Role of Alpha1-chimaerin in a Model of Cerebellar Ataxia (Mentors: Vikram Shakkottai & Brandon Aragona)

Mary Zinn - Characterizing Resiliency in Adolescence: The Role of Prospective Self in Health-Related Outcomes Associated with Childhood Adversity (Mentors: Daniel Keating & Edward Huntley)

Emma Abed - Investigating Diversity in Sexual and Gender/Sex Majorities: Interviews Using Sexual Configurations Theory (Mentor: Sari van Anders)

Zainab Ali Ahmad - Wandering Eyes: Patterns of Looking While Perambulating in a Natural Setting (Mentors: Kevin Miller & Kai Cortina)

Alexandra Bayer - Who Provides Social Support to Children Following Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence? (Mentors: Sandra Graham-Bermann & Andrew Grogan-Kaylor)

Stephanie Beaton - The Effects of Perfectionism on Objective Sleep Quality: The Role of Rumination (Mentor: Patricia Deldin)

Diana Curtis - Feminizing Fear: Investigating the Intersections of Paranoia, Empathy, and Sex (Mentors: Patricia Deldin & Sari van Anders)

Wisteria Deng - Anxiety Mediates the Relationship Between Psychotic-like Experiences and Social Functioning (Mentor: Patricia Deldin)

Sheng Dong - Affiliation Motives under Pathogen Threat Studied in Electrocortical Activity of Norm Violations (Mentor: Shinobu Kitayama)

Danielle Harrison - Subjective and Official Reports of Neighborhood Danger and Antisocial Behavior in Adolescence  (Mentor: Luke Hyde)

Natasha Heart - Does Sleep Duration Moderate the Relationship Between Adolescent Psychopathology and Health Risk Behavior? (Mentors: Daniel Keating & Edward Huntley)

Jing Hu - Spontaneous Use of Self-Distancing Online Among Healthy and Depressed Facebook Users (Mentor: Ethan Kross)

Morgan Johnson - Teachers’ Impact on the Wellbeing and Achievementof Students with ohnsonSpecial Needs in the General Education Classroom (Mentor: Fred Morrison)

Hannah Lahti - Sex Differences in Negative Affect and Symptom Severity in Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder and Bipolar Disorders (Mentor: Patricia Deldin)

Blacker Li - Post-Frog Pond: Cultural Variations in Hiring Decisions (Mentor: Stephen Garcia)

Muzi Lin - Fathers’ Experiences of Challenges and Joys During the Prenatal and Postnatal Periods (Mentors: Brenda Volling & Shawna Lee)

Katy Michon - The P300 ERP and Cognitive Bias in Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, and Dysphoria (Mentor: Patricia Deldin)

Breanne Parker - Exploring the Relationship between College Student Exposure to the Model Minority Stereotype and Attributions of ADHD in Asian Americans (Mentor: Donna Nagata)

Reeya Patel - Disappointing Gift Task: Implications for Understanding Emotion Regulation Development During Early Childhood (Mentor: Sheryl Olson)

Haley Rough - Neighborhood crime and its effect on neural reactivity (Mentor: Christopher Monk)

Aiya Saad - In the Eyes of the Beholder: How Experience Can Influence Perceptions of Interest and Engagement (Mentor: Kevin Miller)

Chaewon Sagong - Influences of Positive Parenting on Adolescent Depressive Symptoms: Moderation by Levels of Physical Neighborhood Disorder (Mentor: Christopher Monk)

Zachary Schildcrout - Does Visual Attention Cognitive Training Decrease Distraction? (Mentor: John Jonides)

Jocelyn Schwartz - The Influence of Positive Affect on Food Consumption: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Analysis (Mentor: Ashley Gearhardt)

Priyanka Shanmugasundaram - Impacts of Multiple Marginality for South Asian Americans’ Mental Health (Mentor: Fiona Lee)

Julia Snider - Engagement in and Desire for Romantic and Sexual Relationships in College: Associations with Mental Health (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

Emily Armstead - Examining Rumination and Sleep: A Transdiagnostic Approach to Depression and Social Anxiety (Mentor: Patricia Deldin)

Jane Brown - Down the Musical Garden Path: Shared Syntactic Processing in Music and Language (Mentor: Julie Boland)

Man Ting Choi - Paternal Education Attainment Moderates Associations Between Paternal Psychological Control and Preschool Children’s Internalizing Problems: A Cross-National Study in the United States and China (Mentor: Sheryl Olson)

Bailey Ferris - Differential Longitudinal fMRI Activation in Bilateral Thalamus in Substance Using Versus Non-Using Adolescents During a go/no-go Task (Mentors: Mary Heitzeg & Jillian Hardee)

Nick Gabry - Relapse: An Investigation into the Differential Modulation of Cue-Based Drug Reinstatement (Mentors: Terry Robinson & Bryan Singer)

Maia Gersten - Examining the Role of Diversification of Contingent Self-Worth on College Student Mental Health (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

Kevin Grimaldi - The Role of Parental Involvement and Monitoring in Adolescent Health Risk Behavior (Mentors: Daniel Keating & Edward Huntley)

Sonalee Joshi - The Effects of Race on Implicit Attitudes about Social Anxiety (Mentors: Elizabeth Duval & Israel Liberzon)

Louisa Kane - Motivational-Dopaminergic versus Cognitive-Cholinergic Processing of a Pavlovian Cocaine Cue in Sign- and Goal-Tracking Rats (Mentors: Martin Sarter & Kyle Pitchers)

Kelsea Kangas - Use of Neuropsychological Evaluation Results in a VA Healthcare System Sub-Acute Geriatric Rehabilitation Clinic (Mentors: Linas Bieliauskas & Katherine Kitchen-Andren)

Alexandria Kolenda - Investigating the Relationship Between Depression, Metabolic Syndrome, and DNA Methylation of the SLC35D3 Gene Region in Psychotic Disorders (Mentor: Vicki Ellingrod)

Alyssa Marquette - The Role of the Built Environment on Adolescent BMI (Mentor: Ashley Gearhardt)

Allison Moll - Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS), Metabolic Syndrome, and Cognition in Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders (Mentor: Vicki Ellingrod)

Anna Nagler - The Effect of Cognitive Impairment on Deconditioned/Debilitated Post-Acute Veterans (Mentors: Linas Bieliauskas & Stelmokas Julija)

Jeewon Oh - Emotional Word Processing in First and Second Language (Mentor: Nick Ellis)

Natalie Perkins - Examining Impoverished Neighborhoods with Google Street View: A New Tool for Assessing Ecological Settings (Mentor: Christopher Monk)

Kelly Rea - White-Matter Tract Abnormalities and Links to Antisocial Behavior Among High-Risk Young Adult Males (Mentors: Luke Hyde & Rebecca Waller)

Seonyool Song - Education Comparison between United States and South Korea with PISA Results (Mentors: Kevin Miller & Kai Cortina)

Emma Sutherland - Investigating the Association Between Screen Time and Adolescent Adiposity (Mentors: Ashley Gearhardt & Sarah Domoff)

Taylor Weeks - Direct Inhibition of the Nucleus Accumbens Shell Potentiates Eating (Mentor: Berridge Kent)

Jennifer Alpert - Children’s and Adults’ Recall of Generic and Proper Name Statements (Mentor: Susan Gelman)

Caroline Bartholomew - Parental Restrictive Feeding Behaviors and Adolescent Food-Related Self-Regulation (Mentors: Ashley Gearhardt & Megan Pesch)

Stephen Berkemeier - Law Enforcement Conformity to Masculine Norms and Myths Surrounding Male Victims of Sexual Assault (Mentors: Jamie Mitchell & Eric Fretz)

Shyryn Borgol - The Behavioral Immune System and Interoception (Mentor: Joshua Ackerman)

Emmy Carey - Forms of Intimate Partner Rape Experienced by Latinas with and without PTSD (Mentors: Sandra Graham-Bermann & Andrew Grogan-Kaylor)

Sitao Chen - Correlational Study of Childhood Activities and Executive Functions (Mentor: Priti Shah)

Xi Chen - Stereotypes and Biased Perceptions towards Foreign Currencies: An Irrationality of Market Valuations (Mentor: Stephen Garcia)

Rachel Cultice - #VocalWomen: How Does Threatened Masculinity Influence Perceptions of Women Who Confront Online Misogyny? (Mentor: Terri Conley)

Snehanjani Edupuganti - Don't Judge a Book by its Cover: The Influence of a Professor's Gender on Student's Impression and Lecture Evaluation (Mentor: Kevin Miller)

Alison Grenon - A Comparative Analysis of Body Mass Index and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Measurements in a Teenage Population Considering Gender, Pubertal Status, and Athletic Participation (Mentor: Ashley Gearhardt)

Inara Ismailova - Young and Distracted: Children Filter Irrelevant Stimuli Less Effectively than Adults (Mentors: Daniel Weissman & Ioulia Kovelman)

Rachel Korn - The Influence of Impulsivity on Food Ordering Behavior and Caloric Consumption (Mentor: Ashley Gearhardt)

Jerin Lee - Negative Life Events and Sexual Assault Victimization as Predictors of Negative Psychological Functioning in Female College Students (Mentor: Edward Chang)

Sai-Lai Lee - Color Outside the Lines: Perceptions of Identity Conflict and Women of Color in Leadership (Mentor: Fiona Lee)

Wanying Liu - Risk Portfolio Management: Mathematical Models and Behavioral Styles (Mentor: Jun Zhang)

Andrea Maxwell - Neighborhood Effects on the Brain: Impoverishment in Early Childhood Predicts Amygdala Reactivity to Ambiguous Faces in Young Adulthood (Mentor: Luke Hyde)

Isabel Osgood - Infectious Disease Psychology and Social Categorization (Mentor: Joshua Ackerman)

Dayna Petkov - Examining Perceptions of Moral Change of the Self and Others (Mentors: Ethan Kross & Walter Swoden)

Kaitlin Prakken - Correlates of Maternal Warmth in Latinas Who Have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Manna Shintani - Executive Function and Academic Achievement: Differential Relations Across Socioeconomic Status (Mentor: Frederick Morrison)

Anna Spitz - Diversity, Pressure, and Divisions on the University of Michigan Campus (Mentors: Priti Shah & Deborah Dash-Moore)

Lara Stojanov - The Paradox of Bilingual Attentional Control Investigated Through Comparative Analytic Approaches (Mentor: Ioulia Kovelman)

Julia Swan - Associations Between Delay Discounting Performance and Reward-Related Neural Activity (Mentor: Luke Hyde)

Warren Teo - Multicultural Experience and Wisdom (Mentor: Fiona Lee)

Andrea Villafuerte - The Role of Perceived Social Support in Buffering Women Against Stereotype Threat (Mentor: Denise Sekaquaptewa)

Kali Vitek - Risky, Dramatic, and Unrealistic: Reality Television Portrayals of Pregnancy and Childbirth and Their Effects on Women's Fear and Self-Efficacy (Mentor: Lucretia Ward)

Haley Yaremych - Prosocial Development Between Siblings: The Role of Marital Quality and Parents' Emotion Socialization Practices (Mentor: Brenda Volling)

Tina Yu - Understanding the Association Between Spirituality, Religiosity, and Feelings of Happiness and Sadness Among HIV-Positive Indian Adults: Examining Stress-Related Growth as a Mediator (Mentor: Edward Chang)

Joel Adu-Brimpong - Cortisol Stress Reactivity Can be Shaped by Control, Support and Threat in Surprising Ways – Illustrating HPA Axis Complexity (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

Bryana Bayly - This is Not a Pipe…Or is it? Children's and Adults' Appreciation for the Representational Properties of Pictures and Toys (Mentors: Susan Gelman & Natalie Davidson)

John Bell - Synaptic Interactomes and Neurological Disease:  A Closer Look at Neurexin-1α (Mentors: Gabrielle Rudenko & Natalie Tronson)

Alix Bernholtz - ‘Running in the Family’: Exploring the Causal Beliefs of At-Risk Individuals with a Family History of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (Mentors: Susan Gelman & Toby Jayaratne )

Rui Deng - Differential Effects of Oxytocin on The Motivation of Methamphetamine Self-Administration in Isolated and Pair Housed Female Rats (Mentor: Jill Becker)

Dema Fawaz - Optogenetic Inhibition of Lateral Hypothalamic Inputs into Ventral Pallidum Amplifies Aversive ‘Disgust’ (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Danielle Flanders - Structural Priming in Sentence Production (Mentor: Julie Boland)

Andrew Garton - Examining the Impact Of Cognitive Styles on Responses to Self-Relevant Failures (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

Zoe Hawks - Memory-Control Interactions Influence the Congruency Sequence Effect (Mentor: Daniel Weissman)

Sunghyun Hong - Optogenetic Stimulation of Dopamine Afferents in Nucleus Accumbens and Central Amygdala Reveals Differential Roles in Food and Social Motivation (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Yona Isaacs - Cholinergic Highs and Lows: A Genetic Link to Attentional Function? (Mentor: Cindy Lustig)

Shaima Khandaker - Neural Correlates of Verbal Communication Using Infant Directed Speech in Language Acquisition: An fNIRS Investigation (Mentor: Ioulia Kovelman)

Lena Kremin - Predictors and Transfer of Reading Ability in Spanish-English Bilingual Children (Mentor: Ioulia Kovelman)

Danielle Leonard - Phonological and Lexical Processes in Bilingual Spanish-English Learners (Mentor: Ioulia Kovelman)

Alina Lesnovskaya - Symptoms of Depression as Indicators of Delirium in Elderly Hospitalized Veterans (Mentors: Linas Bieliauskas & Jennifer Flaherty)

Emily Lustig - Cognition and Experienced Well-Being in the Aging Population: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study (Mentor: Jacqui Smith)

Christina Naegeli - Cross-Cultural Look at Orphan Care in Brazil and the USA: Does There Exist a Difference in 'Positive' Themes in Different Methods of Child Care? (Mentors: Nansook Park & Reighan Gillam)

Eve Rosenheck - Current Trends and Predictors of Therapy Underutilization Among Asian American College Students (Mentors: Justin Heinze & Jennifer Glass)

Gabrielle Schwartz - The Influence of Power on Emotions Felt for Others (Mentor: Phoebe Ellsworth)

Adam Sitzmann - Treatment-Resistant Depression, Obesity, and Adiponectin (Mentors: Brian Mickey & Christopher  Monk)

Lawrence Tello - Beliefs Influence the Consequences of Expressive Suppression (Mentors: Shinobu Kitayama & Ethan Kross)

Linsa Varghese - Mindfulness, Emotional Well-Being, Emotional Regulation, Burnout, and Servant Leadership Among Women Social Justice Activists (Mentor: Ram Mahalingam)

Alisa Zoltowski - Using our Theory of Mind for Inferences in Strategic Reasoning (Mentor: Jun Zhang)

Monica Arkin - The Relationship Between Community Violence Exposure and Psychological Well-Being among Latino Adolescents (Mentor: Rosario Ceballo)

Pallavi Babu - The Psychometric Validation of the Military Attributions Scale (Mentor: Michelle Kees)

Amanda Balakirsky - Children’s Inferences about Relative Age as a Result of Power Comprehension (Mentor: Susan Gelman)

Jillian Bean - Impact of Weight Based Self-Ssteem and Objectification on Risk of Disordered Eating in College Students (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

Jacob Bradburn - The N-Effect in Sales: A Field Experiment (Mentor: Stephen Garcia)

Zoe Brier - Suicidal Trajectories across the Postpartum: Risk and Protective Factors (Mentors: Maria Muzik & Katherine Rosenblum)

Rachel Carretta - Religiosity and Suicidality in Caucasian And African-American Sexual Minority Young Adults (Mentor: Cheryl King)

Shao Wei Chia - Perceived Differential Parental Expectations of Achievement: Assessing Impact on Psychological Well-Being Among College Students with Siblings (Mentors: Pamela Davis-Kean & Daniel Keating)

Melissa Durante - Everyday Scientific Reasoning: Critical Approaches Outside the Classroom (Mentor: Priti Shah)

Julia Feldman - Early Fathering Predictors of Children’s Late School-Age Peer Acceptance, Emotion Regulation, and Behavior Problems (Mentor: Sheryl Olson)

Ryan Foley - Competitive Versus Cooperative Video Game Decision Making and it’s Relationship to Problematic Video Game Play (Mentor: Frank Yates)

Rachel Forche - Children's Predictions about Future Desires:  Parent Input vs. Intuition (Mentors: Susan Gelman & Craig Smith)

Samantha Goldstein - Gender Differences in Children's Emotion Regulation from Preschool to School Age (Mentor: Sheryl Olson)

Nora Greenstein - Women’s Academic Motivation in the STEM Field: Using Group Role Models to Reduce Stereotype Threat in Group Work (Mentor: Denise Sekaquaptewa)

Roxanne Harfmann - "Don't Forget to Subscribe": Investigating the Impact of Exposure to User-Created Youtube Channels on Endorsement of Gender Attitudes and Self-Sexualization (Mentor: Monique Ward)

Youjeong Huh - Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation and Employee Well-Being Among Korean Workers (Mentor: Ramaswami Mahalingam)

Corey Jackson - Social Inclusion, Identity, & Conflict Adaptation (Mentor: Fiona Lee)

Zunaira Jilani - Relations Between Multidimensional Spirituality and Negative Affective Conditions in Adults: Examining Hope as a Potential Mediator (Mentor: Edward Chang)

Kathryn Kemp - Sleep Quality and Mood on Memory in People with and without Depression (Mentor: Patricia Deldin)

Brandon Klein - Loss of a Job vs. a Loved One: The Impact on Indulgent Consumption (Mentor: Stephen Garcia)

Jessica Koolick - Comparisons of PTSD Symptomatology in Children Across Multiple Ethno-Racial Groups (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Jie Ling Kuan - The Reading Brain: fMRI Study of Chinese (Mentor: Ioulia Kovelman)

Emily Noyes - Alcohol-Related Consequences Among Binge Drinking College Students: Exploring Positive Alcohol Expectancies and Self-Efficacy to Use Protective Strategies (Mentors: Erin Bonar & Frederic  Blow)

Stephanie Oprea - Students’ Perceptions of Creative Process Pedagogy in College Courses (Mentor: Colleen Seifert)

Miray Philips - Attitudes Towards Rape Among College Students in the US, North Africa, and the Middle East (Mentors: Rowell Huesmann & Eric Dubow)

Sarah Polk - The Effects of Restraint and Gender on Frequency of Consumption of High-Glycemic Load and High-Fat Foods (Mentor: Ashley Gearhardt)

Benjamin Rooney - Explaining Gender Differences in Emotional Reactions to Heterosexual Casual Sex Offers (Mentor: Terri Conley)

Alison Sagon - Examining the Value of Setting Communication Goals for Subjective Well-Being (Mentor: Ethan Kross)

Justin Sarkis - The Effect of Sociolinguistic Accent on the Believability of Trivia Statements (Mentor: Julie Boland)

Shaina Shetty - Reluctant Models (Mentors: Harold Neighbors & Donna Nagata)

Keima Smith - African American Parental Racial Socialization: Exploring Gender Differences (Mentors: Stephanie  Rowley & Kevin Miller)

Precious  Smith - Fun To a Point: The Positive and Negative Effects of Children’s Toys in the Household (Mentor: Stephanie  Preston )

Chloe Sosenko - Zingerman’s: Mindfulness in the Dynamic Work Environment (Mentors: Gretchen Spreitzer & Oscar Ybarra)

Chloe Sprague  - The Role of Reconstruing versus Recounting in Social Support Contexts (Mentor: Ethan Kross)

Emily Steinberg  - The Role of Age, Gender, and Father Involvement in Firstborns' Behavioral Adjustment Across the Transition to Siblinghood (Mentor: Brenda Volling)

Gladys Tan  - Behind Racial Differences in STEM Participation:  College Students’ Priorities When Choosing Majors (Mentor: J Yates)

Alyssa Tender  - Too Close for Comfort:  An ERP Investigation into The Role of Relevancy in Attention to HIV-Relevant Information (Mentor: Allison Earl)

Meaghan Thompson  - The Relationship Between Parenting Behaviors During the Preschool Period and Subtypes of Childhood Aggression in the Late Elementary Period (Mentors: Sheryl Olson & Rebecca Waller)

Tara Von Mach  - An Evaluation of Within-Session Interactions During Motivational Interviewing-Based Brief Interventions for Marijuana Misuse: A Mixed-Methods Investigation (Mentors: Maureen Walton & Frederic Blow)

Yuqi Wang  - Masculinity on Trial:  A Content Analysis of Men-Against-Men Sexual Harassment Legal Cases, 1982-2014 (Mentor: Lilia Cortina)

Chelsey Weiss  - The Roles of Early Externalizing Behavior and Prosocial Parental Discipline on Peer Rejection (Mentor: Sheryl Olson)

Alexandra Wilt  - Addictive-Like Eating Mediates the Association Between Eating Motivations and Elevated Body Mass Index (Mentor: Ashley Gearhardt)

Kaidi  Wu  - Would You Rather be a Big Frog In A Small Pond? Examining Cultural Variations in Competition Entry Decisions (Mentor: Stephen Garcia)

Carlos Yeguez  - Developing a Self-Efficacy Intervention for College Students Diagnosed with ADHD (Mentor: Priti Shah)

Chelsea Zabel  - Psychology of Selfies: Motivations for Posting Selfies and their Connections to Self-Concept (Mentor: Lucretia Ward)

Ankita Badhwar -  Measuring Prosocial Action Tendencies From Caretaking Emotions  (Mentor: Sara Konrath)

Lauren Burton -  The Effect of Chronic Phase Shifts on Melatonin Rhythms (Mentors: Jimo Borjigin & Martin Sarter)

Nathan Chesterman -  Mapping a Hedonic Hotspot in Insular Cortex (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Kathleen Duemling -  Cortisol Awakening Response and Youth Depression: The Impact of Anxiety, Age, and Sex  (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

Paige Galecki -  Testing a Video-Chat Social Reward Learning Task to Predict Depression in Young Adults (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

Mariam Hamid -  In Vivo Corneal Confocal Microscopy in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (Mentors: Roni Shtein & Patricia Reuter-Lorenz)

Rina Joshi -  Does Time Really Tell All?: The Effect of Circadian Rhythms on Emotional-Like Behavior in Rats Selectively Bred to Model Mood Disorders (Mentor: Megan Hagenauer)

Viktoria Krislaty -  The Effect of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) on Neuropsychological Functioning in Adolescents who Suffer from Major Depressive Disorder  (Mentor: Bruno Giordani)

Kathryn Lee -  Semantic and Syntactic Priming in Infant Language Acquisition: A Comparison of English and Mandarin Speakers (Mentor: Twila Tardif)

Shoko Mori -  Regulating Negative Affect: Neurophysiological Investigation of Self-Generated vs. Externally-Provided Reappraisal (Mentors: Christine Rabinak & William Gehring)

Emily Munier -  Modality Effects in Short-Term Memory Versus Long-Term Memory within the Deese, Roediger and McDermott Paradigm  (Mentors: Patricia Reuter-Lorenz & Justyna Olszewska)

Maryam Seifeldin -  Sociolinguistic Stereotype and Syntactic Processing (Mentors: Julie Boland & Jonathan Brennan)

Erica Seifert -  Syntactic Error Processing in Bilingual Children: An fNIRS Study (Mentor: Ioulia Kovelman)

Aashna Sunderrajan -   It's a Trap! The Influence of Instrumental Manipulation Checks on Response Non-Differentiation and Gricean Norm Effects  (Mentors: Norbert Schwarz & Allison Earl)

Rachel Terry -  The Role of Orexin and Acetylcholine on 'Liking' and 'Disliking' in the Nucleus Accumbens Hedonic Hotspot (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Xiao Wang -  Examining the Relationship Between Skilled Musical Training and Attention  (Mentor: Patricia Reuter-Lorenz)

Leah Breish -  Effects of Backwards Design Lesson Planning Implementation on Non-Educator Elementary Literacy Tutors (Mentor: Frederick Morrison)

Peter Ceglarek -  A Tool for Help or Harm? Associations Between Sexual Minority Youth’s Social Networking Use and Their SocialSupport, Sexual Identity, and Mental Health  (Mentor: L. Monique Ward)

Alejandra Cuspinera -   “Go to Sleep to Get Rid of the Fright”: Colombian Youth’s Experiences with Community Violence Exposure (Mentor: Rosario Ceballo)

Hailey Dotterer -  Influences on Destructive College Drinking: The Role of Psychopathic Traits and Gender  (Mentor: Luke Hyde)

Valerie Foster -  The Relationship Between Maternal Insightfulness and Psychopathology in Women with Histories of Childhood Maltreatment (Mentors: Maria Muzik & Katherine Rosenblum)

Danielle Goldstein -  Building a Better Campus: Establishing Mental Health Services at Ukrainian Universities (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Steven Homan  - Quality of Student Discourse During Math Lessons in the United States and China (Mentors: Kevin Miller & Kai Cortina)

Emma Kahle -  Understanding How Domestic Abuse is Associated with Greater Depressive Symptoms in a Community Sample of Female Primary Care Patients: Do Loss of Belongingness or Sense of Burdensomeness Matter? (Mentor: Edward Chang)

Adam Kern -  The Effect of Watching Food-Related Television on Eating Behaviors and Cravings  (Mentor: Ashley Gearhardt)

Heejoo Kim -  The Effects of Autonomy and Relatedness on Internalizing and Externalizing During Adolescence: Concurrent and Longitudinal Effects within Family Context  (Mentors: Jacquelynne Eccles & Yi-Miau Tsai)

Adriane Kline -  The Effects of HIV/AIDS Knowledge During Adolescence: The Role of This Knowledge in Predicting Sexual Behaviors and Outcomes  (Mentors: Justin Heinze & Marc Zimmerman)

Jenny Lee -  Resilience in the Face of Betrayal: The Significance of Social Support and Spontaneous Self-Distancing (Mentor: Ethan Kross)

Jonathan Lee -  Narcissism, Frustration, and the Mediating Role of Anger (Mentor: Shinobu Kitayama)

MengZhen Liu -  The Effect of Emotional Face Cues on Response Conflict Processing (Mentor: Shinobu Kitayama)

Melissa Manley -  Is What I Do Who I Am? A Study of Romantic and Sexual Partnering and Identity  (Mentor: Sari van Anders)

Margaret McGuire -  Intimate Partner Violence: Demographic Effects on Children’s Attitudes and Beliefs After Exposure (Mentors: Sandra Graham-Bermann & Andrew Grogan-Kaylor)

Annick Odom -  Local and National Identity of Flemings and Walloons in Belgium (Mentor: Fiona Lee)

Maggie O'Reilly-Treter -  Exploring the Relations Between Caregiver-Child Communication and Psychopathology Among Bereaved Families (Mentor: Julie Kaplow)

Rebekah Richmond -  Parenting Style and Parental Self-Efficacy in the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa (Mentors: Ashley Gearhardt & Renee Hoste)

Taylor Rothman -  (Mis)imagining Someone Else’s Life: The Role of Focalism in Feeling Envy and Pity Towards Others  (Mentor: Phoebe Ellsworth)

Mallika Sarma -  Mindfulness, Psychological Well-Being, Emotion Regulation, and Creativity Among South-Asian Americans  (Mentor: Ramaswami Mahalingam)

Thea Senger -  The Relationship Between Cumulative Risk Exposure, Family Cohesion, and Working Memory Impairments (Mentor: James Swain)

Long Shi -  Possible Selves of College Students in China and the U.S. (Mentor: Daphna Oyserman)

Christopher Shu -  Effects of Onset and Persistence of Antisocial Behavior in Adulthood  (Mentor: Brian Hicks)

Alexa Shull -  Rumination Mediates the Impact of Personality on the Development of Depression During the Transition to College  (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

Mehgha Shyam -  The Influence of Mirth and Elevation on Local and Global Information Processing  (Mentor: Richard Lewis)

Stacey Sklepinski -  Promoting Attention to Stigmatized Health Information: The Complexity of Targeted Messages (Mentor: Allison Earl)

Hannah Tuttle -  Applying the Addiction Label to Food: Legal and Policy Implications (Mentor: Ashley Gearhardt)

Abigail Waters -  Effort, Somatization, and Self-Reported Psychological Distress in a Veteran Population (Mentors: Linas Bieliauskas & Nicolette Gabel)

Audrey Wittrup -  The Relationship Between Academic Self-Concept and Achievement in High School and Risky Sexual Behavior in College-Aged Females Over Time  (Mentors: Jacquelynne Eccles & Meeta Banerjee)

Hannah Wolfson -  Children Facing Maternal Breast Cancer: Examining Relations Between Maternal Functioning and Child Psychiatric Symptoms  (Mentor: Julie Kaplow)

Kuan Hua Wu -  Mapping a Novel Hedonic Hotspot in the Orbitofrontal Cortex  (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Elizabeth Yu -  Doubling Up on Positive Future Cognitions Associated with Lower Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Risk in Latinos?: A Look at Hope and Positive Problem Orientation (Mentor: Edward Chang)

Mo Zhang -   Interpretation of Difficulty’s Impact on Shifting and Inhibition Ability  (Mentor: Daphna Oyserman)

Sara Alberti -  Larger Amygdala Volume Relates to Social Anxiety in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Mentor: Christopher Monk)

Curtis Austin  -  Interactions Between Social and Drug Reward on Stimulated Dopamine Release  in Male Prairie Voles  (Mentor: Brandon Aragona)

Sara Bendler  - Modality Effects in Working Memory Using the DRM Paradigm (Mentor: Patricia Reuter-Lorenz)

Shannon Burke -  How Sexual is Sexual Desire? Desire and Testosterone in Women   (Mentor: Katherine Rosenblum)

Christopher Cannon  -  Conspicuous Consumption & Sexual Orientation: Are Homosexuals "Experts"?   (Mentor: Stephanie Preston)

Lauren Frisch  -  The Impact of Emotional Recognition on Prejudice and Discrimination  (Mentor: Sarah Konrath)

Yasaman Kazerooni  -  Task Related Pupil Dilation Patterns in a List Lexical Decision Task  (Mentor: Richard Lewis)

Dana Kelly  -  The Effects of Insomnia and Psychological Distress on Cognitive Performance Among Veterans  (Mentor: Linas Bieliauskas)

Elizabeth O'Donnell  - Dorsomedial Striatal Control of Cue-Directed Versus Goal-Directed Pavlovian Approach Behavior (Mentor: Terry Robinson)

Salomi Rami  - Social support, emotional well-being, and emotion regulation: A mediation model (Mentor: Oscar Ybarra)

Stephanie Romeo  -   Defendant and Juror Social Class and Age: Effects on Jurors’ Perceptions of a Crime  (Mentor: Phoebe Ellsworth)

Craig Sanders  -  Computational Models of Regressive Eye Movements in Reading  (Mentor: Richard Lewis)

Gabriel Stellman -  Investigating the roles of Fast-Spiking Interneurons and Neuronal Projections Associated with the Nucleus Accumbens as they Relate to the Production of Motivated Behaviors   (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Alexander Tereshchenko  - Convergent and Divergent Thinking Creativity in Nominal and Collaborative Groups (Mentor: Cindy Lustig)

Margaret Ugolini -  fMRI Study of Amplitude Modulation Perception: How the Brain Turns Sounds Into Language (Mentor: Ioulia Kovelman)

Michael Wilcox -  Emotional Contagion in Major Depressive Disorder (Mentor: Patricia Deldin)  

Neuroscience

Leon Averbukh -  Exploring the Link between Drug Addiction Propensity and Improper Top- Down Processing via Sustained Attention Tasks   (Mentor: Giovanna Paolone)

Mary Catherine Bender -  The Role of RGS Proteins in Modulating States of Behavioral Arousal (Mentor: Ralph Lydic)

Adam Fischer - Incentive Salience Attribution Based on Experiences of Uncertain Reward in Rats  (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Piper Keyes - Kappa-Opioid Receptors in the Nucleus Accumbens Shell Mediate the Attenuation of Amphetamine Reward Induced by Monogamous Pair Bonding  (Mentor: Brandon Aragona)

Katie Long - The Effect of Social Stress on Sign- and Goal-tracking Propensity in Selectively Bred Rats  (Mentor: Shelly Flagel)

Adam MacDonald -  Maternal Perspective-Dependent Empathy and Neural Responses (Mentors: Chris Monk, Shaun Ho, James Swain)

Nolan O'Hara  - Characterizing the Engagement of Cognitive Error-Detection and Assessment During Self-Motivated and Morally Relevant Deception: An ERP Study (Mentor: Bill Gehring)

Julia Roberts -  A Study Examining The Effects of Naps on Self-Reported Impulsivity  (Mentor: Patricia Deldin)

Michelle Wehbe -  Effect of Repeated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Sustained Attention Task Performance (Mentor: Giovanna Paolone)

Martha Alves -  Coercive Control and the Stay-Leave Decision: How Abusers get their Victims to Remain in a Violent Relationship (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Kathryn Beck -  Increasing Help-Seeking in College Freshmen: An Intervention Examining the Effects of Motivational Interviewing (Mentor: Joseph Gone)

Kevin Binder -  Homophobic Hip-Hop Music and Its Effect on Attitudes Toward Homosexuality  (Mentor: Lucretia Ward)

Jordan Boeve -  Child Temperament, Parental Personality, and Parenting as Related to Child Behavior After the Birth of a Sibling (Mentor: Pamela Davis-Kean)

Nancy Boulos -  Validity of the PHQ-8 and PHQ-6 During Pregnancy: A Longitudinal Study Possible Risk Factors and Screening for Antenatal Depression (Mentor: Richard Tolman)

Caroline Buck -  Changes in Maternal Mentalization, Reflectivity, and Sensitivity as Assessed through Analysis of Narratives: An Evaluation of the Circle of Security Intervention (Mentor: Katherine Rosenblum)

Max Cantor -  The road to reckless driving: Can parent alcoholism and antisocial behavior affect reckless driving in children? (Mentor: Jennie Jester)

Yun Chen -  Parent-adolescent agreement about adolescent’s suicidal ideation and behavior in relation to adolescent’s one-year depressive symptoms, and suicide-related outcomes  (Mentor: Cheryl King)

Robin Conley -  Change in Relation to Alcohol Use Disorders: A Qualitative Study Examining Motivation for Change and Changes in Early Recovery   (Mentor: Amy Krentzman)

Amanda Cooper -  Children’s Perceptions of Parental Differential Treatment as a Mediator for the Link Between Parental Differential Treatment and Sibling Relationship Quality (Mentor: Brenda Volling)

Jared Cutler -  The Effects of Gender Composition and Common In-Group Identity on Women's Desire to Participate in a Science Conference (Mentor: Denise Sekaquaptewa)

Damia December  -  Individual and Environmental Correlates of Anxiety in Parentally Bereaved Children  (Mentor: Julie Kaplow)

Jenna Dehne  - Comparing Methods to Reduce Stereotype Threat: In-person vs. On-paper Interventions (Mentor: Denise Sekaquaptewa)

Hau Dinh -  Intersecting Social Identities and Awareness of Social Justice (Mentor: Lorraine Gutierrez)

Laura Distel -  The Effects of an Evolution Exhibition on Students’ Essentialistic Thinking about Genes   (Mentor: Evelyn Evans)

Peter Felsman  - Music listening facilitates self-distancing (Mentor: Ethan Kross)

Hayley Goldenthal -  Risk Factors for Depression During the Perinatal Period: The Role of Anxiety, Trauma and Life Stressors (Mentor: Stephanie Thompson)

Joanna Gross  -  The Relationship Between Coping and Mental Health in Children Facing Maternal Breast Cancer  (Mentor: Julie Kaplow)

Lindsay Hamilton  - Sleep, Depression, and Child Behavior in Women with Histories of Childhood Maltreatment (Mentors: Maria Muzik & Kate Rosenblum)

Jessica Harper  -  Congruency Sequence Effects in Pediatric Obsessive Compulsive Disorder  (Mentor: Daniel Weissman)

Sarah Horn  - Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV): The Clinical Picture of Physiological Arousal Symptoms (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Sean Houchins -  Mechanisms and Outcomes of Metta Meditation (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

Eunjung Kim  - Embodied Metaphors: Embodied Fishy Smell Attenuates the Moses Illusion (Mentor: Norbert Schwarz)

Christina Koch  - Counting on Executive Function: A Study of Preschoolers’ Eye Movements During a Quick Visual Search Counting Task (Mentor: Kevin Miller)

Kirsten Koseck  - Culture and Executive Functioning: The Effects of Individualism and Collectivism on Complex Reasoning (Mentor: Daphna Oyserman)

Lucas LaFreniere  -  Parentally Bereaved Children and Adolescents: Peer Support and Interaction  (Mentor: Albert Cain)

Becky Lau  - The Effects of Empathy in Intergroup Interactions when Minorities Disclose Race-Salient or Neutral Hardship (Mentor: Emily Falk)

Chung Lau  - Prevalence and Correlates of Depression and Drinking Behavior among Adolescents and Young Adults in the Suburban Emergency Department (Mentor: Frederic Blow)

Wing Tung (Vivian)   Law  - The Relationship between the Intersection of Gender and Race and Asian Americans’ Awareness of Social Justice (Mentor: Lorraine Gutierrez)

Xinyue Liu  -  Home Literacy Environments’ Influence on Language and Reading Development  (Mentor: Ioulia Kovelman)

Jordan Magat  -  Looking at Gender Differences in Preschoolers’ Self-Regulation Through Multiple Lenses  (Mentor: Frederick Morrison)

Alexander McBrairty  -  Quit, Persist, or... Switch?: Putting Lay Theories Into Context  (Mentor: Norbert Schwarz)

Kaci Parsons  - Being Single in Old Age: The Implications of Differences in Marital Status on Global and Experienced Well-being (Mentor: Jacqui Smith)

Jason Paul  - Examining Working Memory as an Underlying Mechanism in Identity-Based Motivation (Mentor: Daphna Oyserman)

Eric Peist  -  Gender Differences in Student Misbehaviors and Teacher Responses: Comparing Classrooms with Novice and Experienced Teachers  (Mentor: Kai Cortina)

Marisa Perera  - Examining for Ethnic Variations in the Interpersonal Sources Representing Socially Prescribed Perfectionism (Mentor: Edward Chang)

Carly Sheridan  -  Politeness in Conflict: Identity Management and Politeness Strategies Used During a Conflict  (Mentor: Fiona Lee)

Nora Stephens  - Intersectionality of Race/Ethnic and Gender Identities in Intergroup Dialogue (Mentor: Patricia Gurin)

Alvin Tan  -  Combining Competitive Situational Factors: N-Effect and Proximity to a Standard Interaction on Competitive Behavior (Mentor: Stephen Garcia)

Charity Tarn  - Organizations and Values: Examining Cross-Cultural Differences and Predicting Financial Performance (Mentor: Fiona Lee)

Rebecca Toback  - Effects of Identifying Strengths of Character on the Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy of Youth in an Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Palek Vani  - Understanding Young Children’s Error Processing: Connecting Brain and Behavior (Mentor: Frederick Morrison)

Yu Zhang  - The Influence of Donation Appeals on Emotions and Donation in American and Chinese Cultures (Mentor: Richard Gonzalez)

Brain, Behavior & Cognitive Science

Staci Aubry - Perspective Taking: Effect of Accessible Cultural Values on Cross-Cultural Differences. (Mentor: Daphna Oyserman)

Erica Heisel - Pain Processing in Women with Borderline Personality Disorder. (Mentors: Kent Berridge and Jon-Kar Zubieta)

Alexis Holman - Fear and Disgust: Brain Responses to Two Signals of Motivational Salience. (Mentors: Kihn Luan Phan and William Gehring)

Amanda Kleeman - Characterizing Febrile Seizure Susceptibility in Scn1b +/- Mice: A Model for Genetic Epilepsy with Febrile Seizures Plus . (Mentors: Lique Coolen and Lori Isom)

Kristin Kops - Delineating Sexual and Social Motivation in the Female Rat Using Operant Responding . (Mentors: Jill Becker and Jennifer Cummings)

Peter Kotvis - Effects of Acute Stress on Risk Taking in Financial Decision Making . (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

Ann Kraal - Slow-Wave Sleep Disruption and Emotional Memory in Major Depressive Disorder. (Mentor: Patricia Deldin)

Melissa Levoska - The Association between Coping Strategies and Physical Function Among Adults with Symptomatic Knee or Hip Osteoarthritis. (Mentors: Susan Murphy and Elizabeth Peckham)

Sariha Moyen - The Basal Ganglia and Beat Perception in Parkinson's Disease. (Mentor: Rachael Seidler)

Mei Lun Mui - Basic Visual Functioning and Eye Gaze Processing in Schizophrenia: Relationship with Symptoms and Social Functioning . (Mentor: Patricia Deldin)

Amy Olzmann - Problem Solving and Memory: Investigating the Solvability and Memorability of Remote Associates Problems. (Mentors: Patricia Reuter-Lorenz)

Krupa Patel - Oral Health Education and Dental Patients' Attitudes, Perceptions, and Behavior: A Person-Environmental Fit Analysis . (Mentor: Marita Inglehart)

Jessica Rampton - Allopregnanolone and its Effects on Mood Modulation and Regulation. (Mentor: Israel Liberzon)

Leslie Rubin - Health and Cognitive Framing: Individual Differences in Health Orientation. (Mentors: Stephanie Preston and R. Brent Stansfield)

Mary L Ryan - Neural encoding of incentive salience during cue-controlled cocaine self-administration. (Mentors: J Aldridge and Paul Meyer)

Teague Simoncic - Facebook Depression Revisited: The Absence of an Association between Facebook Use and Depressive Symptoms . (Mentor: Nestor Lopez-Duran)

David Springstead - Is Incentive Salience Dynamically Influenced by Satiation State? (Mentors: Kent Berridge)

Carly Stone - Maternal Sleep-Disordered Breathing During Pregnancy and the Development of Autism. (Mentors: Patricia Deldin)

Yasamean Zamani - The Effects of Prenatal Testosterone Exposure on the Sexual Differentiation of Feeding Patterns and Food Motivation in Suffolk Sheep. (Mentors: Theresa Lee and Elizabeth Peckham)

Rohit Abraham - Time-course of Motor Deficits in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease . (Mentor: Joshua Berke)

Katherine Adams - Linguistic Markers of Emotional Elaboration in the Past and the Present in Online Blogs. (Mentor: John Jonides)

Abram Davidov - Microdialysis Delivery of the Sedative/Hypnotic Eszopiclone to the Basal Forebrain Differentially Alters Acetylcholine Release in Lean/Fit (HCR) Rats and Obese/Metabolic Syndrome (LCR). (Mentors: Ralph Lydic and Kent Berridge)

Sarah Feenstra - Pain, Sleep, and Mood in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury. (Mentors: Claire Kalpakjian and Terry Robinson)

Michael Frank - Replacing Leptin in Leptin-Deficient Mice Restores the Antinociceptive Effects of an Adenosine A1 Receptor Agonist in the Pontine Reticular Formation. (Mentors: Helen Baghdoyan and Kent Berridge)

Yamini Jadcherla - The Effects of Postnatal Administration of Flutamide and Rosiglitazone on Mating Behavior in Suffolk Sheep with Prenatal Testosterone Treatment. (Mentors: Theresa Lee and Elizabeth Peckham)

Claire Meurice - Sex Differences in the Effects of Adolescent THC Exposure on Adult Rat Behaviors. (Mentors: Jill Becker and Emily Jutkiewicz)

Nolan O’Hara - ERN Sensitivity to Honest and Dishonest Self-Reports. (Mentor: Bill Gehring)

Andrea Plawecki - GABAergic Elicitation of Fear and Feeding Behaviors in the Nucleus Accumbens Shell are Dopamine Independent. (Mentor: Kent Berridge)

Zubin Sedghi - Examining Interactions between Kappa-Opioid Receptors and Dopaminergic Transmission in the Striatum of Socially Monogamous Prairie Voles . (Mentor: Brandon Aragona)

Romeissa Selmane - The Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation on Taste Reactivity in the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala. (Mentor: J Aldridge)

Elizabeth Anastasia - Associations Between Active and Passive Child Noncompliance Strategies with Externalizing Behavior, Effortful Control, and Parental Discipline. (Mentor: Sheryl Olson)

Anna Badalian - The N-effect and the Size of the Competitive Venue . (Mentors: Stephen Garcia)

Abby Bailin - Family Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Adolescent Suicidal Ideation: A Meditational Model. (Mentor: Cheryl King)

Gilad Berkowitz - The Effects of Social Media on High-Quality Relationships between Agents and Clients. (Mentor: Jane Dutton)

Rachel Brigell - Behavioral Outcomes for Caribbean Adolescents in an Aggression-Reducing Intervention in a Custodial Setting . (Mentor: Albert Cain)

Julia Briskin - Enabling Adaptive Social Support in a Virtual Setting: Recounting versus Re-Constructing Negative Experience. (Mentors: Oscar Ybarra)

Heather Burcham - " I Do" Want it All: Weddings, Materialism, and Marital Satisfaction . (Mentors: Norbert Schwarz)

Lauren Bush - Associations Between Sleep Measures and Neurobehavioral Functioning in Children. (Mentors: Bruno Giordani and Elise Hodges)

Xirui (Rae) Cao - Cultural Variations in Emotion Regulation Strategy: Investigation of Event-Related Brain Potential (ERP). (Mentor: Shinobu Kitayama)

Margaret Cease - The Presence of Memory: How Guided Attention Influences Recall and Recognition. (Mentor: Norbert Schwarz)

Camellia Das - African American Women and Friend Groups: The Association Between the Presence of White Friends, Body Dissatisfaction, and Disordered Eating Behaviors. (Mentor: Elizabeth Cole)

Leah Goldmann - Exploring the Social Relationship Between Cultural Mindset and Spatial Ability. (Mentor: Daphna Oyserman)

Aakash Gupta - Investigating Individual Differences in Decision-Making Styles. (Mentors: Thad Polk)

Nader Hakim - Sources of Information and Norms Regarding Sexual Issues Among Indian Male Young Adults. (Mentor: Rona Carter)

Heather Hennrick - Conjugation and Contagion: Effects of Verb Form on Judgments of Positive and Negative Contagion . (Mentor: Susan Gelman)

Abby Herringshaw - Predictors of Adjustment in College Students. (Mentor: Edward Chang)

Courtney Hsing - Alexithymia and Levels of Emotion Processing. (Mentor: Stephanie Preston)

Ka Ip - Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors of Children of Alcoholics in Heterogeneous Family Structures . (Mentors: Jennifer Jester and Robert Zucker)

Stephanie Kim - Sibling relationships, birth status, and personality: A qualitative study of Asian American College Students . (Mentor: Donna Nagata)

Dayana Kupisk - Busy Today, Better Tomorrow? Extracurriculars and Parent-child Relations as Protective Factors for Latino Adolescents . (Mentor: Rosario Ceballo)

Shaon Lahiri - Assessing the Associations between Treatment Modality and Client Characteristics on Treatment Outcome for Heroin Addiction through a Lagged Mediation Model. (Mentors: Amy Bohnert and Jennifer Myers)

Jill Mailing - Classroom Management and Self-Regulation: The Role of Teacher Perceptions in Shaping Outcomes. (Mentor: Frederick Morrison)

Kelsey Martin - The Existence of Implicit and Explicit Stereotypes about Unfemininity in STEM and the Effect of Feminine Role Models. (Mentor: Denise Sekaquaptewa)

Mara Minasian - Self-Distancing and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Homework Exercise: A Longitudinal Study Examining the Completion of Daily Worry Logs in the Third Person. (Mentor: Ethan Kross)

Leslie Monheit- How the Transition to College Affects School and Math Self Concept. (Mentor: Denise Sekaquaptewa)

Michael Moore - Believing that Gay Men are More Feminine than Straight Men: How Stereotype Threat and Identity Stability Affect Sexual Minority Men . (Mentor: Denise Sekaquaptewa)

Leslie Moreno - Father Involvement and Firstborn Adjustment to the Birth of a Sibling . (Mentor: Brenda Volling)

Lane Nesbitt - Jealousy and Competition: Imagined Partner Flirting Behavior Increases Testosterone in Partnered Women . (Mentor: Sari van Anders)

Ann Newberg - Individualized Instruction and Teachers' Perceptions of their Students Skills. (Mentor: Frederick Morrison)

Hannah Noah - Thinking About my Amazing (photos of) Vacation: On the Relationship between Cognition and Technology . (Mentors: Phoebe Ellsworth)

Devon Oosting - Effects of Child Behavior Problems on the Development of Preschoolers’ Sleep Problems: A Longitudinal Examination . (Mentors: Sheryl Olson and Barbara Felt)

Ashli Owens - Notes and Learning from Lecture . (Mentors: Kevin Miller and Kai Cortina)

Cassandra Pentzien - The Role of Cognitive Depletion from Playing Video Games in Promoting Aggression . (Mentor: L Huesmann)

Christopher Photiades - The Emotional and Pragmatic Life in Cities Under Pressure: Lessons Learned from an Ethnographic Study of Ferndale, Michigan . (Mentor: Phillip Creekmore)

Erica Podsiadly - Math Teachers’ Question-Fixation Patterns: Fair or Gender Biased?. (Mentor: Kevin Miller)

Amy Ransohoff - Examining the Relationship Between Cortical Thickness and Memory Abilities in Major Depressive Disorder. (Mentors: Scott Langenecker and Sara Wright)

Sara Schafrann - The Effect of Disruption on the Executive Functioning of Kindergartners with Typically and Atypically Developing Peers. (Mentors: Frederick Morrison)

Davia Steinberg - Desperately Seeking Support: Pregnant Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence. (Mentor: Sandra Graham-Bermann)

Emily Sterling - Family Perspectives on the Sibling Experience of Childhood Cancer. (Mentors: Brad Zebrack and Brenda Volling)

Steve Strycharz - Embodied Self: Using Embodied Processes to Examine the Dynamic Construction of the Self in Context. (Mentors: Daphna Oyserman)

Elise Wojewoda - Classroom Management Strategies and Executive Function Development: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Between U.S. and Chinese Kindergarten Classrooms . (Mentors: Frederick Morrison)

Courtney Zulauf - Preschool Precursors of Children's Peer Rejection during the Late School-Age Years: The Roles of Early Aggressive Behavior and Harsh Parental Discipline . (Mentor: Sheryl Olson)

Samantha Ashinoff - Functional Connectivity in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders. (Mentor: C. Monk)

Priyang Baxi - Cross-Cultural Differences in Financial Risk-taking: India and the United States. (Mentors: P. Shah & R. Mahalingam)

Cyril Bennouna - Aspects of Executive Function in Bipolar I: Mood, Duration, and Age. ( Mentor: P. Deldin)

Anita Calwas - Psychophysiological Processing of Emotional and Self-Referential Information in Schizophrenia . (Mentor: P. Deldin)

Michelle Cardinal - Scaling of Chewing Rate Variables. (G. Gerstner)

Sara Chadwich - Reclaiming Sexual Deviance as Sexual Liberality: A Study of Attitudes, Behaviors, and Testosterone . (Mentor: S. Van Anders)

Megan Davis - Fathers’ Testosterone, Marital Quality, and Fathers’ Interactions with their 12-Month-Old Infants. (Mentor: B. Volling)

Aaron Garcia - NMDA Stimulation and AMPA Blockade in the Nucleus Accumbens Shell Generate Appetitive and Fearful Motivation . (Mentor: K.  Berridge)

Amanda Gehrke - Differential Performance of Children With and Without Cerebral Palsy on Graphomotor Cognitive Processing Speed Measures . (Mentors: J. Kaufman & J. Jonides)

Rachel German - Negative Transfer of Response Inhibition: Toward Selective Fatigue of a Non-unitary Executive. (Mentor: P. Reuter-Lorenz)

Matthew Gilles - Dissonance and Disgust: An Exploratory Analysis of Differences in Musical Liking under Negative Affect. (Mentor: R. Lewis)

Anson Kairys - The Effect of Pain on Attentional Processing. (Mentors: D. Meyer & J. Glass)

Sarah Leitman - Evaluating Behavioral and Genetic Markers of Reading Ability. (Mentor: T. Polk)

Nina Massad - Hot Cognition: Effects of Emotion on Interference Resolution in Working Memory. (Mentor: P. Reuter-Lorenz)

Bianca Moiseff - At the Rhythm of Language: Neural Bases of Language-Related Frequency Perception in Children . (Mentor: I. Kovelman)

Elana Mosesova - The Donation Dilemma: Differences in Giving Behavior When Primed with Negative and Positive Economy Factors and a Working Memory Load. (Mentors: P. Shah & S. Preston)

Ana Orejuela - White Matter in Pediatric Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: a Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study. (Mentors: S. Perkins & I. Liberzon)

Jory Piglowski - The effects of male eyelid openness on perceptions of mating strategy: Ladies and gentleman, beware of the squinty-eyed guy! (Mentors: D. Kruger & D. Sekaquaptewa)

Andy Pollens - Investigating the Attentional Impairments in the Sign-Tracker: Implications for ADHD and Drug Addiction. (Mentor: T. Robinson)

Joshua Prasad - The Effects of Psychological Distancing on Working Memory Function. (Mentor: E. Kross)

Rachel Proudfoot - Eye Movements During Motivational Argument Processing . (Mentor: J. Boland)

Chelsea Schoen - The Effects of Continuous Deep Brain Stimulation on Food Consumption in Basal Forebrain Structures that Support Self-Stimulation. (Mentors: J.W. Aldridge & S. Ross)

Maria Tocco - Emotional Telescoping: Distorted Memories and Predictions of Emotional Intensity for the Events of 9/11 . (Mentor: C. Lustig)

Caitlin Vander Weele - Real-time Dopamine Transmission within the Nucleus Accumbens Core and Shell Following Morphine. (Mentor: B. Aragona)

David Bushart - Neostriatal Dopamine Modulates Motivation: Incentive Salience Generation in the Neostriatum . (Mentor: K. Berridge)

Benjamin Fensterheim - Selective Suppression of Striatal Fast Spiking Interneurons in Vivo. (Mentor: J. Berke)

Kate Gilliam - Prenatal Bisphenol-A Alters Response to Novelty In the Environment in Suffolk Sheep. (Mentor: T. Lee)

Samantha Greenberg - Effects of Social Research Methodology on Cortisol and Testosterone . (Mentors: S. Van Anders & T. Lee)

Caely Hambro - Interactions between the Dopamine and the Dynorphin/Kappa Opioid Receptor System Regulate both Positive and Negative Social Behavior in Prairie Voles. (Mentor: B. Aragona)

Morgan Kuhnmuench - Mesolimbic Dopamine and Opioid Interactions in the Regulation of Pair Bond Maintenance in the Socially Monogamous Prairie Vole. (Mentor: B. Aragona)

Mary Larijani - Investigating the Dynamic Properties of Reward Processing: A Shift in Incentive Motivation Converts an Aversive Salt Cue into an Appetitive Motivational Magnet . (Mentor: K. Berridge)

Stephanie Lazar - Systemic Administration of Dexmedetomidine Disrupts Sleep Architecture and Does Not Decrease Adenosine Levels in the Substantia Innominata of the Sprague-Dawley Rat. (Mentors: R. Lydic & K. Berridge)

Pei-Hsuan (Patricia) Lee - Examination of Novelty-Seeking Behavior in Selectively-Bred Rat Lines that Differ in Addiction Liability. (Mentors: S. Flagel & T. Robinson)

Caitlin Mallory - Sustained Attention and Associated Acetylcholine Release in Choline High-Affinity Transporter Hemizygous Mice. (Mentor: M. Sarter)

Tori Nault - Determining the Relevance of Single Prolonged Stressors in Altering Glucocorticoid Receptor Expression in the Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampus. (Mentors: I. Liberzon & J.W. Aldridge)

Melanie Sottile - Dopaminergic Effects on Temporal Processing in Parkinson‟s Disease: A Pharmacological and Genetics Approach. (Mentor: R. Seidler)

Maria Tecos - Neurocognitive Effects of Resolving Interference for People Suffering from Bipolar Disorder . (J. Jonides)

Adam Weiner - Effect of Prenatal Testosterone Treatment on Novelty-seeking Behavior in Sheep . (Mentor: T. Lee)

Josephine Au - A Longitudinal Study Examining the Role of Social Connectedness in the Course of Depressive Symptoms: An Evaluation of Transfer and Freshman Students . (Mentor: N. Park)

Stephen Behan - Third Places and Subjective Well-Being Among College Students. (Mentors: C. Peterson & N. Park)

Katherine Billerbeck - The Development of Intersectional Awareness in Youth Dialogues. (Mentor: R. Mahalingam)

Amanda Broderick - Changes in Maternal Representations of the Mother-Child Relationship: Evaluating a Parenting Intervention Study.(Mentors: M Muzik & K. Rosenblum)

Sara Burke - Stigmatized Sources and Stigmatized Content: Liberals and Conservatives React Differently to Fat Authors . (Mentor: T. Conley)

Corissa Carlson - The Effects of Reality Television on Social Relationships in Adolescence. (Mentor: L Ward)

Zachary Ciullo - Move Your Mood: Effects on Functioning for Adolescents with Depression . (Mentors: D. Richard & C. King)

Sarah Cremer - Cluster Analysis of Eating Disorder Behaviors using EMA Technology: A Secondary Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trial Data . (Mentors: K. Stein & D. Oyserman)

Riordan D'Lasnow - High and Low Inference Test of the Teacher Gender Attention Bias Hypothesis . (Mentors: K. Cortina & K. Miller)

Veronica Diaz - Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Deactivation as Predictor of Depressive Symptoms in College Students. (Mentor: N. Lopez-Duran)

Alanna Farber - Psychological Resiliency in Parentally Bereaved Children. (Mentor: J. Kaplow)

Michael Fialkoff - Depression and Creative Intelligence . (Mentor: R. Nisbett)

Laura Gabriel - To Go or Not to Go? Differential Activation during Response Inhibition in Major Depressive Disorder . (Mentor: S. Langenecker)

Maria Galano - Predicting Shelter Residence for Women Experiencing Recent Intimate Partner Violence. (Mentor: S. Graham-Bermann)

Alex Goldberg - Effects of a Self-Distancing Perspective on the Fundamental Attribution Error: An Attempt at De-Biasing. (Mentor: E. Kross)

Allison Gollub - Images of Identity-Congruent Action and Their Effects on Women's Possible Selves. (Mentor: D. Oyserman)

Sichen Gong - For Myself or For My Friend? Cultural Modulation of Error-Related Negativity (ERN) in Decision Making. (Mentor: S. Kitayama)

Kathleen Hlavaty - Adolescent Positive and Negative Behavior and the impact on the Transition to Adulthood. (Mentor: P. Davis-Kean)

Susannah Hope - Relationships Between Race, Generativity, Activist Identification, and Activism for Midlife Women . (Mentor: A. Stewart)

Kristin Houck - An Examination of Gender Differences in the Development of Spontaneous Language Measured by the Observation of Spontaneous Expressive Language (OSEL). (Mentor: C. Lord)

Ching Hung - Clutter in the Classroom: Distracting Effects on Novice and Experienced Teachers. (Mentors: K. Miller & K. Cortina)

Mengyin Jiang - Cultural Differences in Emotion-Regulation: Investigation of Event-Related Brain Potential (ERP). (Mentors: S. Kitayama & A. Murata)

Rebeca Kelly - Ultrasonic Vocalizations as a Behavioral Index of Cocaine-induced Contextual Conditioning in STs vs. GTs: Implications for Addiction. (Mentor: T. Robinson)

Jungsoo Kim - Parents’/Guardians’ Presence in the Operatory During their Child’s Dental Visit: A Person-Environmental Fit Analysis. (Mentor: M. Inglehart)

Tae Kim - Promoting Conceptually Sound Thinking (CST) About ADHD: An Empirical Survey. (Mentor: J. Hansell)

Heather Krieger - Conversations About Drinking. (Mentor: P. Davis-Kean)

Jocelyn Kuhn - World Language Learning and Cultural Beliefs Among Elementary Students. (Mentors: S. Gelman & M. Cooligan)

Tao Li - The Impact of Group Membership and Belief Similarity on Alexithymia and Aggression. (Mentor: S. Konrath)

Natalie Lin - Understanding the Link between Perfectionism and Adjustment in College Students: Examining the Role of Maximizing . (Mentor: E. Chang)

Madeline Lupei - Two Types of Disgust: Physical Disgust is to Fear as Moral Disgust is to Anger . (Mentor: P. Ellsworth)

Nazanin Maghsoodi - The Rey Complex Figure is Moderately Useful as a Screen for Poor Effort Among Veterans with Possible Mild Traumatic Brain Injury . (Mentor: L. Bieliauskas)

Alyson Makstein - Relationship Attachment Styles and Attachment to Food. (Mentor: P. Davis-Kean)

Elan Mendelowitz - Experiences with Bullying: Socio-emotional Predictors of Cyberbullying and Cyber-victimization. (Mentor: L. Huesmann)

Crosby Modrowski - Comparing Traumatic Symptoms at Home and in Therapy for Preschoolers Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) . (Mentor: S. Graham-Bermann)

Mira Mooreville - Maternal Warmth and Child Internalizing and Externalizing Problems: A Longitudinal Study of Risk Specificity. (Mentor: S. Olson)

Aesha Mustafa -Students’ Awakening to Privilege, Oppression, Discrimination, and Social Justice: A Quantitative Analysis of Students’ Engagement with Diverse Communities. (Mentor: L. Gutierrez)

Annalyn Ng Li-ting - Quantity vs. Quality: Individual Differences in Capacity and Resolution of Visual Working Memory . (Mentor: P. Shah)

Wai Ngan - A Cross-Cultural study of the Relations between Kindergarteners’ Skills And the Teachers’ Directional Language . (Mentor: F. Morrison)

Shardae Osuna - Intercultural Competency: An Assessment of International/U.S. Intergroup Dialogues at the University of Michigan. (Mentors: P. Gurin & J. Yim)

Yiwen Pan - Determinants of Discrimination Against Asians: Social Stereotypes and Perceived Communication Ease. (Mentor: D. Sekaquaptewa)

Jazmine Powell - Gender Effect of Parent-Child Relationships on Parental Health. (Mentor: T. Antonucci)

Jacqueline Rau - Promoting Emotion Regulation during a Current Stressful Task through Self-Distancing. (Mentor: E. Kross)

Jillian Rosati - Mom Power Intervention: Effectiveness at Increasing Maternal Sensitivity among High Risk Mother-Child Dyads . (Mentors: M. Muzik & K. Rosenblum)

Chelsea Samples-Steele - Adult Attachment as a Predictor of Touch Attitudes and Touch Behavior in Romantic Relationships . (Mentor: R. Edelstein)

Stephanie Schroder - Delinquency With and Without Substance Use: Examining the Heterogeneity of Delinquency in Adolescents. (Mentor: J. Schulenberg)

Elisha Shaw - I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair:” Wiping Away the Negative Affect Evoked by Recalling Bad Relationships. (Mentor: N. Schwarz)

Helene Simons - The Impact of Family History of Alcoholism and Depression on Sleep. (Mentors: D. Conroy & P. Deldin)

Christina Steinman - Mandarin- and English-learning Infants’ Self-Correction During Noun and Verb Matching: Implications for early word comprehension . (Mentor: T. Tardif)

Jennifer Sun - Social Integration is Associated with Influenza Vaccination in a Nationally Representative Sample of Older US Adults. (Mentors: C. Peterson & N. Park)

Rachel Throop - The Effects of Health and Marital Support on Subjective Well-being in Midlife and Old Age . (Mentor: J. Smith)

Lauren Tighe - Intergenerational Ambivalence from Adolescence to Young Adulthood: Implications for Well-being . (Mentors: K. Birditt & T. Antonucci)

Jaclyn Vansloten - Attachment Orientation and Leadership Style: From Child’s Play to Partnerships with the Person Upstairs . (Mentor: F. Lee)

Xiao Wang - Through Teachers’ Eyes: Teacher Attention During U.S. Elementary Literacy and Mathematics Lessons. (Mentors: K. Miller & K. Cortina)

Kristen Williams - Using What You Know: The Effects of Genital Knowledge and Sexual Subjectivity on Orgasm Frequency in Women. (Mentor: S. McClelland)

Alexandra Wills - The Effects of Maternal Depression and Inter-Parental Conflict on Children’s Externalizing Disorders Over Time. (Mentor: S. Olson)

Karen Wullaert - Harassment in the Workplace: Factors Relating to Discrimination in Organizations. (Mentor: L. Cortina)

Cynthia Yuen - A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Chinese and American Parental Attributions of Child Misbehavior, Discipline Strategies, and Children’s Behavioral Adjustment . (Mentor: S. Olson)

Stephen Zavitz - Adults’ Understanding of Extraordinary Mental, Perceptual, and Physical Capacities . (Mentor: E. Evans)

Brain, Behavior & Cognitive  Science

Amna Agha - The Expression of BDNF is Regulated by an Endogenous Circadian Rhythm in Rats. (Mentor: T. Lee)

Bryan Benson - Improving Motor Learning: The Effects of Rest Breaks and Mode of Instruction. (Mentor: R. Seidler)

Erin Cable - Prenatal Testosterone Masculinizes Auditory Sibling Recognition in Juvenile Sheep. (Mentor: T. Lee)

Anna Chase - The Relationship between Cardiovascular Health and Memory in Midlife and Old Age. (Mentor: J. Smith)

Li Hui Chiang - Effects of Beta-blockers on Memory in Veterans at the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Hospital . (Mentor: L. Bieliauskas)

Kathleen Darbor - Individual Differences in Creativity: How Different Processes and Mind-Wandering Influence Performance . (Mentor: P. Shah)

Nika George - Demographic Characteristics Associated with Depression Severity, Suicidal Ideation and Treatment Engagement During Pregnancy . (Mentor: H. Flynn)

Christina Hong - Error-Related Brain Activity in Anxiety Disorders: The Hyperactivity of the ERN . (Mentor: W. Gehring)

Natalie Hsiao Fang-Yen - The Effect of Spaced versus Massed Practice in Musical Skill Acquisition. (Mentor: T. Polk)

Shayna Liberman - Applying the Challenge Hypothesis to Wild, Adult Male Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus) . (Mentor: J. Beehner)

Irene Liu - Individual Differences in Working Memory and Susceptibility to Distractor Nouns in Subject-Verb Agreement. (Mentor: J. Boland)

Amanda Markowitz - Factors that Affect Taxonomic versus Thematic Preferences in Children and Adults: The Role of Manipulability . (Mentor: S. Gelman)

Kortni Meyers - The Influence of Depression and Diabetes on Cognitive Function in Older Adults. (Mentors: E. Hodges & B. Giordani)

Kelly Reina - Neophilia in the Domestic Cat (Felis catus) . (Mentor: B. Smuts)

Andrew Rosenberg - Effects of G93A-SOD1 Expression on Zebrafish Motor Neuron Development and Efficacy of IGF-I. (Mentors: E. Feldman & R. Roth)

Surya Sabhapathy - Contributions of Genetic Variation in CHT1 to Human Attention. (Mentor: C. Lustig)

Alexandra Seal - Desire for Control, Experienced Control and Dental Fear: A Quasi-Experimental Investigation. (Mentor: M. Inglehart)

William Stone - Neural Circuitry Responsible for Regulation and Control of Self-directed Attention and Decision Making. (Mentors: C. Sripada & I. Liberzon)

Brittany Strawman - Amphetamine-Enhanced Sensation Seeking and Its Neural Correlates in the Ventral Pallidum . (Mentor: J. W. Aldridge)

Kathryn Swanson - The Impact of Narcotics on Cognitive Functioning in Patients at the Ann Arbor VA. (Mentor: L. Bieliauskas)

Alexander Taylor - Genetics of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Vulnerability through the Endophenotype of Neuroticism. (Mentors: I. Liberzon & A. King)

Halle Zucker - Multiple Memory Systems?: Serial Position Dependent False Memory Effects . (Mentor: P. Reuter-Lorenz)

Joseph Domino - Individual Differences in the Ability of a Nicotine Cue to Acquire Incentive Value. (Mentor: T. Robinson)

Pe-feng Hsieh - Comparison of the Endocannabinoid and Orexin Hedonic Hotspots for Sensory Pleasure in the Ventral Pallidum . (Mentor: K. Berridge)

Syed Shabbir - Effect of Pregabalin on Diabetic Chronic Neuropathic Pain. (Mentor: P. Paulson)

Melissa Tan - Maternal Separation as an Early Life Stressor and Its Effects on the Regulation of HPA Axis Function and Noradrenergic Activity in Rats Exposed to Single Prolonged Stress. (Mentor: I. Liberzon)

Riti Trivedi - Does Handedness Affect Interhemispheric Interactions? A Lifespan Approach. (Mentor: R. Seidler)

Mary Winters - Have Your Cake and Eat It Too: Glucose Effects on Attention and Memory. (Mentor: C. Lustig)

Andrew Wisti - The Effects of Musical Training on Bimanual Control and Interhemispheric Transfer . (Mentor: R. Seidler)

Naomi Anest - Depression, Rumination and Sleep Disturbance. (Mentor: P. Deldin)

Steven Bengal - Implicit Egotism and Decision Complexity. (Mentor: N. Schwarz)

Samuel Boas - The Effects of Social Exclusion on Attention to Vocal Tone As Measured by Event-Related Potentials . (Mentor: S. Kitayama)

Leah Boepple - The Effect of Emotion on Response Inhibition and Cognitive Flexibility in Bipolar I Disorder. (Mentor: P. Deldin)

Kevin Callender - The Effects of Parental Depression, Cognitions, and Discipline on Later Child Externalizing Behavior . (Mentors: S. Olson & C. King)

Kimberly Canter - Childhood Knowledge of Recovery from Serious and Non-Serious Illness . (Mentor: S. Gelman)

Lana Castor - The Impact of Additional Traumatic Events on Trauma Symptoms and PTSD in Preschool-Aged Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) . (Mentor: S. Graham-Bermann)

Patricia Chen - Yin and Yang Theory of Competition: Social Comparison and Evaluation Apprehension Reciprocally Drive Competitive Motivation. (Mentor: S. Garcia)

Jaeyeon Chung - Nationalism and Antagonism: Koreans' Purchasing Behavior towards Japanese Products . (Mentor: C. Yoon)

Andrew Fayad - The Impact of Service Climate on Promotion- and Prevention-Based Proactivity, and the Moderating Role of Individual Differences. (Mentors: G. Spreitzer & F. Lee)

Allison Fifolt - Masculinity and the Body: Body Image among White and Asian American Men. (Mentor: E. Cole)

Kate Gasparrini - Language in Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Examination of the Observation Scale of Expressive Language. (Mentor: C. Lord)

Brennan Haase - Why Are You Mad at Me? Misperception of Negative Emotions as Angry in Major Depressive Disorder. (Mentor: S. Langenecker)

Michelle Hampton - Religion, Activism, Identity and the Global Feminisms Project: A Qualitative Study of a Paradoxical Relationship. (Mentor: A. Stewart)

Jenna Hedglen - A Developmental Study of Asymmetry in Generic Meaning. (Mentor: S. Gelman)

Adam Horwitz - Coping Styles and their Relation to Depression and Suicide Ideation in Adolescents. (Mentor: C. King)

Minzheng Hou - The Nail That Stands Out Gets Pounded Down: An Analysis of Inter and Intragroup Aggression. (Mentor: S. Konrath)

Jean Kim - The Conceptualization and Assessment of the Perceived Consequences of Perfectionism. (Mentor: E. Chang)

Ryan Leclerc - Malcolm X and the Hajj: A Change in Tamed Power . (Mentor: D. Winter)

Sarah Linden - The Effects of Dyadic Social Withdrawal On Parent-Child Relationships. (Mentor: T. Conley)

Stacey McGregor - The Analysis of Personality through Language: Narcissism Predicts use of Shame-Related Words in Narratives . (Mentor: R. Edelstein)

Lolita Moss - Still in the Shadows: Representations of Black Women in Film. (Mentor: L. M. Ward)

Fiona Nowlin - Getting Beyond a Negative First Impression: Thin-Slice Judgments of Teacher Personality . (Mentor: K. Miller)

Lauren Oglevee - Locus of Control, Interpersonal Trust, and Self-Construal: Psychological Correlates of Pro-Environmental Behaviors. (Mentor: F. Yates)

Shannon Olinyk - Relationship between Body Mass Index and Depressive Symptoms. (Mentors: N. Lopez-Duran & J. Sapala)

Kathryn Osher - Sibling Jealousy as Observed in a Triadic Family Context . (Mentor: B. Volling)

Shira Oyserman - Does the Weather of the Day Influence Sentencing Lengths in Judicial Proceedings? (Mentors: J.J. Prescott & F. Yates)

David Reinhard - The Influence of Weight Cues on Product Perceptions. (Mentor: N. Schwarz)

Patricia Richardson - Infant Temperament and Perceived Parenting: Predicting Child Behavioral Outcomes at 18 months. (Mentors: M. Muzik & K. Rosenblum)

Michael Rudowski - Exploring the Effects of Brooding Rumination as a Mediator in the Relationship between Positive and Negative Perfectionism and Depressive Symptoms in a Clinical Population. (Mentor: P. Deldin)

Kirsten Schohl - Does Spousal Support Modify the Link between Psychopathology and Maternal Behavior in Mothers with Childhood Trauma? (Mentor: M. Muzik)

Alayna Schreier - Sibling interactions: The role of older siblings in the social and communication development of children with autism spectrum disorders. (Mentor: C. Lord)

Chelsea Slater - Do Gender Incongruent Careers Adversely Influence Criminal Punishment Assessment? (Mentor: P. Ellsworth)

Ryan Stringer - A Life Course Perspective on Depression after Age 50: The Role of Lifetime Traumatic Events, Negative Interpersonal Relationships, and Chronic Stressors. (Mentor: J. Smith)

Amy Taub - Parental Demand for Precision in Their Preschool Children’s Letter Writing. (Mentor: F. Morrison)

Derek Towster - F Juries! Validating an Abbreviated Pretrial Juror Attitude Questionnaire. (Mentor: D. Winter)

William Tsai - Examining the Relations Between Rumination and Adjustment: A Focus on Ethnicity. (Mentor: E. Chang)

Randy Vander Molen – A Content Analysis of Character Strengths and Affective States in Military Leaders. (Mentor: C. Peterson)

Elvina Wardjiman - Daily Interpersonal Tensions and Salivary Cortisol: The Role of Personality. (Mentors: K. Birditt & T. Antonucci)

Suzannah Wisher-Love - Prenatal and Postnatal Depression and PTSD in Mothers Surviving Trauma. (Mentor: K. Rosenblum)

Ashish Chaddha – Effects of Heat Shock Protein on Amyloid Precursor Protein Catabolism. (Mentors: I. Saluja & R. Turner)

Alayna Czuj - Dopamine Blockade by α-Flupenthixol and Its Effects on the Acquisition and Expression of Incentive Salience. (Mentor: T. Robinson)

Aaron Ducoffe - Effects of Geographic Origin and Health Status on Agonistic Behavior of Aegean Wall Lizards. (Mentors: J. Foutopoulos & J. Beehner)

Daniel Kessler - Predictive Reliability of the Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua) Communicative Developmental Inventories Across Early Performance-Based Strata. (Mentor: T. Tardif)

Andrea King – Changes in Circadian Rhythms During Puberty in Rattus norvegicus: Developmental Time Course & Gonadal Dependency. (Mentor: T. Lee)

Nikhil Kurapati - Functional Connectivity in Youth at Risk for Depression . (Mentor: C. Monk)

Katherine Martin - Phonological and Working Memory and L2 Grammar Learning . (Mentor: N. Ellis)

Emily Sallen - False Working Memories: Comparison Between Semantic and Phonological Distortions.  (Mentor: P. Reuter-Lorenz)

Michael-Paul Schallmo - Papez Circuit Activation Observed with Functional Imaging During Semantic List Learning in Healthy Adults. (Mentor: S. Langenecker)

Shane Schwikert - The Effect of Ambiguous Stimuli on the Error Signal in ERP . (Mentor: W. Gehring)

Ryan Selleck - Increase in Conditioned Place Preference and Feeding After Mu-opioid Activation in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis . (Mentor: K. Berridge)

Belinda Shih - The Effect of Prenatal Testosterone Exposure on Maternal and Sibling Vocal Recognition in Lambs. (Mentor: T. Lee)

Alexis Thompson - Unaware vs. Aware Errors: An Anti-Saccade Feedback Task. (Mentor: W. Gehring)

Wai-Ying Yau - Brain Imaging and Injury. (Mentors: M. Heitzeg & J. Zubieta)

David Altshuler - Cry2 Expression in the Cortex and Suprachiasmatic Nucleus During Puberty in Octodon degus. (Mentor: T. Lee)

Lauren Dayton -The Effects of Iron Deficiency at Infancy on Working Memory Among Preadolescents. (Mentor: C. Monk)

Casey Lwo - Effects of RFRP-3 on Luteinizing Surge and Sex Behavior in Female Rats. (Mentors: T. Lee & E. Peckham)

Katherine MacDuffie - Investigating Working Memory Distortions in Alzheimer’s Disease. (Mentor: P. Reuter-Lorenz)

Alexander Wiltschko - Opposing Effects of Amphetamine and Eticlopride on Striatal Fast-Spiking Interneuron Firing . (Mentor: J. Berke)

Emily Arnstein - Associations Between Corporal Punishment and Behavioral Adjustment in Preschool-Aged Boys and Girls. (Mentor: S. Olson)

Brittany Branand - Parental Involvement and College Academic Achievement: Parental Support, Parent-Student Relationship, and Effort. (Mentor: J. Hagen)

Kathleen Bruder – Quantitative Assessment of Autistic Symptomatology by Parents and Teachers Using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). (Mentors: C. Lord & S. Risi)

Pooja Desai - Sign-Tracking and Its Relation to Food-Carrying Behaviors. (Mentor: T. Robinson)

Alex Dopp - Peer Support and Emotional Adjustment of Bereaved Children Over Time. (Mentor: A. Cain)

Elizabeth Dries - Multinationalism and Performance: Does Multinational Experience Predict Competence? (Mentor: F. Lee)

Samantha Drotar - The Effects of One’s Sub-Group Identity on the Formation of a Common In-Group Identity. (Mentor: R. Gonzalez)

Michele Dunsky - How Much is Too Much? Investigating When Very High Parental Monitoring Levels Hinder Adolescent Development. (Mentor: J. Schulenberg)

Tracy Ederer - Revealing Individual Differences in Decision-Making Behavior. (Mentor: T. Polk)

Daniel Ehrmann - Sleep-Disordered Breathing, Physiological Sequelae, and the Neurobiological Relationship with Psychopathology . (Mentor: P. Deldin)

Michael Finn - Personality Traits and Relapse Rates: A Survival Analysis. (Mentors: J. Hansell & E. Robinson)

Kayla Frick - Parenting and Child Mental Health: The Role of Openness in Internationally Adoptive Families . (Mentors: K. Freeark-Zucker & K. Rosenblum)

Jamarie Geller - The Implicit Self: Comparing the Effects of Self-Kindness and Self-Criticism Priming on Symptoms of Depression. (Mentor: E. Kross)

Hannah Goldman - The Home Advantage in Elite-Level Ice Hockey. (Mentor: T. George)

Whitney Hall - Police Interrogations: A Qualitative Analysis of Police Practices. (Mentor: P. Ellsworth)

Jennifer Hartsell - Compassionate and Self-Image Goals as Predictors for Problem Discussions in Romantic Relationships . (Mentors: A. Canevello & J. Crocker)

Kathleen Hazlett - The Role of Perfectionism in Maladjustment: Cause, Consequence, or Covariate? (Mentor: E. Chang)

Laura Hieber - Early Auditory Sensory Processing Deficits in Schizophrenia. (Mentor: P. Deldin)

Ryan Hill - Predicting Continued Elevated Suicide Risk Among Adolescents. (Mentor: C. King)

Avanti Jangalapalli - Children of Alcoholics’ Physical Health Outcomes in Early Childhood. (Mentors: A. Buu & R. Zucker)

Sara Johnson-Cardona - Gender Ideologies, Paternal Involvement, Martial Relationship Quality, and Infant Attachment: Exploring Dynamics in Couples Expecting a Second Child. (Mentor: B. Volling)

Rachel Kay - Maternal Stress and Infant Outcomes: The Impact of Perinatal Anxiety on Pregnancy and Delivery Outcomes . (Mentor: H. Flynn)

Calli-Ev Kosch - Promoting Postpartum Resilience in the Face of Childhood Trauma: The Roles of Individuals and Social Traits . (Mentor: M. Muzik)

Jean Kwek - The Contribution of Activity Experience to Self-Regulation Development in Preschoolers. (Mentor: F. Morrison)

Jennifer LaCosse - Mortality Salience, Self-Regulation and Two Types of Self-Affirmation. (Mentor: J. Crocker)

Celia Li - Teacher Reactive Disciplinary Language and Preschool Math and Literacy Skills . (Mentor: F. Morrison)

Yee Lam Li - Content and Organization of the Self-Concept as Potential Moderators of the Effects of the Media on Body Dissatisfactio n. (Mentors: K. Stein & L. M. Ward)

Kristin Mannella - Fire at Will: Empathy and Aggression in First Person Shooters. (Mentor: B. Bushman)

Jennifer Morack - Do Positive Perceptions of Aging Influence Well-Being in Older Adults? Findings from the Health and Retirement Study. (Mentor: J. Smith)

Erica Ranade - The Relations Between Young Children’s Understanding of Theory of Mind and Their Understanding of Expected and Unexpected Human Behaviors. (Mentors: M. Rhodes & H. Wellman)

Katherine Rice - The Effects of Motivation on Racial Differences in Elementary Cognitive Tasks. (Mentor: R. Nisbett)

Andria Robinson - Motivation and Learning Strategies of First-Generation and Nonfirst-Generation College Students. (Mentor: W. McKeachie)

Marjorie Shapiro - Parental Education Level: Academic Involvement and Success. (Mentor: J. Hagen)

Puneet Sodhi - The Effects of Associative Strength on False Working Memory. (Mentor: P. Reuter-Lorenz)

Nora Jean Sporn - The Effects of Sex Object, Thin-Ideal, and Body Part Images on Women’s Body Image. (Mentor: L. M. Ward)

Kavita Srivastava - Conceptualization and Development of the Appearance Perfectionism Scale: Preliminary Evidence for Validity and Utility in a College Student Population. (Mentor: E. Chang)

Jenna Stein - Relationships Between Body Modifications, Motivations, and Depression. (Mentor: J. Hansell)

Toby Steinberg - Children with Disorganized Attachment in Foster Care: Facilitating Caregiver Commitment and Psychological Availability. (Mentor: J. Ribaudo)

Alyson Sularz – The Contributions of Additional Traumatic Events to Trauma Symptoms and PTSD in Women Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). (Mentor: S. Graham-Bermann)

Kelsie Thelen - Relations Between Maternal and Paternal Parenting Behaviors and Internalizing Symptoms in 3-year old Girls. (Mentor: S. Olson)

Abigail Van Bremen - Winner Take All Disputes in Legal Contexts: When Social Categories Disrupt Procedural Justice. (Mentor: S. Garcia)

Akshaya Varghese - Cultural Variation in Response to Strategic Display of Emotions During Negotiations: Comparing South Asians to North Americans. (Mentor: S. Kopelman)

Clare Wrobel - Facilitator Involvement in Fostering an Effective Intergroup Dialogue. (Mentor: P. Gurin)

Laura Yocky - Coparenting, Temperament, and Emotional Understanding: Mediating and Moderating Models Leading to the Development of Children’s Behavior Problems. (Mentor: B. Volling

Aaron Baugh - Oscine and Non-Oscine Responses to Sciurid Carolinensis Vocalizations. (Mentor: T. Bergman)

Patrick Bissett - Overcoming Interference in Memory and Responding. (Mentor: J. Jonides)

Stephen Chang - Stress and Reward: The Effects of Corticotropin-Releasing Factor on Cue-Triggered "Wanting" for Sucrose Reward. (Mentor: K. Berridge)

Alyse DeHaan - Exogenous Prenatal Androgen Exposure Alters the Development of Rank in Male and Female Suffolk Lambs. (Mentor: T. Lee)

Charlotte Gamble - Maternal Malaria and Birth Outcomes: Findings from Ghana. (Mentors: T. Lee & T. Johnson)

Lindsey Harik - Cognitive Deficits Associated with Anticholinergic Medications in Veterans at the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Hospital. (Mentor: L. Bieliauskas)

Katherine Kudyba - Psychopathology and HPA Axis Functioning in Postpartum Women Who Experience Childhood Maltreatment. (Mentors: K. Rosenblum & M. Muzik)

Atasi Satpathy - Risky Business: Differences in Financial Risk-Taking Behavior in South Asian Indians, Indian Americans, and Caucasian Americans. (Mentor: P. Shah & R. Mahalingam)

Cortney Sera - Ambiguity Resolution Using Visual Imagery for Linguistic Processing of Homographs. (Mentors: R. Lewis & J. Boland)

Jessica Koch - The Per1 Response to Light within the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus of the Diurnal Octodon Degus and the Nocturnal Rat. (Mentor: T. Lee)

Ian McLachlan - Reducing the Resistance of Recent Fear to Extinction: A Pharmacological Approach. (Mentor: S. Maren)

Sarah Na - The Extended Amygdala Modulates Food Intake and Other Associated Behaviors. (Mentor: K. Berridge)

John Wang - Neuroanatomy of Decision Making About Everyday Objects. (Mentor: S. Preston)

Sarah Williams - Cortical High Affinity Choline Uptake during Challenged Attentional Performance. (Mentor: M. Sarter)

Genevieve Aidala - Analyzing Messages About Alcohol, Motivations to Drink, and Associated Risky Behaviors. (Mentor: L.M. Ward)

Sarah Banco - Qualities of the Sibling Relationship as Risk Factors for Child Adjustment in Homes with Interpersonal Violence. (Mentor: S. Graham-Bermann)

Stephanie Becker - Marriage and Emotional Expressivity in Men and Women. (Mentor: B. Volling)

Emily Bendikas - Nature and Extent of Parental Control & Its Association with Preschool Self-Regulation. (Mentors: F. Morrison & L. Skibbe)

Stella Binkevich - The Gap in Media Usage Knowledge Between Parents and Their Children. (Mentor: B. Bushman)

Marguerite Bodem - Optimism-Pessimism and Adjustment in College Students: An Investigation of the Validity and Utility of a Domain-Specific Model of Outcome Expectancies. (Mentor: E. Chang)

Andrew Bronstein - Utilizing Diversity in College Classrooms for Educational Benefit: Student Development in Intergroup Dialogue. (Mentor: P. Gurin)

Lauren Clevenger - The Relationship of Sexual Abuse and Pain in Women with Chronic Pelvic Pain: The Mediating Role of Pain Catastrophizing. (Mentor: R. Roth)

Ciaran Considine - Unpredictability and Paranoia: The Desire to Be Unknown. (Mentor: N. Schwarz)

Mallory Cooper - The Influence of Marital Satisfaction on Paternal Involvement and Secure Attachment in Toddlers. (Mentor: B. Volling)

Daniel Davis - Cognitive Impairment in Male Incarcerated Youth. (Mentor: S. Graham-Bermann)

Belinda Feng - Asian Values Communication and Perceptions of Intergenerational Family Conflict Among Asian American College Students. (Mentor: D. Nagata)

Kristin France - Body Image, Body Composition, and Sociosexuality. (Mentor: R. Nesse)

Neisi Garcia - Individual Differences in Counterfactual Thinking and Training Effects: Implications for Jury Decision-Making. (Mentor: P. Shah)

Kristin Garrison - Expertise and Competency in Clinical Medicine: Knowing When to Stop. (Mentor: C. Seifert)

Laura Girz - The Relationship Between Parenting Practices and Attitudes Toward Dating Violence for Asian American and White College Students. (Mentor: P. Akutsu)

Rebecca Grzadzinski - Attachment Behaviors in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Examination of Factors Associated with Separation and Reunion. (Mentor: C. Lord)

Chanel Harris - Multicultural Content Resources in the Classroom: A Comparison and Analysis of the United States and Canada. (Mentor: L. Gutierrez)

Nicole Hermann - The Perception and Function of Perfectionism in a College Student Population: Do Lay Theories Correspond with Scientific Models? (Mentor: E. Chang)

Rachael Herrmann - Examination of Goals to Reduce Stereotype Threat on Women’s Math Performance. (Mentors: J. Crocker & Y. Niiya)

Todd Hoffman - Measuring the Extent and Nature of Variation in Storytelling Skills in 3 to 6 Year Old Children. (Mentor: F. Morrison)

Megan Hoffmann - Instructional Impacts on Literacy and Language Skills in Kindergarten and First Grade. (Mentors: F. Morrison & L. Skibbe)

Brynne Janeway - The Role of Children’s Temperament for Sibling Relationships and Empathy Development. (Mentor: B. Volling)

Karen Kao - Gender Differences of Preschoolers and its Implications for Self-Regulation and Other Developmental Skills. (Mentor: F. Morrison)

Alison Kartush - Developmental Predictors and Outcomes of Feminism: An Exploration of the Effects of Media and Family on Feminist Beliefs and Career Aspirations. (Mentor: L.M. Ward)

Holly Keilch – Children’s Reasoning about Transgressions Involving Gender, Morality, and Biology: Evidence for Domain Specific Causal Reasoning. (Mentor: S. Gelman)

Alana Knoppow - The Role of Mortality Salience in Determining the Decision for War Versus Peace Among Political Leaders. (Mentor: D. Winter)

Alissa Koloff - The Effects of Advertising on Women's Notions of Femininity and Masculinity. (Mentor: L. M. Ward)

Lisa Kowalko - Criminal and Psychiatric Recidivism in Acquittees Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity in the State of Michigan in 1995 and 1996: A Follow-Up Study. (Mentor: C. Holden)

Melissa Maye - The Relationship Between Usage of Psychotropic Medication and Problem Behaviors Among Individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. (Mentors: C. Lord & D. Anderson)

Katherine Oddi – Fathers’ Physical Punishment and Warm Responsiveness in Relation to Childhood Attention Problems. (Mentor: S. Olson)

Elise Petersen - Intersectionality and Attitudes Towards Affirmative Action. (Mentor: R. Gonzalez)

Leah Potvin - Emotional Transmission in Alcoholic Couples and its Effects on Drinking Behavior. (Mentor: J. Cranford)

Jane Rho - Rankings and Facial Expressions: It Looks Unfriendly at “the Top.” (Mentor: S. Garcia)

Brittany Ruiz - The Effects of Maternal Parenting Dimensions on Girls’ Risk for Relational Aggression. (Mentor: S. Olson)

Mallory Salerno - Spotting Authoritarianism a Mile Away: The Development of an At-A- Distance Measure. (Mentor: D. Winter)

Kimberlee Shelton - Racial and Socioeconomic Differences in Health Behaviors Among Pregnant Women. (Mentor: H. Flynn)

Lauren Szczurek - The Effects of Warm and Cold Metaphors on Object Perception. (Mentor: N. Schwarz)

Deanna Tracy - The Relationship between Sensory Behaviors and Socialization in Young Children with Autism. (Mentor: C. Lord)

Madeline Wachman - The Relationship Between Implicit Theories of Health and Health Locus of Control: Implications for Mental and Physical Health. (Mentor. R. Mahalingam)

Yen Geraldine Wai - Spirituality and Forgiveness: A Pathway to Posttraumatic Growth. (Mentor: C. Peterson)

Margie Yu Ming Wong - Schizophrenia and Religion. (Mentor: C. Peterson)

Erica Yi - Do Race and Gender Concordance Improve Patient - Provider Communication? A Survey with Adult Dental Patients. (Mentor: M. Inglehart)

Ho Lam Yiu - Executive Function and Aggression: A Study from a Sample of Incarcerated Youths. (Mentors: K. Cortina & S. Perkins)

Korie Zink - Sexual Communication Patterns in Families: An Exploration of the Effects of Birth Order and Gender on Sexual Communication Messages Received from Parents and Siblings. (Mentor: L.M. Ward)

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Department of Economics

Honors thesis.

• Undergraduate

Junior year is the time to start thinking about eligibility requirements, topics of interest, and potential advisors for an honors thesis.

An Honors Info Session is held each spring to answer junior’s questions about their senior year, and interested students must fill out the  honors thesis form  by the end of junior year.

We strongly encourage students to write an honors thesis. This is very valuable for students interested in graduate school or careers requiring independent research skills, as well as for students interested in tying together their academic experience with an in-depth investigation of one topic.

More than a good course paper

An honors thesis is more than a good course paper. It must represent a substantial effort in research and exposition. A thesis must be an original contribution to knowledge, beyond a simple replication exercise. The department does not specify page lengths, methods, or topics. Instead, an honors thesis candidate should establish his or her goals – and a timeline to meet those goals – in an understanding with the thesis advisor. To see the range of topics and methods prior students have pursued, take a look at  examples of past honor theses here  or by visiting the academic office in person. To find a faculty advisor who would be a good match for your topic of interest, see their research questions  here. 

Requirements

To graduate with honors, students must satisfy the following requirements  by the   end of junior year ,

• Complete at least 70% of the courses required for the concentration.
• Have earned a grade of “A” or “S with distinction” in at least 70% of grades earned in the economics concentration, or 50% in the joint concentrations in APMA-Econ, CS-Econ, and Math-Econ (excluding courses transferred to Brown without a grade, and those taken Spring 2020).
• Economics Concentrators  must find a faculty thesis advisor in the economics department.
• Joint Concentrators  must find a primary faculty thesis advisor in either economics or the partner department. CS-Econ concentrators must have a secondary reader in the other department by the fall of senior year. APMA-Econ and Math-Econ do not require a secondary reader, unless the primary advisor deems it necessary. Joint concentrators need to satisfy the honors requirements of the economics department if their thesis advisor is in the economics department; while they need to satisfy the honors requirements of the partner department if their thesis advisor is in the partner department.

During senior year , thesis writers must:

• Enroll in ECON 1960 in the fall & spring semesters (Note that 1960 does not count as a 1000-level elective for your concentration). A requirement of ECON 1960 will be attendance at one of two lab sessions each week. 
• Submit a thesis proposal to both your thesis advisor and the Undergraduate Programs Coordinator Kelsey Thorpe, [email protected]  (see below for due date).
• Submit their work in progress to their thesis advisor and Kelsey (see below for due date).
• Depending on the nature of the thesis work, the thesis adviser may require the student to successfully complete one or more courses from among the  data methods ,  mathematical economics  and/or  financial economics  course groups in the fall of senior year, if they have not already done so.
• Complete an honors thesis by the deadline agreed upon with their primary advisor and obtain the final approval of their advisor(s) (see below for due date).
• Thesis writers are encouraged, but not required, to participate in the departmental Honors Thesis Presentation session held in May, with a brief presentation of their work and findings.

For students graduating  Spring 2024 :

• Proposal - September 18, 2023
• Work in Progress - December 18, 2023
• Final Draft - April 19, 2024

For students graduating in  Fall 2024*:

• Proposal - February 2, 2024
• Work in Progress - April 25, 2024
• Final Draft - December 10, 2024

For students graduating  Spring 2025 :

• Proposal - September 16, 2024
• Work in Progress - December 16, 2024
• Final Draft - April 18, 2025

For students graduating  Fall 2025 *:

• Proposal - February 7, 2025
• Work in Progress - April 24, 2025
• Final Draft - December 9, 2025

*Note that for the Requirements listed above, "by end of senior year" means by the "end of Fall semester 2023" for Fall 2024 graduates and "end of Fall semester 2024" for Fall 2025 graduates.

More information

For students interested in finding out more, please attend the information session on honors theses that will be given in the middle of every spring semester. For students interested in undertaking research, but not wanting to pursue honors, the department offers  senior capstone options .

Honours Thesis Handbook

This handbook,  effective September 1, 2016 , is the course outline for PSYCH 499A/B/C (Honours Thesis) from Fall 2016 and onward.

Table of contents

• What is an honours thesis ?
• Who should do an honours thesis ?

Prerequisites for admission to PSYCH 499

Selecting a topic for the honours thesis, finding a thesis supervisor.

• Research interests of the Psychology faculty and recent honours thesis supervised

Class enrolment for PSYCH 499A/B/C

Warnings regarding a decision to discontinue psych 499.

• Course requirements for PSYCH 499A progress report and thesis reviewer nominations
• Course requirements for PSYCH 499B - oral presentation of the thesis proposal

Course requirements for PSYCH 499C - completing the thesis and submitting it for marking

Obtaining ethics clearance for research with human or animal participants, evaluation of the honours thesis, honours thesis award, annual ontario psychology undergraduate thesis conference, avoid academic offences, computing facilities, honours thesis (psych 499a/b/c), what is an honours thesis.

Psychology is a scientific approach to understanding mind and behaviour. Honours Psychology students all learn about the body of knowledge that exists in psychology as well as the scientific procedures for making new discoveries. The honours thesis course (PSYCH 499A/B/C) is an optional course for those who have a strong interest in conducting original research and wish to gain greater experience in research design, data analysis and interpretation.

Students carry out the honours thesis project under the supervision of a faculty member and present the findings in a scholarly paper. An honours thesis can be an empirical research project or more rarely a thesis of a theoretical nature. For an empirical project, the student develops a testable hypothesis and uses scientific procedures to evaluate the hypothesis. For a theoretical project, the student integrates and evaluates existing evidence to offer new interpretations and hypotheses. The difference between the two types of projects is basically the same as the difference between an article in Psychological Review or Psychological Bulletin , and an article in any of the experimental journals. A regular journal article typically reports the result of some empirical investigation and discusses its significance. A Psychological Review paper on the other hand, offers a theoretical contribution (e.g., suggesting a new theoretical approach or a way of revising an old one and showing how the new approach may be tested). A Psychological Bulletin article usually offers a review of an evaluative and integrative character, leading to conclusions and some closure about the state of the issue and future directions for research.

Students who plan to apply for admission to graduate school in psychology are typically advised to do an empirical research project for the honours thesis. Students who choose to do a theoretical paper should discuss their decision with the PSYCH 499 coordinator  (see below) early in the PSYCH 499A term.

The topic of investigation for the honours thesis will be based on a combination of the student's and the supervisor's interests .

Students in year two or three who are considering whether or not they want to do an honours thesis can learn more about what is involved in doing an honours thesis by doing any of the following:

• attending an honours thesis orientation meeting. The meeting is typically the first week of classes each academic term. The official date and time of the meeting will be posted on the PSYCH 499 website .
• attending PSYCH 499B oral presentations by other students. 
• reading a few of the honours thesis samples that are available  online PSYCH 499 SharePoint site  (site only accessible to students currently enrolled in PSYCH 499) or via our Learn shell (only available when enrolled).

In addition to the student's honours thesis supervisor, another resource is the PSYCH 499 course coordinator . The PSYCH 499 coordinator conducts the thesis orientation meeting at the start of each term and is available to discuss any course-related or supervisor-related issues with potential students and enrolled students . If students have questions or concerns regarding the procedures for doing an honours thesis that cannot be answered by their thesis supervisor, they should contact the PSYCH 499 coordinator.

The honours thesis course (PSYCH 499A/B/C) is worth 1.5 units (i.e., 3 term courses). The final numerical grade for the thesis will be recorded for each of PSYCH 499A, 499B, and 499C.

Who should I do an honours thesis?

Honours Psychology majors are not required to do an honours thesis.

Good reasons for doing an honours thesis include:

• An honours thesis is a recommended culmination of the extensive training that honours Psychology majors receive in research methods and data analysis (e.g., PSYCH 291, 292, 389, 390,  492). PSYCH 499 is a good choice for students who have a strong interest in, and commitment to, conducting original research and wish to gain greater experience in research design, data analysis and interpretation.
• An honours degree in Psychology that includes a thesis is typically required for admission to graduate programs in Psychology.
• Thesis supervisors are able to write more meaningful reference letters for students' applications for further studies, scholarships, or employment.

The prerequisites for PSYCH 499 are all of the following:

• enrolment in honours Psychology or make-up Psychology
• successful completion of PSYCH 291, 292, 391, and at least one of: PSYCH 389, 390, 483, 484
• 60% cumulative overall average
• 82% cumulative psychology average

* calendar descriptions as well as course outlines

The course prerequisites for enrolment in PSYCH 499A are strictly enforced because the courses provide essential background for success in PSYCH 499, and it is necessary to restrict the number of students enrolling in PSYCH 499. Appeals to enrol in all 3 of the following courses concurrently will not be accepted:

• Advanced research methods course (PSYCH 389, 390, 483, 484)

In addition to the above formal prerequisites, we assume that all students who are enrolling in PSYCH 499 will have completed at least 4 of the "discipline core courses" (i.e., PSYCH 207, 211, 253, 257, 261) prior to the PSYCH 499A enrolment term.

See " Class enrolment for PSYCH 499A/B/C " below for further details regarding course enrolment, and the PSYCH 499 Application for students without the course prerequisites (e.g., PSYCH average between 81%-81.9%).

The topic of the honours thesis will be based on a combination of the interests of the student and his/her thesis supervisor. One approach for selecting an honours thesis topic is for the student to first find a thesis supervisor who has similar interests to his/her own, and then for the student and the thesis supervisor to develop an honours thesis proposal which compliments the faculty member's current research. Alternatively, some students have more specific research interests and will seek an appropriate thesis supervisor. Students are advised against developing an honours thesis project in too much detail before securing a thesis supervisor.

Review some of the honours thesis titles recently supervised by our faculty members.

See research interests of individual faculty members in the next section.

Each student who enrols in PSYCH 499 must find their own supervisor for his/her honours thesis project. A thesis supervisor must be finalized by the eighth day of classes for the PSYCH 499A term.

Full-time faculty members in the UW Psychology Department, and the four Psychology faculty members at St. Jerome's are all potential thesis supervisors. Think carefully about what you want to tell faculty members about yourself before making contact (think 'foot-in-the-door'). For example, inform a potential supervisor of the following:

• for which school terms you are seeking a thesis supervisor (If not planning to do PSYCH 499 over back-to-back school terms, please explain why, e.g., co-op work term).
• why you are interested in doing an honours thesis
• the program that you are enrolled in (e.g., BA versus BSc, co-op versus regular stream)
• your year of study and target date for graduation
• when you will complete the prerequisites for enrolment in PSYCH 499A
• your cumulative overall and psychology average (highlight improvement if applicable)
• your grades for research methods and statistics courses
• your educational and career goals
• your volunteer/work experience that you have had previously and with whom
• Did you work in his/her lab as a volunteer or paid research assistant?
• Did you take a course with him/her previously?
• Have you read articles that he/she wrote?
• Do his/her interests relate to your interests for studies at the graduate level and/or future employment?
• Were you referred by someone and why?

The search for a thesis supervisor will be easier if you establish rapport during second and third year with faculty members who are potential thesis supervisors. Ways to network with faculty members include the following:

• get involved in the faculty member's lab. See ' Research experience ' on the Psychology undergraduate website for further details
• the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Affairs - currently Richard Eibach
• faculty members who attended the school(s) you are interested in applying to in the future. See the Psychology Department's Faculty listing for details
• faculty members who have interests that relate to your future plans. See Research interests of faculty members in our department.
• faculty members whose labs you worked or volunteered in
• be an active participant in the class discussions for the advanced research methods courses (PSYCH 389, 390) and honours seminars (PSYCH 453-463).
• enrol in a directed studies course (PSYCH 480-486) where you will receive one-on-one supervision from a faculty member. See the course application form for further details
• read articles that the faculty member has written and discuss the material with him/her
• attend departmental colloquia and divisional seminars where students can engage in discussions with faculty members about the material presented. Postings appear on the right sidebar of the Psychology Department home page

You may find that some faculty members that you approach will have already committed to supervising as many honours thesis projects as they feel able to handle for a given year. Be persistent in your search for a thesis supervisor and do not feel discouraged if you need to approach several (i.e., six or eight) people.

If you are unable to obtain a thesis supervisor, please speak to the PSYCH 499 coordinator .

Faculty members other than the thesis supervisor can also be very useful resources during the course of the thesis project. Feel free to discuss your thesis work with any relevant faculty (or graduate students).

Research interests of the faculty members in the Psychology Department and recent honours theses supervised

For research interests of faculty members please refer to the "Our People" page in the main menu and click on the faculty member's name. You can sort the list by "Name" or "Area of Study". Note that faculty members may not be available to supervise honours theses during sabbatical dates indicated on the web site.

For recent honours theses supervised by individual faculty members please refer to the honours theses supervised website.

Refer to the course enrolment information/instructions on the PSYCH 499 website.

The honours thesis (PSYCH 499A/B/C) is worth 1.5 units (i.e., 3 term courses). Students may not enrol for all of PSYCH 499A/B/C in one term. Students should consult with their thesis supervisor regarding the appropriate class enrolment sequence for PSYCH 499. Students can spread the class enrolment for PSYCH 499A, 499B, and 499C over three terms beginning in the 3B term or over two terms beginning in 4A. Those choosing to do the honours thesis over two terms will enrol in PSYCH 499A/B in 4A and PSYCH 499C in 4B. Alternative sequencing (e.g., 499A/B/C over three terms) should be discussed with the thesis supervisor. Although students can start an honours thesis in any term, the Fall term is typically recommended.

Factors that students should consider when deciding which terms to enrol for PSYCH 499A/B/C:

• When will the prerequisites for PSYCH 499 be completed? For example, Honours Psych & Arts and Business Co-op students will not enrol in PSYCH 499A until the 4A term because the prerequisites for PSYCH 499 won't be completed until the 3B term.
• Will the thesis supervisor be available to supervise the project during the terms that the student proposes to enrol for PSYCH 499A/B/C (e.g., is the supervisor planning a sabbatical leave or to retire)?
• For co-op students, how will the work/school sequence interfere with the project?
• The amount of time necessary to obtain ethics clearance varies depending on the participants required and research design.
• When is the optimal timing for data collection? For example, if PSYCH 101 students will be participants for the study, one has to consider the ratio of PSYCH 101 students to researchers that are available in a given term. The Fall term is typically the best time to collect data from this population, Winter term second best, and the Spring term the poorest.
• What other responsibilities does the student have (e.g., course selections, personal circumstances) in a given term?
• The thesis supervisor requires a sufficient amount of time to get to know the student before he/she is asked to write the student reference letters (e.g., for applications for graduate school, scholarships, or employment).

Details are provided in the next 3 sections regarding the course requirements for each of PSYCH 499A, 499B, and 499C.

Students should be diligent about their responsibilities for the honours thesis. Procrastination leads to delays in firming up the research proposal, doing the oral presentation, obtaining ethics clearance, and beginning data collection. Ultimately procrastination can lead to poor quality work and/or a postponement of graduation.

Students should consult with their thesis supervisor and the Psychology undergraduate advisor before dropping any of PSYCH 499A, 499B, or 499C.

• If a student wants to drop any of PSYCH 499A, 499B, and 499C in the current term, the individual course requests are governed by the same course drop deadlines and penalties (e.g., WD and WF grades) as other courses. Refer to important dates on Quest.
• Dropping PSYCH 499B and/or PSYCH 499C in the current term does not remove PSYCH 499A or PSYCH 499B from earlier terms.
• If a student does not complete the honours thesis, any INC (incomplete) grades for PSYCH 499A/B/C will be converted to FTC (Failure to Complete = 32% in the average calculations). Further, any IP (In Progress) grades for PSYCH 499A/B/C will be converted to FTC (=32%).
• Honours students with INC and/or IP grades will be unable to graduate (e.g., with a General BA in Psych) until those grades are replaced by a final grade(s) (e.g., 32%) and the grade(s) has been factored into the average calculation. In such cases, the student must meet all graduation requirements, including overall average, Psychology average and minimum number of courses required.
• Those who want any grades (e.g., INC, IP, WD, WF, FTC, 32%) for PSYCH 499 removed from their records are advised to submit a petition to the Examinations and Standings Committee. Before doing so, they should consult with the Psychology undergraduate advisor.

Course requirements for PSYCH 499A - progress report and thesis reviewer nominations

Students should attend the honours thesis orientation meeting during the PSYCH 499A term even if they attended a meeting during second or third year. The meeting is usually the first week of classes each academic term. The official date and time will be posted on the PSYCH 499 website . At the meeting, the PSYCH 499 coordinator will describe what is involved in doing an honours thesis and answer questions. Students will also receive information regarding library resources and procedures for obtaining ethics clearance.

Students must report the name of their thesis supervisor to the PSYCH 499 course administrator in the Psychology Undergraduate Office by the eighth day of classes for the PSYCH 499A term. During the PSYCH 499A term, students must

• conduct background research on the thesis topic (e.g., formulate a research question, review relevant literature, formulate major hypotheses)
• nominate potential thesis reviewers
• submit a progress report to the PSYCH 499 coordinator .

Progress reports

Progress reports are due the last day classes for the PSYCH 499A term. The thesis supervisor must sign the progress report before it is submitted to the PSYCH 499 coordinator . Submit the progress report directly to the course coordinator's mailbox in PAS 3021A or via email, cc'ing the course administrato r and your supervisor to give confirmation that they have "signed off" on your progress report (this can pose as the signature). Students should keep a copy of their progress report because the reports will not be returned. The PSYCH 499 coordinator will contact individual students by email if there is a problem with their progress report.

The progress report should be about 5-10 pages in length and include the following information:

• a title page identifying the document as a "PSYCH 499A Progress Report", with the proposed title of the project; student's name, address, telephone number, and email address; the student's ID number, the name of the honours thesis supervisor; and the signature of the supervisor indicating that he or she has read the report and approved it;
• a statement of the general topic of the proposed research;
• a brief account of the background literature the student has read, together with a brief explanation of its relevance for the project;
• a clear statement of the research questions and/or the major hypotheses that the study will address;
• a brief statement of the further steps that will be necessary to complete (e.g., settling on a research design, etc.) before the student will be ready to submit a research proposal and do an oral presentation.

PSYCH 499A students who are not concurrently enrolled in PSYCH 499B typically do not have a fully developed research proposal by the end of the first term of PSYCH 499. The progress reports should be submitted on time and should include as much detail regarding the research proposal as possible (see next section for further details).

Some PSYCH 499A students who are not concurrently enrolled in PSYCH 499B will firm up their research proposals earlier than expected and will want to do, and are encouraged to do, the oral presentation of the research proposal in the first term of PSYCH 499 (see next section for further details). In these cases, the IP (In Progress) grade for PSYCH 499B will be applied to the academic term in which the student formally enrols for PSYCH 499B.

Students who submit progress reports will receive an IP (In Progress) grade for PSYCH 499A; those who do not will receive an INC (Incomplete) grade for PSYCH 499A. INC and IP grades for PSYCH 499 do not impact on average calculations and students with either of these grades can be considered for the Dean's honours list. However, students with INC grades are not eligible for scholarship consideration. Note that INC grades convert to FTC (failure to complete = 32%) after 70 days.

Thesis reviewer

The thesis reviewer is due by the last day of classes for the term for students who enrol in PSYCH 499A only and they are due by the end of the third week of the term for students who enrol concurrently in PSYCH 499A/B.  You will work with your supervisor to decide who would be a strong reviewer and will plan this out with that reviewer. Once your reviewer is determined, please email the course administrator . The thesis reviewer’s duties will include reading the thesis proposal and attending the oral presentation in the PSYCH 499B term and reading and grading the final thesis at the end of the PSYCH 499C term.

Full-time faculty members in the UW Psychology Department and the four Psychology faculty members at St. Jerome's are all potential thesis reviewers. (Note: the student’s thesis supervisor cannot be the thesis reviewer). Students may consult with their thesis supervisors for advice about which faculty members to request as potential thesis reviewers. Several types of considerations might guide whom students seek as potential reviewers. For example, a student may seek a reviewer who has expertise in the topic they are studying, or they may seek breadth by requesting a reviewer with expertise in a quite distinct area of study, or they may seek a reviewer who has expertise in a relevant type of statistical analysis. It is up to the student, in consultation with their supervisor, to determine what factors to prioritise in selecting potential reviewers.

Course requirements for PSYCH 499B - oral presentation of the thesis proposal

During the PSYCH 499B term, students must finalize the research proposal for their honours thesis project and present this information orally to their thesis reviewer and the student’s thesis supervisor. Although the presentation is not graded, it is a course requirement that must precede the completed thesis. The presentation gives the student an opportunity to discuss their research proposals with a wider audience and to receive feedback regarding their literature review and the scope, design, testing procedures, etc., for their projects.

It is also essential that students who are doing an empirical research project involving human or animal participants formally apply for ethics clearance, and that they receive ethics clearance before beginning data collection (see 'Obtaining Ethics Clearance for Research with Human or Animal Participants' for further details).

Students should contact the   PSYCH 499 course administrator in the Psychology Undergraduate Office early in the PSYCH 499B term to book the date and time for their oral presentation. When booking, students are asked to indicate if they will be presenting virtually, or in-person and should mention if the presentation is open to other students to attend. Students are asked to book their presentation as early as possible to ensure space is available The thesis reviewer will attend and conduct the presentation. Presentations occur during the first three months of each term (available dates/times and current presentation schedule are posted on the PSYCH 499 website ). The presentation should be 25 minutes in length followed by a 25 minute period for discussion and questions. Students are encouraged to attend other students' presentations when available.

A written version of the research proposal must be submitted to the mailbox or email of the thesis reviewer at least two business days prior to the scheduled date of the student's oral presentation of the proposal (meaning no later than 4:30pm Thursday for a Tuesday presentation). For empirical research projects, the proposal must include the following: a title page identifying the document as a "PSYCH 499B Research Proposal"; a brief review of the relevant scientific literature; a clear statement of the research question and major hypotheses to be examined; the planned method, including the number and types of participants, the design, the task or tests to be given, and the procedure to be used; the statistical tests and comparisons that are planned; and the expected date for beginning data collection. For a theoretical research project, the proposal must include a clear review of the issues, theories, or constructs to be analyzed; a description of the scholarly database to be used (including a list of important references); and a clear account of the intended contribution of the work (i.e., how it will advance understanding).

The research proposal must be approved and signed by the student's thesis supervisor before the proposal is submitted to the thesis reviewer . Students can get a better idea of the content and format required for the research proposal by referring to the methods section of completed honours theses. Students should keep a copy of their research proposal because the copy that is submitted to the  thesis reviewer will not be returned.

All PSYCH 499 students must complete the ' TCPS 2 Tutorial Course on Research Ethics (CORE) ' before the research ethics application on which they are named is submitted for approval. In addition, all PSYCH 499 students must complete a "Researcher Training" session with the REG Coordinator .

Students who have completed the oral presentation requirement will receive an IP (In Progress) grade for PSYCH 499B; those who have not will receive an INC (Incomplete) grade for PSYCH 499B. INC and IP grades for PSYCH 499 do not impact on average calculations and students with either of these grades can be considered for the Dean's honours list. However, students with INC grades are not eligible for scholarship consideration. Note that INC grades convert to FTC (failure to complete = 32%) after 70 days.

Students who enrol in PSYCH 499A and 499B in the same term and satisfy the oral presentation requirement that term will not be required to also submit a progress report.

On-line surveys

Honours thesis students who require assistance regarding research software and the development of on-line surveys, beyond advice from the honours thesis supervisor, may wish to seek advice from Bill Eickmeier (Computer Systems Manager and Research Programmer; PAS 4008; ext 36638; email  [email protected] ). Students are expected to manage much of this process independently and will be given access to a self-help website. Most students will be able to work independently using a Qualtrics account provided by the thesis supervisor, or using the  web form template notes  Bill has posted on the web. However, Bill is available to provide additional guidance if he is given at least three to four weeks advance notice.

Caution regarding off-campus data collection

If you are planning to collect data off-campus, please read carefully the " Field Work Risk Management " requirements provided by the University of Waterloo Safety Office. "Field Work" refers to any activity undertaken by members of the university in any location external to University of Waterloo campuses for the purpose of research, study, training or learning.

We assume that insurance for private vehicles is up to the owners and that insurance for rental vehicles, if applicable, would be through the rental company. Further details of University of Waterloo policies regarding travel .

Please discuss your plans for off-campus data collection with your thesis supervisor and the  PSYCH 499 coordinator in advance to ensure that all bases are covered with regards to waivers, insurance, etc.

In the PSYCH 499C term, students will complete the data collection for their project (see the previous paragraphs if using on-line surveys or doing off-campus data collection), analyze/evaluate the data, and finish writing the honours thesis. The honours thesis must be written in the form indicated by the American Psychological Association (APA) Publication Manual (available at the Bookstore), but may be more abbreviated than a regular journal article. Sample honours theses can be found in the Learn shell.

For an empirical research project, the following sections are required in the thesis:

• introduction (literature review and the hypothesis)
• methods (participants, design, task or test to be given, testing procedures, measures)

It is not necessary to append ORE application forms to the completed honours thesis. However, a copy of the formal notification of ethics clearance is required.

The sections and subsections required for theoretical papers will be slightly different than for empirical research projects, and will vary according to the topic being studied. If possible, students should plan the layout for the theoretical paper in the PSYCH 499B term because the plan may guide their literature review. Students should consult with their thesis supervisor and the  PSYCH 499 coordinator  about the layout.

Normally students will receive feedback from their thesis supervisor on at least one or two (and often more) drafts of the thesis before the final paper is submitted for marking. Be sure to leave adequate time for this process.

Submitting the thesis for marking

The final version of the thesis is due the last day the class period for the PSYCH 499C term.  However, due dates do change each term dependent on grade submission deadlines held by the registrar’s office, so it is important to follow the due date on our official due date page.  See 'Extensions on the thesis submission deadline' below regarding requests for extensions.

In order for the Psychology Department to track theses that are submitted for marking and ensure that marks are forwarded to the Registrar's Office as quickly as possible, students must submit an electronic copy of the honours thesis to  the PSYCH 499 course administrator  who will coordinate grading by the thesis supervisor and the thesis reviewer , and will submit PSYCH 499 grades to the Registrar's Office. The honours thesis does not need to be signed by the thesis supervisor. The marking process is as follows:

• Receipt of the thesis will be recorded and an electronic copy of the thesis will be forwarded to the student's thesis supervisor and reviewer with a grading form for comments.
• The thesis supervisor will return the grading form with comments and a grade recommendation to the PSYCH 499 course administrator and the thesis reviewer.
• The thesis reviewer will be responsible for assigning the final grade and will return the completed grading form to the PSYCH 499 course administrator .
• T he PSYCH 499 course administrator will notify the student and the Registrar's Office of the final grade. The final numerical grade for the thesis will be recorded for each of PSYCH 499A, 499B, and 499C.
• Page 2 of the grading form will be returned to the student.

Extensions on the thesis submission deadline

We will do our best to ensure that students graduate at the preferred convocation date; however, we cannot guarantee that students who submit honours theses for marking after the deadline will be able to graduate at the preferred convocation date.

Students should refer to the PSYCH 499 website on a regular basis for information regarding PSYCH 499 deadlines that may affect the target date for submitting the honours thesis for marking (e.g., for getting one's name on the convocation program, for sending transcripts and/or letters regarding completion of the degree to other schools for admission purposes, to be considered for awards, etc.).

We strongly advise that students submit the thesis for marking at least four to six weeks prior to the date of convocation. Further, they should confirm that their thesis supervisor will be available to grade the thesis within a few days following submission of the thesis.

Students who do not submit an honours thesis for marking by the end of the examination period for the PSYCH 499C term require approval for an extension from their thesis supervisor. After speaking with the thesis supervisor, the student must report the revised date of completion to the PSYCH 499 course administrator . They will be given an IP (In Progress) grade for PSYCH 499C if they have done the oral presentation for PSYCH 499B and if they are making reasonable progress on the thesis. Otherwise, an INC (Incomplete) grade will be submitted for PSYCH 499C. INC and IP grades for PSYCH 499 do not impact on average calculations and students with either of these grades can be considered for the Dean's honours list. However, students with INC grades are not eligible for scholarship consideration. Note that INC grades convert to FTC (failure to complete = 32%) after 70 days.

Notes: 1. Honours students with INC and/or IP grades for PSYCH 499ABC will be unable to graduate (e.g., with a General BA in Psychology) until those grades are replaced by final grades (e.g., 32%) and the grades have been factored into the average calculation. In such cases, the student must meet all graduation requirements, including overall average, Psychology average, and minimum number of courses required. 2. If IP grades for all of PSYCH 499ABC remain on the record for 12 months following the PSYCH 499C term, the Registrar's Office will convert the IP grades to FTC (failure to complete = 32%). If this occurs, consult with the Psychology undergraduate advisor regarding your options.

Capture your thesis on video!

As of Fall 2012, we are asking honours thesis students if they'd like to take part in a voluntary "video snapshot" of their work. This is a great way to tell others about your thesis, and your experience at the University of Waterloo.

Upon completion of your thesis and submission of your 499C document, we are asking students to arrange for someone from their supervisor's lab to take a short 1-2 minute video clip of you the student.  In that video, we'd like to hear a 'grand summary of what you researched, and what you found out'. We'd also love to hear about 'what you learned in the honours thesis course'.

These video clips can be taken with a smartphone (or other video camera), then emailed to the PSYCH 499 coordinator  or the PSYCH 499 course administrator . Alternatively you can arrange a time to be videotaped by the course administrator (ideally when handing in your 499C final thesis document).

Completing a video is optional, and should be done ideally within two weeks of submission of your thesis. Whether or not you choose to capture your thesis on video will in no way affect your grade in the 499 honours thesis course. Once we have reviewed the video we will upload it to our Psychology website for general viewing by the public. Permission forms to release your photo/video on the Department of Psychology’s website will be available from the  PSYCH 499 coordinator . The Model Release Form can also be found on Waterloo's Creative Services website.

Convocation awards

Each year the Psychology Department nominates a student(s) for the following awards: Governor General Silver Medal (university level), the Alumni Gold Medal (faculty level), and the Psychology Departmental convocation award. These awards are only given at the June convocation. Typically, only honours students who have final grades for all course work, including the honours thesis, by the first week of May can be considered for these awards. Students whose overall and Psychology averages fall in the 88-100% range are strongly encouraged to adhere to the thesis submission deadlines noted above.

The Office of Research Ethics (ORE) at the University of Waterloo is responsible for the ethics review and clearance of all research conducted on and off-campus by University of Waterloo students, staff, and faculty that involves human and animal (live, non-human vertebrates) participants.

Research involving human or animal participants must not begin until notification of full ethics clearance has been provided by the ORE.

Information regarding the application and ethics review process for research involving human participants is available on the Office of Research Ethics web site. However, specific information regarding the ethics application process for Honours thesis research is provided below.

Information regarding the application and ethics review process for research involving animals is also available on the Office of Research Ethics web site.

For individual contacts in the ORE, see 'Contacts' in this handbook.

Ethics Application: Once the rationale and hypotheses for the thesis project have been formulated and basic design and procedures have been determined, the student may submit the project for ethics review and clearance.

In order to ensure that students have a good understanding of the ethics review process and guidelines they are required to complete the TCPS2 -2022 CORE Tutorial (described below) prior to preparing your ethics application.

Upon completion of the CORE Tutorial, the student may begin the ethics application by signing onto the Kuali System for Ethics located at UWaterloo Ethics either starting the application on their own, or having the Thesis Advisor begin it. Please note that the student will need to have accessed the Kuali system in order for the Advisor to add them to the protocol. The advisor should be listed as the Principal Investigator and the level of research should be Senior Honours Thesis.

All Thesis projects require new ethics unless alternative arrangements have been made to make use of a currently running project. This should be discussed with the thesis advisor and approval should be obtained from the department to create an amendment for the project.

Upon receipt of Full Ethics Clearance, and if the student and supervisor are sure that there will be no revisions to the design or procedures, then data collection may begin. Whenever possible though, we encourage you to complete the Research Proposal and Oral Presentation before you begin data collection.

Note that procedures for applying for ethics clearance vary according to the type of sample -- for example, university students versus children in the Early Childhood Education Centre, etc. Further details are provided below.

Study Modifications: Based on feedback provided at the student’s Oral Presentation, the student and thesis supervisor may decide to make some modifications to the research plans. If the ethics application has not yet been submitted for review, then the changes can be incorporated into the application. If you have received ethics clearance, then you will need to submit an amendment by logging into Kuali and selecting the amendment option from the right hand side.

Human Participants in Research

Honours Thesis students must read and be familiar with the University of Waterloo guidelines and procedures for conducting research with human participants before submitting their applications for ethics clearance to conduct research.

The following is an excerpt from the guidelines:

“The ethics review process is intended to offer a level of assurance to research participants, the investigators and the University that research participants will be involved in ethically sound and well-designed research, and will be engaged in a prior consent process that is fully informed and voluntary. The ethics review process also ensures adequate protection of individuals’ privacy as well as confidentiality of information they provide. In addition, the ethics review process increases the probability that all known and anticipated risks associated with the research are identified and adequately communicated to participants prior to participation. Moreover, it ensures that the known and potential risks are judged to be outweighed by potential benefits from conducting the research. Procedures used to recruit participants are examined to ensure they are free of explicit or implicit coercion and enable participants to withdraw their consent at any time without fear of reprisal.”

Research conducted in the Psychology department follows the ethical guidelines set out in the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans, 2nd edition (TCPS 2 - 2022).

Please note that effective January 1, 2024 you will need to be up to date with your TCPS to include the 2022 version. If you have only completed the TCPS2 you will need to renew your certification.

Associated with the TCPS 2-2022 is an online tutorial called Course on Research Ethics (CORE). CORE is comprised of 9 modules, is self-paced and includes interactive exercises and multi-disciplinary examples. A certificate of completion is provided. CORE replaces and updates the earlier TCPS Tutorial. In order to ensure that you have a better understanding of the ethics review guidelines you are required to complete the CORE Tutorial prior to submitting your ethics application. Please note that if you have already completed the CORE Tutorial as an RA for example, you are not required to complete it again. Upon completion of the CORE Tutorial please send a copy of the Completion Certificate to the DERC Officer . The link to CORE is: http://pre.ethics.gc.ca/eng/education/tutorial-didacticiel/

The particular procedures for applying for ethics clearance for research with human participants depends on the population from which participants are obtained; however, all projects require the submission of an application form to the Office of Research Ethics (ORE).

Note : All research ethics applications must include:

• REG (Sona Description), PSYCPool (email/phone scripts), SLC (Flyer/Poster)
• Information/Consent Letter (+ Post-debriefing Consent if deception)
• Feedback/Appreciation Letter (+ Oral Debriefing if deception)
• Survey/Questionnaire/Interview items/Stimulus Appendices
• Research Proposal

Thesis supervisors and reviewers are given the following guidelines when they are asked to recommend a final grade for the honours thesis:

Each year, the Psychology Department recognizes the achievement of a small number of students who have produced the most outstanding honours theses. Theses will be considered for a thesis award if the thesis supervisor nominates the student and the thesis receives a final grade of 93 or above. Theses submitted for marking after the second Friday in May will not be considered for a thesis award. Nominated theses will be reviewed to select the award recipients and the recipients will be notified by the Psychology Undergraduate Office.

The thesis conference is an informal forum for students to present (orally or in poster format) a summary of their honours thesis to a friendly and enthusiastic audience of their peers and to discuss their work with others who have similar interests.

Registration is required. There is no registration fee for presenters or thesis supervisors and lunch is provided. Participants report that the event is very worthwhile and enjoyable. Clearly a great way to end fourth year!

The conference is typically held at the end of April or early May. If you will be presenting at the conference, data collection for the thesis should be completed by March. You are not required to present a complete analysis of your thesis results at the conference.

Further details about the thesis conference

Failing to adhere to established standards in the conduct of research is a serious offence. Please refer to "Obtaining ethics clearance for research" above for further details.

Students should also familiarize themselves with Policy 71 (Student Academic Discipline Policy) as well as the advice from the Faculty of Arts regarding avoiding academic offences .

Please check the Information Systems & Technology (IST) Department website for information regarding setting up your University of Waterloo computer account, accessing the internet, costs for printing, accessing your account from off-campus, etc. If you are enrolled in the Faculty of Arts, please also check the Arts Computing Office website for information.

The University of Waterloo computer accounts give students free access to applications such as word processing, statistical and graphics packages, spreadsheets, and electronic mail. Students also have access to the internet which allows them to use Waterloo's Electronic Library including the electronic journal article databases. Students are charged for printing and can put money for printing on to their resource account at various locations across campus including PAS 1080 using their WatCard.

It is critical that the University (e.g., administration, instructors, academic advisors, etc.) can reach you reliably by email (e.g., regarding academic standing, degree requirements, deadlines, etc.). If you are using a web email account such as Hotmail or Yahoo, we strongly encourage you to consider using a more reliable email account such as your Waterloo account. Your Waterloo account is just as easy to use from off-campus as other free web accounts but is more secure. You can access your Waterloo account from the " mywaterloo " website.

If you are using an email address other than your Waterloo email address you should do one of the following two things:

• change the email address that you want posted on the university directory, or
• activate your Waterloo account and arrange for the email from your Waterloo account to be forwarded to your alternate email address. The alternate email address will not appear on the university directory.

Intent to Graduate Forms and general convocation information is available on the Registrar's Office website. Students who want to graduate in June must submit an Intent to Graduate Form to the Registrar's Office before March 1. The deadline to apply for  October convocation is August 1. Students who apply to graduate, but do not complete their honours thesis in time to graduate at the preferred convocation must submit another Intent to Graduate Form for the next convocation.

Those who submit their thesis for marking beyond the end of the final examination period for the PSYCH 499C term should refer to " Extensions on the thesis submission deadline " for further details regarding graduation deadlines.

Office of research ethics

Psychology department.

Sample Honors Proposals and Theses

Sample honors proposals.

The following represent a sampling of outstanding English honors project proposals.

Disrupting Stereotypes: A Usability Report on Inclusive Design for Invisible Disabilities, including ADHD and Anxiety (PDF)

Author: Abby Wing Thesis Type: Independent Thesis Approved By: Janine Solberg, English Department Published: Spring 2023

Sir Lancelot Portrayed in Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur , Chretien de Troyes's Lancelot du Lac and T.H. White's The Once and Future King (PDF)

Author: Taylor Wise Thesis Type: Independent Thesis Approved By: Jenny Adams, English Department Published: Expected Spring 2017

Jane Austen’s Male Characters Through A Feminist Critical Lens (PDF)

Author: Anastasia Armstrong Thesis Type: Independent Thesis Approved By: Heidi Holder and Suzanne Daly, English Department Published: Expected Spring 2017

Sample Honors Theses

The following represent a sampling of outstanding English honors thesis projects.

Author: Abby Wing Thesis Type: Independent Thesis Approved By: Janine Solberg, English Department Published 2023

Abstract: In the Spring 2023 semester, I recruited students and faculty members with disabilities to test the usability of UMass Amherst financial aid web pages. The purpose of my testing was to learn more about the accessibility needs of people with disabilities. I conducted six remote usability tests with participants using Zoom. Each participant completed five tasks and shared their responses to a series of open-ended questions at the end of each test. These tasks involved finding information related to the cost of attending UMass Amherst for prospective students (i.e., total cost of attendance, net cost of attendance, housing costs, dining costs, and scholarships). Afterward, I generated inclusive personas that reflected the diverse characteristics of the participants. These personas, which are further discussed in the conclusion, offer insights into the accessibility needs of students with disabilities.

What I found: while participants are able to complete all tasks, they wished that information was more consolidated for greater navigability. Most of the time participants spent completing tasks involved trying to locate the appropriate pages to complete the tasks. Participants also wished that there was a stronger information hierarchy on cost pages for improved readability.

“This Is Hardly the Happy Ending I Was Expecting”: NIER ’s Rejection of the Heteronormative in Fairy Tales (PDF)

Author: Emily Cerri Thesis Type: Independent Thesis Approved By: Caroline Yang and TreaAndrea Russworm, English Department Published 2019

Abstract: Despite the perception they are just entertainment, video games have the potential to present criticisms on aspects of culture such as race, gender, and sexuality. Games such as Gone Home and The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories subvert stereotypes of gender and sexuality or highlight the struggles of sexually marginalized groups in a heteronormative society. However, games often miss the opportunity to subvert expectations or represent racially marginalized communities. The game NIER both creates and overlooks critiques of this lack of attention through its use of the fairy tale genre. NIER ’s destabilization of binaries and refusal to conform to gender roles and performance present a critique of heteronormativity and the gender binary of the fairy tale canon. And yet, NIER also misses the opportunity to fully present criticisms on the topics of race, gender, and sexuality. The game’s presentation of race is especially lacking, particularly through its tacit assumption of whiteness as the “unmarked” race. Though attempts to it dismantle some stereotypical racial imagery, it shuts out the possibility of nonwhite people persisting through the apocalypse. Furthermore, while its portrayal of nonheteronormative characters destabilizes the stereotypes of these characters in other media, censorship and pandering to the male gaze ultimately hinder the representation of these marginalized characters. That is, the localization explicitly alters characters’ identities in favor of heteronormativity and the game uses clothing and camera angles to hypersexualize the female protagonist. Its use of fairy tales, which are typically European tales, sometimes highlights their normalized gender and sexual stereotypes and expectations and sometimes subvert them. In other cases, it misses the opportunity to destabilize these notions and instead maintains the status quo. In such ways, NIER also fails to completely queer the fairy tale canon even as it tries to subvert the genre. Nonetheless, while NIER falls short of being a queer critique, it provides the opening for the critical player to do so.

Using Genre Theory to Understand the Way Opinion Journalism is Changing in Today’s Digital World (PDF)

Author: Tess Halpern Thesis Type: Independent Thesis Approved By: Donna LeCourt and Janine Solberg, English Department Published 2019

Abstract: As an editor of opinion journalism during my college years, I have always struggled to not only articulate but also determine which texts constitute opinion journalism and which are simply opinion. As opinions become more ubiquitous with the rise of the digital era, and as they can now be published on platforms like blogs, podcasts, and social media with no regulation or editorial review, this distinction has become even harder to make. Unfortunately, the blurring of the line between opinion journalism and opinion has happened at the precise moment that the legitimacy of journalism has also begun to be questioned more than ever before in my lifetime. The purpose of this research was to definitively draw that line, separating opinion journalism from opinion. To do this, I first determined the genre norms of opinion journalism by studying the texts, the writers, and the publications that define the genre. Following, I then determined where the genre set of opinion journalism ends by studying articles written for non-reputable, digital-only platforms, and platforms that were self-publishing or otherwise had minimal editing and regulation processes. A total of 63 articles from The New York Times , The Wall Street Journal , The Washington Post , The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Odyssey Online , and personal blogs were analyzed for this research. The results of this study allowed me to track the transformation that opinion journalism, and journalism in general, is currently undergoing. Additionally, it clarified the distinction between opinion journalism and ordinary opinion, allowing me to better understand the genre and the texts that are excluded from that genre.

"You Can Be Useful to Us in a Hundred Different Ways”: A Study of Stage and Screen Adaptations of Dickens’s Nicholas Nickleby (PDF)

Author: Emma Piscia Thesis/Project Type: Independent Honors Thesis Approved By: Heidi Holder and Suzanne Daly, Department Of English Published 2016

Abstract: Charles Dickens’s Nicholas Nickleby has been adapted since 1839, when it was still in the midst of its initial serialized publication. It has since been adapted into plays, films, and television miniseries over 250 times, and the number continues to grow. This thesis investigates the history of Nickleby as adapted for stage and screen from 1838 to the present. While there has been much scholarly consideration of adapted Dickens, there has been little in the way of examination of any particular work across periods and genres; Nickleby, with its varied history on stage and screen, certainly merits such critical examination. Works discussed here range from Edward Stirling’s early farce Nicholas Nickleby: or, Doings at Do-The-Boys Hall (1838), through David Edgar’s marathon stage adaptation The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (Royal Shakespeare Company 1980), to David Innes Edwards’s and Joy Wilkinson’s The Life and Adventures of Nick Nickleby (a 2012 miniseries). This thesis explores the cultural uses and revisions of Dickens’s text. Key topics of discussion include the highly varied representation of the orphan Smike; the portrayal of physical, sexual, and financial violence; and the sociopolitical and economic themes of the novel that allow it to resonate with contemporary audiences down through the centuries. Using reviews, historical context, literary and film criticism, performance history, and gender theory, this thesis endeavors to explain the persistence of an early Victorian novel in popular culture.

Eye on Research (PDF)

Author: Alexandra Foley Thesis/Project Type: Capstone Thesis Approved By: David Toomey and Janine Solberg, Department Of English Published 2012

Abstract: A collection of the newest discoveries and breaking edge research taking place on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. Here is a list of some of the research published in this thesis: a new synthetic material called “Geckskin” which mimics the adhesion power of Gecko feet developed in Polymer Science department; UBot, a robot designed by UMass’s Laboratory for Perceptual Robotics, can learn by interacting with its environment; Gregory Tew, of the Polymer Science department, has found a way to look inside their previously impenetrable membranes of T cells; and Dr. Caitlyn Shea Butler of the Environmental Engineering department has designed a “Microbial Fuel Cell Latrine” that purifies human waste and produces electricity at the same time.

“How could the body politic be made to work in the absence of its head?”: Beheadings, Gender, and Power In Malory’s Morte Darthur (PDF)

Author: Kerry Ditson Thesis/Project Type: Independent Honors Thesis Approved by: Jen Adams, English Department and Sonja Drimmer, Art History Program Published: 2015

Abstract: The Wars of the Roses were without a doubt one of the most transformative and traumatic events of medieval England. This bloody conflict called into question commonly accepted notions of nobility, masculinity, kingship, governance, and violence. The deposition of Richard II in 1399 set into motion aftershocks that would be felt half a century later, as the notion of divinely anointed kingship was called into question—in a world where kings could be gotten rid of, who had the right to rule? The answer came down, in many ways, to one issue: blood.

Closets and Transylvanian Castles: Vampires and Queerness in the Nineteenth-Century Literature and Beyond (PDF)

Author: Maxwell Heath Thesis/Project Type: Independent Honors Thesis Approved by Heidi Holder and Jenny Spencer of the Department of English Published 2015

Abstract: My thesis examines how vampires have been used in literature to depict queer people and explore issues of queerness. Focusing primarily on the nineteenth century with a brief foray into the twentieth, I analyze seven key texts, both well known and relatively obscure, from John Polidori’s groundbreaking “The Vampyre” (1819) to G.S. Viereck’s The House of the Vampire (1907). This wide range is significant: previous work in the field has tended toward individual studies. I track how the depictions of vampirism and queerness evolved over time, focusing especially on the tropes of disorientation of space and narrative structure, complex patterning of relationships between characters, and conflict between humans and vampires for control of narrative. To this end ideas drawn from theorists such as Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick have been deployed in my analysis. I have discovered that from the first there is a degree of sympathy for queerness which is often occluded by gothic tropes. While the vampires themselves only begin to shift from villains towards more ambiguous figures at the end of the nineteenth century, their victims are often figured as queer and portrayed sympathetically. This suggests that vampires have been used as a way to mask queerness in metaphor so that it could be explored and discussed during a time when any explicit examination was forbidden.

Transplanted (PDF)

Author: Michael Sirois Thesis/Project Type: Independent Honors Thesis Approved by John Hennessy, Department of English Published May 2015

Abstract: My honors thesis project is a manuscript consisting of twenty-four poems. This collection of poetry reflects my transition from a working-class upbringing to completing my degree at the university. The many years I spent working in agriculture influence my poetry significantly, so natural settings and elements serve as a prism for my themes of work, the working-class, and the family. The introduction to my thesis project is included to show the departures from my literary influences.

For more information, see  499Y Honors Research (Part I) or  499T/P Honors Research (Part II) .

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• Undergraduate
• Honors Thesis Examples

EBIO student's Honors Thesis submissions from past years are archived here with abstracts from the student's respective papers. Peruse several of the submissions to get a sense of the area's of study our students delve into for their Honors Thesis projects.

Landscape Patterns of Litter Decomposition in Alpine Tundra - H. A. O'Lear and T. R. Seastedt - 1994

Effects of Mobile Tree Islands on Soil Carbon Storage in Tundra Ecosystems - Sheridan J. Pauker and T. R. Seastedt - 1996

Effects of Sequestered Iridoid Glycosides on Prey Choice of the Prairie Wolf Spider,  Lycosa carolinensis  - Demetri Hilario Theodoratus and M. Deane Bowers - 1998

Effects of Soil Nitrogen Reduction on Nonnative Plants in Restored Grasslands - K.J. Reever Morghan & T. R. Seastedt - 1999

Phylogeny of hammerhead sharks (Family Sphyrnidae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear genes -  Douglas D. Lim, Philip Motta, Kyle Mara, Andrew P. Martin - 2010

Beyond immunity: quantifying the efects of host anti-parasite behavior on parasite transmission -  Elizabeth W. Daly & Pieter T. J. Johnson - 2011

Land Use and Wetland Spatial Position Jointly Determine Amphibian Parasite Communities - Richard B. Hartson,  Sarah A. Orlofske,  Vanessa E. Melin,  Robert T. Dillon Jr., and Pieter T. J. Johnson - 2011

Effects of fuels reductions on plant communities and soils in a Piñon-juniper woodland - M.R. Ross, S.C. Castle, N.N. Barger - 2012

Investigating the dispersal routes used by an invasive amphibian, Lithobates catesbeianus , in human-dominated landscapes - Anna C. Peterson & Katherine L. D. Richgels & Pieter T. J. Johnson & Valerie J. McKenzie - 2012

Incorporation of an Introduced Weed into the Diet of a Native Butterfly: Consequences for Preference, Performance and Chemical Defense - Angela Knerl & M. Deane Bowers 

Quantifying the biomass of parasites to understand their role in aquatic communities - Jason Lambden & Pieter T. J. Johnson - 2013

Conceptual Revision and Synthesis of Proximate Factors Associated with Age-Related Improvement in Reproduction - Rachel J Bradley & Rebecca J. Safran - 2014

Patterns and ecological predictors of age-related performance in female North American barn swallows,  Hirundo rustica erythrogaster    -  R. J. Bradley & J. K. Hubbard & B. R. Jenkins & R. J. Safran - 2014

Assessing The Harmful Impacts Of Increased Commercial Shipping On Arctic Marine Mammals: A Systematic Literature Review - Hayley Wuestenberg - 2021

June 27, 2021

Read more about Assessing The Harmful Impacts Of Increased Commercial Shipping On Arctic Marine Mammals: A Systematic Literature Review - Hayley Wuestenberg - 2021

Harmful Algal Blooms As A Possible Cause Of Late Cretaceous Vertebrate Mortality Events In Northwestern Madagascar - Christopher Mulligan - 2021

Read more about Harmful Algal Blooms As A Possible Cause Of Late Cretaceous Vertebrate Mortality Events In Northwestern Madagascar - Christopher Mulligan - 2021

Population Structure Of The Endangered Mud Shrimp Upogebia Pugettensis - Madeleine Horan - 2021

Read more about Population Structure Of The Endangered Mud Shrimp Upogebia Pugettensis - Madeleine Horan - 2021

Exploring The Biogeographic Relationship Between Variation In Parasites And Pathogens And Host Plant Dispersal Traits - Patrick Heffernan - 2021

Read more about Exploring The Biogeographic Relationship Between Variation In Parasites And Pathogens And Host Plant Dispersal Traits - Patrick Heffernan - 2021

Flowering Time And Related Genes In Cannabis - Zachary Girard - 2021

Read more about Flowering Time And Related Genes In Cannabis - Zachary Girard - 2021

May Physical Activity Ameliorate Symptoms And Comorbidities Associated With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv) Infection? - Elizabeth Enichen - 2021

Read more about May Physical Activity Ameliorate Symptoms And Comorbidities Associated With Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv) Infection? - Elizabeth Enichen - 2021

Nest Insulative Capacity Varies Between Chickadee Species But Not Along An Elevation Gradient - Shay Ding - 2021

Read more about Nest Insulative Capacity Varies Between Chickadee Species But Not Along An Elevation Gradient - Shay Ding - 2021

The Impact Of Early Snowmelt, Warming, And Microtopography On In Situ Geum Rossii Germination Rates In The Alpine - Nyika Campbell - 2021

Read more about The Impact Of Early Snowmelt, Warming, And Microtopography On In Situ Geum Rossii Germination Rates In The Alpine - Nyika Campbell - 2021

Entomology Education Since 2000: Methods, Outcomes, Challenges, and Suggestions for Practice - Elizabeth Woolner - 2020

Dec. 3, 2020

Read more about Entomology Education Since 2000: Methods, Outcomes, Challenges, and Suggestions for Practice - Elizabeth Woolner - 2020

Loss of Microbial Biodiversity: Implications for Human Health and Food Security - Shannon Ross - 2020

Dec. 2, 2020

Read more about Loss of Microbial Biodiversity: Implications for Human Health and Food Security - Shannon Ross - 2020

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Psychology | Faculty Of Science

• Undergraduates

Recent Honours Theses

Below are titles that illustrate the breadth of topics that our Honours students explore. Beside each title is the name of the faculty supervisor.

Animal Behaviour

• Harley Always – “Fido, look!" Do Ostension, Frustration and Fear on Dogs' ( Canis familiaris ) use of Human Pointing Gestures? (C. Walsh)
• Noah Careen - Avian Influenza (H5N1) and A Marine Heatwave Spell Reproductive Disaster for Northern Gannets at their Southernmost Colony (W. Montevecchi)
• Lucas Fowler - Relationships Among Eggshell Colouration and Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the Eggs of Ring-Billed Gulls ( Larus delawarensis ) (D. Wilson)
• Rebecca Foote - Can a Geometric Morphometric Analysis Accurately Classify Male and Female Atlantic Puffins? (P.P. Bitton)

Behavioural Neuroscience

• Laura Au - Atypical NMDA Receptors and Their Effect on Dendritic Spine Morphology in a Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease (M. Parsons)
• Joshua Critch - Examining Brain Functional Connectivity During Multisensory 40 Hz Stimulation and Subsequent Low Gamma Frequency Entrainment (S. Walling)
• Kaiden Dalley - Effect of Circadian Rhythm on Cognitive Task Performance in Rats (C. Thorpe)
• Som Gupta - An Exploration of Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's Disease Using a Pre-Tangle Tau Rat Model: The Role of Fear and Enrichment (Q. Yuan)
• Brandon Hannam - The Contribution of SK3 Channels in GABAergic Prefrontal Cortex Neurons to Chronic Short-Term Stress-Induced Cognitive Deficits in a Mouse Model of Depression (F. Bambico)
• Sarah Henderson - The Long Shadow of Fear: Lasting Effects of Predator Stress on Second Generation Offspring in Mice (J. Blundell)
• Amelia Jones - Hippocampal Astrocytic Glycogen Metabolism in a Rat Model of Early Pretangle-Stage Alzheimer's Disease (S. Walling)
• Tori Kendall - An Evaluation of the Effects of Stress and Enrichment on the Blood-brain Barrier Integrity in a Pre-tangle Rat Model (Q. Yuan)
• Leah Peckham - Characterizing Frailty: Is Performance on Lower-Limb Agility Tasks Related to Corticospinal Tract Integrity in a Healthy Aging Population? (M. Ploughman)
• Alison Randell - Evaluating the Role of Prenatal Androgens on the Sex Bias in the Maternal Immune Activation Preclinical Model of Autism (A. Swift-Gallant)
• Haley Rideout - The Exploration of using Rapamycin to Block Memory Formation in Female Mice (J. Blundell)
• Danica Robichaud - Mapping Tonal Hierarchy in the Brain Using an Active Task (B. Zendel)
• Bana Sakkar - Mechanism Underlying Chemotherapy-Induced Synaptic Impairment in the Hippocampus: A Cognitive and 3D Synaptic Analysis (M. Parsons)
• Kelsie Senior - Behavioural impacts of Wild-Type Huntingtin Deletion in the Adult Mouse Hippocampus (J. Blundell)
• Laura Taylor - The Differential Impact of Short-Term Stress on Cognitive and Affective Symptoms in a Mouse Model of Depression (F. Bambico)
• Makenna Taylor - Huntington's Disease: The Impact of Wild-Type Huntingtin Reduction on Nuclear Morphology in Primary Hippocampal Culture (M. Parsons)
• Brooke Hiscock - To Think or Not to Think: A Registered Replication Study of the Think/No-Think Paradigm (J. Fawcett)
• Brendan Redmond - The Benefit and Cost of Source Information in the Directed Forgetting Paradigm (K. Hourihan)
• Ahida Shahrier - The Role of Emotion in the Production Effect (J. Fawcett)
• Faith Sheppard - How Does Font Influence the Production Effect? (K. Hourihan)
• Haley Young - Mock Jurors and Directed Forgetting: An Experimental Setting (K. Hourihan)

Developmental Psychology

• Emily Granter - Remembering More About Early Memories (C. Peterson)
• Jessica McClellan - Influencing the Reported Age in Children's Earliest Memories (C. Peterson)
• Aaron Murphy - Influencing Adult's Earliest Memories (C. Peterson)
• Alex Snow - The Influence of Math Gameplay on Math Anxiety in Undergraduates (C. Fitzpatrick)
• Matthew Rideout - Situation Modelling of Math Word Problems: A Manipulation of the Protagonist Dimension (C. Fitzpatrick)

Health & Wellness

• Taylor Anthony - How We View Ourselves Matters: Examining the Roles of Self-Objectification and Self-Compassion on the Relationship between Social Media and Disordered Eating (J. Carter-Major)
• Sarah Baggs - Examining the Impact of Social Report on the Resiliency of Individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (J. Hesson)
• Maria Chafe - Positive Mental Health, Social Support, and Canadians with Bipolar Disorder: Exploring the Influence of Community Attachment (K. Fowler)
• Molly Downey - Reducing Harms Through Youth Substance Use Education: A Survey of Educator Perspectives (N. Harris)
• Rebecca Fanning - Suicidal Ideation and Help-Seeking Behavior in University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic (K. Fowler)
• Gillian Fuller - Cannabis Use in Post-Secondary Students Reporting a Diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Effects on Suicidality (J. Hesson)
• Emily Lundrigan - We’re Worried About You: Substance Use Concern from Friends and Family of University Students with and without ADHD (P. Button)
• Mackenzie Lush - Canadian Cancer Survivors' Use of Cannabis as a Sleep Aid: The Impact of Cannabinoid Content and Method of Ingestion (S. Garland)
• Isobel McMahon - Young Adult Perceptions of Higher-Risk Cannabis Use Behaviours (N. Harris)
• Claire Osmond - Assessing the Acceptability and Feasibility of Oxytocin Nasal Spray for the Management of Chronic Pain: A Qualitative Analysis of Patient Perceptions (J. Rash)
• Rachel Pike - Assessing Provider's Applied Knowledge of Delivering Stepped Care 2.0 (J. Rash)

Social Psychology

• Harsha Ajith - Examining the Impact of Posttraumatic Stress and Substance Use on Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence Victim-Witness Credibility (B. Snook)
• Bridget Barry - Occupational Stress, and the Role of Peer and Formal Supports Among Career and Volunteer Firefighters: A Qualitative Study (L. Fallon)
• Makaela Blake - How Are Inuit Living in an Urban Context Demonstrating Resilience? (S. Dandeneau)
• Haley Bonnell - The Potential Impact of Meritocratic Beliefs on Police Legitimacy (M. Day)
• Shawna Brenton - Exploring the Effects of Perceived Income Inequality on School Belongingness in Undergraduate Students (M. Day)
• Kelsey Downer - Changing Minds: Evaluating Evidence Presented at Trials and Rendering a Verdict (B. Snook)
• Kaylee Dyall - A Dyadic Study Examining the Role of Self-Compassion as it Relates to Motivation to Resolve Interpersonal Mistakes among Midlife Married Canadian Couples (C. Quinn-Nilas)
• Sydney Knapman - Validation Does not end at Creation: Validation of the Profile of Female Sexual Functioning (C. Quinn-Nilas)
• Courtney Loveless - Self-Love and Sex-Love: An Examination into the Role of Self-Compassion in the Satisfaction of Married Canadians' Sexual Relationships (C. Quinn-Nilas)
• Jessica Nause - The Relationship between Mindfulness and Empathic Responding: A Dyadic Approach (C. Quinn-Nilas)
• Barika Sutton - Do Personal Social Mobility Beliefs Affect Future Possible Selves (M. Day)
• Tanvi Vora - An Assessment of the Effect of Temperance on Relationship Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction Among Midlife Married Couples in Canada (C. Quinn-Nilas)
• Shelly M. Hann – Ring-billed Gulls foraging on anthropogenic food have a faster corticosterone stress response (D. Wilson)
• Nancy Lundrigan – The rise of pet parenting: Differing relationships between dog “owners” and their dogs (C. Walsh)
• Shona E. Campbell – Effects of the elusive food-entrainable oscillator on rat hippocampal memory, using a reverse 12:12 light-dark scheduled (C. Thorpe)
• Gabrielle Dupont – The food-entrainable oscillator: Anticipatory response and role in learning and memory (C. Thorpe)
• Mackenzie Grace – The effect of chronic stress on behavior and circadian rhythms in mice (J. Blundell)
• Briana Hepditch – The influence of view on spatial learning in rats using a dry-land T-maze(D. Skinner)
• Hannah Murphy – Pain and the brain: Pain shifts the balance of brain excitability in multiple sclerosis (M. Ploughman/S. Walling)
• Nathaniel Muya – Paradoxical effects of SSRIs in a rodent model of adolescent depression: Serotonin-1a receptor and transporter-related mechanisms (F. Bambico)
• Jannath Naveed – Effects of circadian rhythm disruptions and FEO manipulations on learning and memory in rats (C. Thorpe)
• Timothy Noble – The effect of dietary intervention on Alzheimer’s Disease: A pilot study (Q. Yuan/S. Walling)
• Kaylee Randell – Impact of preconception chronic stress exposure on the F1generation in mice (J. Blundell)
• Kerri M. Sparkes -  Prenatal androgen exposure on social behavior in a rodent model of maternal immune activation (A. Swift-Gallant)
• Amy Williams – Depressive-like behavior and serotonergic activity in the triple transgenic model of Alzheimer’s Disease (F. Bambico)
• Megan Wiseman – Investigating the sex-linked disparity in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder diagnosis (A. Swift-Gallant)
• Ashlee Coles – Overcoming the forbidden: Student identification and stigma towards obsessive-compulsive disorder unacceptable thoughts (E. Fawcett/J. Fawcett)
• Sarah Fagan – Irrelevant speech and semantic relatedness (I. Neath)
• Krista Greeley – How Facial Tattoos Affect Facial Recognition (K. Hourihan)
• Catherine Halley – The block order effect and modality (I. Neath)
• Noah Pevie – Item-method directed forgetting: A meta-analysis of clinical populations (J. Fawcett)
• Matthew Pike – Confounded stimuli and the mirror effect in associative recognition (I. Neath)
• Chad Synyard – When is a banana most like a gun? A systematic review of weapon focus literature on arousal (J. Fawcett)
• Justine Yick – A reverse production effect in adults? Trends in the production of novel work-picture pairs (K. Hourihan/J. Fawcett)
• Sarah Burton – An investigation on the reliability of the neucodia visual evoked potential system (J. Drover)
• Alicia Goulding – Influencing children’s earliest memories (C. Peterson)
• Samantha Hedges – Remembered vs. told-about childhood memories (C. Peterson)
• Kaelen Maillet – Influencing adults’ earliest recalled memories (C. Peterson)
• Amy Young – Influencing children’s earliest memories: Do task manipulations make a difference? (C. Peterson)
• Riley Cotter – Understanding sleep health in a national cohort of young adults with cancer: Results from the YACPRIME study (S. Garland)
• Anna Marie Froude – The prevalence of cannabis use disorder in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A clinical epidemiological meta-analysis (N. Harris/J. Fawcett)
• Suhail Hassan – Examining the Role of Cultural Background and Acculturation in Understanding Perceptions of Weight Stigma, Body Image and Disordered Eating (J. Carter-Major)
• Rachel Howells – Exploring the relationship between Binge-Eating symptoms and facets of emotion regulation in emerging adults (J. Carter-Major)
• Alesha King – Understanding healthcare provider experiences with “Introduction to Stepped Care 2.0” and One-at-a-Time Therapy” online training courses (J. Rash)

Psychosocial Collaborative Research @ SWCC

• Madison Antle – Social support and perceived mental health of Canadian adults with communication impairment (Fowler/Button)
• Kaya Dooley – The influence of social support and negative social interactions on the positive mental health of Canadian adults with bipolar disorder (K. Fowler/Radu)
• Cailyn Fridgen – Cervical cancer screening among Canadian women: What sociodemographic, physiological, and mental health factors predict Pap smear guideline adherence? (K. Fowler/G. Radu)
• Anna Morris – Eating disorder risk, social support, and mental health (K. Fowler)
• Katelyn Rideout – Gender differences and depression:  The influence of social support on resilience (P. Button/K. Fowler)
• Emily Rowe – Cannabis use disorder in Canadian adults: Profiling demographic and socioeconomic factors, mental health diagnoses and conditioning, and life experiences (P. Button/K. Fowler)
• Bethany Torraville – An exploration of gender differences in youth with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Levels of distress, social support & negative interactions (P. Button/K. Fowler)
• Faith Hollohan – Victimization experiences: Exploring the relationship between crime severity and the “victim” label to the duration of victimization symptoms (A. Peters/L. Fallon)
• Alana Short – Sealing the deal: the effect of an interrogator’s check of voluntariness on statement admissibility decisions (B. Snook)
• Badcock, Jessica. Does Movement-Induced Self-Referential Processing Lead to Improvements in Memory? 2019. (I. Neath)
• Bellows, Lindsay-Ann. Varying Experiences and Subjective Burden of Family Caregivers for People With a Mental Illness or Addiction in Canada. 2019. (K. Fowler)
• Blackmore, Alison. The Relationship Between Social Support and Psychological Distress in Canadian Females with Childhood Sexual Abuse History. 2019. (K. Fowler)
• Boychuk, Sydney. The Effects of Lesions to the Anterior Dorsal Nucleus of the Thalamus on Spatial Learning in Rats Using a Response Reversal Task. 2019. (D. Skinner)
• Briggs, Haley. Cancer Induced Anorexia-Cachexia and Its Associations with Melanin-Concentrating Hormone Neurons in the Lateral Hypothalamus. 2019. (M. Hirasawa & S. Walling)
• Chen, Alice. The Role of Depressive Symptoms on Changes in Cardiorespiratory7 Fitness and Cognition in People with Multiple Sclerosis. 2019. (M. Ploughman & J. Rash)
• Chislett, Cassandra. Examining the Relationship Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cognitive Processing Speed in People with Multiple Sclerosis. 2019. (M. Ploughman and C. Thorpe)
• Clarke, Courtney L. Double Dissociation in the Role of Inhibitory Systems in the Effects of Predictable and Unpredictable Stress. 2019. (F. Bambico)
• Cooze, Jane. Pharmacology and Fear: The Role of Rapamycin in Reconsolidation of Mammalian Fear Memories. 2019. (J. Blundell)
• Critch, Tristian. Role for Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus Projections to Monoamine Nuclei in Depression and Addiction: Behavioural and Neurochemical Studies with Solid-Phase Microextraction. 2019. (F. Bambico)
• Croucher, Julie. Intergenerational Stress and Neurogenesis: Preconception Parental Predator Stress Decreases Neurogenesis in Adult Offspring. 2019. (J. Blundell)
• Dawson, Laura. Investigating NLRP3 and Reactive Oxygen Species Activity in Murine Astrocytes. 2019. ( C. Moore)
• Dornan, Emma. The Relationship Between Circadian Regularity of Mealtime and Sleep Patterns on Cognitive Functioning in a Young Adult Population. 2019. ( C. Thorpe)
• Edwards, Caitlin. Canadian Adults with Child Welfare Histories: An exploration of Social Support and Mental Health. 2019. (K. Fowler)
• Edwards, Samantha. Second-Order Fear Conditioning of Novel Context and Tone Using Ofaction as the Primary Conditioning Stimulus. 2019. (Y. Yuan and S. Walling)
• Foley, Timothy. Individual Differences in Auditory Working Memory: An Exploration of Differences Between Musicians and Non-Musicians. 2019. (J. Fawcett)
• Furlong, Bradley. The Complex Activational Pattern of the Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus and Its Role in Ethanol Withdrawal-Related Symptoms in the Olfactory Bulbectomy Model of Depression. 2019. (F. Bambico)
• Gamba, Iain. Controlling Unwanted Information: The Effects of Retrieval Induced Forgetting on the Probability and Fidelity of Long-Term Visual Representations. 2019. (J. Fawcett)
• Genge, Olivia. Predicting Support for the Post-Secondary Student Support Program. 2019. (M. Day)
• Goudie, Julie. The First Retinal Topography Map for the Black Scorpionfish, Scorpaena Porcus. 2019. (P. Bitton)
• Hogan, Emily. Stigma and The Protective Role of Social Support in Depression Among Canadians. 2019. (K. Fowler)
• Howell, Ella. Pseudophosphorylated Tau Seeding in the Olfactory Cortex: A Potential Rat Model of Braak's Late-Stage Alzheimer's Disease? 2019. (Q. Yuan)
• Johnson, Michelle. Assessing The Reliability and Validity of the Neucodia Visual Evoked Potential System in a Sample of Undergraduate Students. 2019. (J. Drover)
• Major, Christina. The Presence and role of Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 1 (TAR1) in Neuroimmune Cells. 2019. ( C. Moore)
• McAleese, Owen. Can Perceptions of Social Mobility Predict Union Support? 2019. (M. Day)
• McInnis, Maggie. Predicting Support for Economic Inequality Using Personal Relative Deprivation and Subjective Socioeconomic Status. 2019. (M. Day)
• Moore, Kelsey. The Effects of Rapamycin on New Learning. 2019. (J. Blundell)
• Murphy, Christina. Getting High to Get By: Exploring the Relationship Between Cannabis Use and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in University Students. 2019. (N. Harris and J. Hesson)
• Nolan, Emma. Preconception Predator Stress Impairs Spatial Learning and Memory in Adult Offspring Following a Milk Stressor. 2019. (J. Blundell)
• O'Dea, Jessica. Does Anthropogenic Noise Impair Reproductive Success in Dark-Eyed Juncos (Junco Hyemalis)? 2019. (D. Wilson)
• Power, Kyron. Double Adeno-Associated Virus Transfection: Introducing Channelrhodopsin-2 and Pseudo-Hyperphosphorlyated TAU Protein Together in the Locus Coeruleus. 2019. (Q. Yuan)
• Rose, Julia. Cognitive Mechanisms Involved in Managing Past and Future Painful Events. 2019. (J. Fawcett & J. Rash)
• Rowe, Emily. When Will I Need this in the Real World?: Realistic Problem Solving in Sixth Graders. 2019. ( C. Fitzpatrick)
• Squires, Lauren. Emotion Dysregulation as a Mediator Between Psychological Distress and Problem Smartphone Use. 2019. (N. Harris and J. Hesson)
• St. Croix, Robyn. The Impact of Feeling Connected on the Experience of Posttraumatic Growth and Psychological Distress of Young Adults with Cancer In Canada. 2019. (S. Garland)
• Torraville, Sarah. Exploring the Influence of Phasic and Tonic Patterns of Locus Coeruleus Activity on Exploratory Behaviour and Anxiety of Rats Through Optogenetics. 2019. (Q. Yuan)
• Vey, Danielle. Mood and Memory for Emotional Content. 2019. (K. Hourihan)
• Wakeham-Lewis, Rachelle. Does a AFunny Voice@ Make for a Distinctive Memory Trace? 2019. (J. Fawcett)
• Walsh, Anna. Examining the Influence of Social Support on Psychological Distress in a Canadian Population with Symptoms of Mania. 2019. (K. Fowler)
• Walters, Lucas. I Got it From My Mama: The Relationship Between Maternal Psychological Distress and Child Adaptive Skills as Moderated by Fetal Sex and Medicated by Maternal Cortisol. 2019. (J. Rash)
• Ward, Joshua. The Effects of the SK Channel Agonist 1=-BEIO on Extinction in Fear Conditioned Mice. 2019. (J. Blundell & F. Bambico)
• Wells, Sydney. The Relationship Between Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHA) and Smartphone Use. 2019. (N. Harris & J. Hesson)
• Bell, Louise. The Relationship Between Recent Adverse Events and Newfoundland and Labrador Mother's Mental Health. 2018. (J. Gosselin)
• Bugden, Sarah. The Effects of Pharmacological SK Channel Inhibition on Depressive-Like Symptoms in Mice. 2018. (F. Bambico)
• Cassell, Taylor. Investigating the Role of the Food-Entrainable Oscillator and the Effect of Constant Light on Hippocampal-Dependent and Independent Tasks. 2018. (C. Thorpe)
• Cole, Rebecca. Validation of Bipedal Hop Test to Detect Subtle but Meaningful Impairment Among People With Mild Multiple Sclerosis. 2018. (M. Ploughman and C. Thorpe)
• Conway, Josh. Neurobiological Basis of Increased Comorbidity Between Depression and Addiction. 2018. (F. Bambico)
• Daly, Kathleen. Global Economic Inequality: Individuals' Perceptions and the Potential Predictors. 2018. (M. Day)
• Drodge, Chelsea. Youth Interrogation Rights: Adult Knowledge and Attitudes. 2018. (B. Snook)
• Drover, Justin. The Effect of Reward Uncertainty on Research Participant Recruitment. 2018. (B. Snook)
• Dyson, Kristen. Using Immunohistochemical Methods to Localize Hyperphosphorylated Human Tau Protein in a Rat Model of Early Stage Alzheimer's Disease. 2018. (S. Walling)
• Flood, Brittany. The Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and the Suppression of Painful Memories. 2018. (J. Rash and J. Fawcett)
• Gosse, Madeline. Quantifying the Role of Cellular Signals in Synaptic Plasticity: An Analysis of ERK. 2018. (M. Parsons and S. Walling)
• Greenham, Julia. The Predictors of Turnover Intentions in Guidance Counsellors in Newfoundland and Labrador. 2018. (G. Harris and N. Harris)
• Hewitt, Mark. Can Our Perception of Social Mobility Affect How We Feel About Immigrants? 2018. (M. Day)
• Higdon, Natalie. Exploring Positive Mental Health Within the Rates of Depression Severity and Duration in Canadian Men and Women. 2018. (K. Fowler)
• Hollett, Kayla. The Quest for a Fair Trial: Revisiting the Effects of Muslim Veiling and Face Covering on the Perception of Witness Credibility. 2018. (B. Snook)
• Hosel, Katarina. Corticospinal Excitability to the Biceps Branchii During Arm Cycling at Various Power Outputs. 2018. (K. Power)
• Jones, Karen. Community Attitudes Toward Police Interrogation Techniques. 2018. (B. Snook)
• King, Brianna. Preconception Paternal Stress Results in Sex-Specific Increases in Anxiety-Like Behaviour and an Increased Vulnerability to a Mild Stressor in Second Generation Mice. (J. Blundell)
• Learning, Maria. An Evaluation of the Effect of Output Interference in the Accuracy of Memory Recall in Police Interviews. 2018. (B. Snook)
• MacKey, Victoria. The Endocannabinoid System and its Role in the Therapeutic-Like Effects of Stress Controllability. 2018. (F. Bambico)
• Manuel, Sydney. Time-Dependent Changes in Activated mTOR During Consolidation of a Contextual Fear Memory. 2018. (J. Blundell)
• McWhirter, Michael. Time-Place Learning with Hippocampal or Dorsal Straitum Lesions and Access to the Food-Entrainable-Oscillator. 2018. (C. Thorpe)
• Mercer, Hayley. Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Predict Physical and Cognitive Impairments in People with Multiple Sclerosis. 2018. (M. Ploughman and C. Thorpe)
• Mercer-Adams, Jagger. Assisting the Reliability and Validity of the Neucodia Visual Evoked Potential System to Test monocular Resolution Acuity in Adults. 2018. (J. Drover)
• Murphy, Johanna. How Math Anxiety Differs Across Individual Differences in Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge. 2018. (D. Hallett)
• Newman, Abigail. Circadian Rhythm Disruption and the Role of the Food-Entrainable Oscillator. 2018. (C. Thorpe)
• Nixon, Abigail. The Effects of Lateral Mammilary Nucleus Lesions on Spatial Learning in Rats. 2018. (D. Skinner)
• O’Brien, Amy. Adult Justifications Used for Truth and Lie Detection in Children. 2018. (C. Peterson)
• O’Leary, Rebecca. Perceived Discrimination from Health Care Professionals: Exploratory and Analysis of Gender and Chronic Illness in Canada. 2018. (K. Fowler)
• O’Reilly, Arynne. The Modern Dog: Canine Metabolic, Behavioural and Cognitive Indicators of Wellness (I). 2018. (C. Walsh)
• Penney, Jillian. The Role of Perceived Thought Control and Anxiety in the Control of Memory Intrusions. 2018. (J. Fawcett)
• Peters, Lauren. Associative Memory and Effort: The Impact of White Noise on Associative Memory Abilities in University students. 2018. (A. Surprenant)
• Raman-Nair, Joanna. The Effects of a High Fat Diet on Apoptosis in Mice Following Acute Ischemic Stroke. 2018. (J. Vanderluit)
• Roche, Kailey. Assessing the Credibility of Children=s Injury Reports. 2018. (C. Peterson)
• Shublaq, Dayana. The Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse History on Obesity Among Canadian Adults. 2018. (K. Fowler)
• Walsh, Nyissa. The Relationship Between Chronotype and Mental Health in University Students. 2018. (S. Garland)
• Wasef, Marie. The Effects of Bilateral Lesions to the Lateral Mammillary Nucleus on Spatial Learning in Rats Using a Dry Land T Maze. 2018. (D. Skinner)
• Willcott-Benoit, Whitney. Prevalence and Factors Associated with Non-Medical Prescription Stimulant Use in University Students. 2018. (S. Garland)
• Willoughy, Hannah. A Helping Hand: Memory for Items Viewed Near the Hands. 2018. (A. Surprenant)
• Adams, Jillian. Symbolic and Non-Symbolic Fraction Magnitude Processing in University Undergraduates. 2017. (D. Hallett)
• Balsom, Ashley. I"ll Stand By You: The Necessity of Online Peer Support Services in a University Population. 2017. (P. Cornish/T. Charbonneau)
• Bowes, Sherri. Establishing Intracerebroventricular Infusion of an AAV Containing Human Mutant TAU in Newborn Rat Pups. 2017. (Q. Yuan)
• Bungay, Rebecca. The Effects of Bilateral Lesions to the Lateral Mammillary Nucleus on Spatial Learning in Rats. 2017. (D. Skinner)
• Bursey, Krystal. Sex Differences in Decision-Making in First Episode Psychosis Patients. 2017. (K. Hadden)
• Cleary, Jillian. An Animal Model of Student Circadian Rhythms: The Effect of Circadian Oscillator Manipulation on the Acquisition of Hippocampally-Dependent-and-Independent Tasks. 2017. (C. Thorpe)
• Collins, Rebecca. Dog-Owner Attachment and Promixity Behaviours in an Off-Leash Dog Park. 2017. (C. Walsh)
• Conway, Joan. Mindfulness Health and Wellness: An Evaluation of an Online Mindfulness Application. 2017. (E. Whelan)
• Downer, Matthew. Using Biomarkers of Plasticity to Assess the Feasibility of Using Prolonged Exercise to Improve Recovery in Chronic Stroke: A case Series Pilot Study. 2017. (M. Ploughman)
• Flynn, Tyler. I Am Just Not a Math Person: The Role of Math Fact Training on Math Anxiety. 2017. (D. Hallett)
• Fraser, Beth. Sampling Constraints Affect Mate Choice in Birds. 2017. (D. Wilson)
• Greene, Sydney. Consistency is Key: Assessing the Credibility of Children's Injury Reports. 2017. (C. Peterson)
• Haas, Jade. What's Love Got to Do with It? Canadian Mothers' Perspective on the Co-Parental Relationship. 2017. (J. Gosselin)
• Haley, Kelsey. A Comparison of Light and Orientation Cues in a Go/No-Go Discrimination Task. 2017. (G. Martin)
• Harris, Laura. Positive Mental Health in Adolescents and Young Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. 2017. (J. Hesson/K. Fowler)
• Hart, Shannon. The Behavioural and Physiological Effects of Olfactory Trace Amine-Associated Receptor Activation. 2017. (M. Berry)
• Hewson, Valerie. Prevalence of Alcohol Abuse or Dependency in Canadian Men and Women Reporting Childhood Sexual Abuse. 2017. (K. Fowler)
• Higgins, Jacqueline. A Comparison of the Maturation of Grating Acuity, Vernier Acuity, and Contrast Sensitivity. 2017. (J. Drover)
• Hodder, Gabrielle. Assessing The Reliability and Validity of the Neucodia Visual Evoked Potential System. 2017. (J. Drover)
• Jarvis, Kaitlyn. Preconception Predator Stress Increases Anxiety-Like Behaviour in Response to Mild Stress in Adult Offspring. 2017. (J. Blundell)
• Kavanagh, Victoria. Another Look at Directed Forgetting: The List Method and Recognition Tests. 2017. (A. Surprenant)
• Lamkin, Rebecca. Serial Position Effects in Implicit Memory. 2017. (I. Neath)
• Lane, Hannah. Prevalence and Predictors of Sleeping Medication Use in University Students. 2017. (S. Garland)
• LeBlanc, Destiny. As Assessment of Response, Direction and Place Learning by Male and Female Rats in a Water T-Maze. 2017. (D. Skinner)
• Lehr. Joshua. Impact of MicroRNA-223 on Reactive Oxygen Species Production in Disease State Cells. 2017. (C. Moore)
• Luther, Megan. How Initial Greetings with Conspecifics Influence the Behavioural and Physiological Responses of Domestic Dogs in Off-Leash Dog Parks. 2017. (C. Walsh)
• McCarthy, Megan. Simple Odor Discrimination in a Locus Coeruleus Taupathy Model in Th-CRE Rats. 2017. (Q. Yuan)
• Morey, Kayla. "My Dog has Separation Anxiety": Does Owner Behaviour Influence Dog Behaviour and Hormones During the Strange Situation Test? 2017. (C. Walsh)
• Morgan, David. Analyzing Distress in Individuals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a Function of Social Capital. 2017. (K. Fowler)
• Pevie, Cally. The Relationship Between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Diagnoses of ADD/ADHA, PTSD and learning Disabilities. 2017. (K. Fowler)
• Power, Hilary. Does Self-Esteem Contribute to Status Anxiety? 2017. (M. May)
• Quirion, Jade. Characterization of the Onset and Severity of Synaptic Plasticity Deficits in the Q175FDN Knock-In Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. 2017. (M. Parsons)
• Randell, Nikki. Positive Mental Health and Male Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse: The Role of Social Support. 2017. (K. Fowler)
• Remedios, Joshua. The Relationship Between Coping and Psychosocial Well-Being in Young Adults with Cancer. 2017. (S. Garland)
• Robbins, Abby. Circadian Rhythm Disruption in Adolescence: The Relationship Between CRD, Cognitive Functioning, and Meal Time Regularity. 2017. (C. Thorpe)
• Rodriguez, Nicole. Power Off is Better Off: The Impact of LED-Backlit Device Use at Night on Insomnia Severity in University Students. 2017. (S. Garland)
• Saad, Meena. Evaluation of Hypothalamic Melanin-Concentrating Hormone Neurons in Magel2-null Mice at the Onset of Weight Gain. 2017. (M. Hirasawa)
• Taylor, Scott. He Begs, She Begs: Male and Female Atlantic Puffin Chicks Do not Differ in Feed Rate or Begging Behaviour. 2017. (A. Storey/D. Wilson)
• Van Wijk, Megan. Examining the Relationship Between Binge Eating Disorder (BED) and Insomnia Symptoms. 2017. (J. Carter-Major)
• Viguers, Kayla. The Effects of Circadian Rhythm Disruption on Memory Retention and The Compensating Role of the Food-Entrainable Oscillator. 2017. (C. Thorpe)
• Walsh, Emma. Social Comparisons and Status Anxiety. 2017. (M. Day)
• Warren. Christie. The Influence of Social Support on Psychological Distress in Canadian Adults with Bipolar Disorder. 2017. (K. Fowler)
• Williams, Sarah. The Importance of Consistency in Children's Injury Reports. 2017. (C. Peterson)
• Wilson, Stephanie. Examining Canadian Adolescents with ADD and ADHD in Terms of Prevalence, Gender and Mental Health: An Exploratory Analysis. 2017. (K. Fowler)
• Winters, Emily. Psychological Distress, Coping, and Adaptation to Disease in Patients Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. 2017. (K. Hadden)
• Banfield, Ashton. Perceptions of Discrimination and Prejudice Based on Mental Health: The Influence of Social Support in a Large Sample of Canadian Adults with Major Depressive Disorder. 2016. (K. Fowler)
• Barakji, Marwan. Investigating the Validity and Reliability of Adult Visual Acuity Obtained With Sweep Visually Evoked Potential: A Comparison With Teller Acuity Cards. 2016. (J. Drover and R. Adams)
• Barnes, Jocelyn. An Exploration into Methodologies for a Rat Model of Alzheimer’s Disease Based on a Model Which Proposes that Pathology is Initiated by Changes in Tau. 2016. (Harley, Martin, Yuan and McLean)
• Brown, Nicholas. Antipredator Escape Responses of Orange-Footed Sea Cucumbers (Cucumaria Frondosa) Do not Vary Along a Hydrodynamic Gradient. 2016. (D. Wilson and P. Gagnon)
• Burke, Michael. The Influence of Starting Orientation on Spatial Learning in Mice Using a Dry-Land T-Maze. (D. Skinner)
• Burt, Matthew. Does Motivation to Change Predict Treatment Outcome in Anorexia Nervosa? 2016. (J. Carter-Major)
• Devereaux, Sarah. Predictors of Life Satisfaction Among Canadian Adults Diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBM): The Impact of Social Support and Socio-Demographic Factors. 2016. (K. Fowler)
• Fahmy, Weyam. To Veil or Not To Veil? The Effect of Face Covering and Muslim Veils on the Perceived Credibility of a Witness. 2016. (B. Snook)
• Fang, Lisa. The Effects of Diet Cycling on Male and Female Mice. 2016. (M. Hirasawa)
• Field, Charlotte. An Exploratory Study Assessing the Needs and Subjective Well-Being of a National Sample of Canadian Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. 2016. (K. Fowler)
• Flynn, Katherine. Association Between Work Stress, Sleep, Age, and Sex in a Canadian Sample. 2016. (K. Fowler and S. Garland)
• Geizer, Brittany. MCL-1 Protein Protects Neural Precursor Cells During Nervous System Development. 2016. (J. Vanderluit)
• Gray, Courtney. A Comparison of Adult Vernier Acuity Using Sweep Visual Evoked Potentials and behavioural Techniques. 2016. (J. Drover/R. Adams)
• Hoffe, Laura. Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Which Factors Predict Level of Interference? 2016. (K. Fowler)
• Hudson, Chelsea. Predicting Working Memory Capacity Using Simple. 2016. (I. Neath)
• King, Lauren. Assessing the Validity and Reliability of The Neucodia Visual Evoked Potential System: A Comparison of Sweeped Visual Evoked Potential Acuity and Optotype Acuity. 2016. (J. Drover)
• Lenehan, Bridget. The Effect of Production on Memory for Familiar and Unfamiliar Faces. 2016. (K. Hourihan)
• MacIntyre, Iain. The Smell of Fear: Communication of Conditioned Fear Between Adult Rats. 2016. (Q. Yuan)
• Manstan, Whitney. Exploring the Link between Insomnia and Cancer. 2016. (K. Fowler)
• Mao, Rujia. Intrinsic Context Influence on Remembering and Forgetting Information. 2016. (K. Hourihan)
• Matthews, Rebecca. Prevalence of Breast Self-Examination in Canadian Women: Exploration of Sociodemographic Barriers. 2016. (K. Fowler)
• Maxwell, Kayleigh. Early Memories: The Thought Processes of Early Memory Dating. 2016. ( C. Peterson)
• McCardle, Meagan. Assessing Implementation of Section 146 of the YCJA: Comparing Police Language in Interactions with Adults and Youth. 2016. (B. Snook)
• Meulenkamp, Emma. Initiation of Breastfeeding Across Canada from 2002 to 2012. 2016. (K. Fowler)
• Milley, Kristen. Recognition Memory for Words in Picture Contexts. 2016. (A. Surprenant)
• Pardy, Mykala. The Impact of Personality on the Health-Related Quality of Life reported by Patients Suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease. 2016. (K. Hadden)
• Power, Andrea. The Rat Exposure Test: Extinguishing Predator Stress-Induced Fear Memory. 2016. (J. Blundell)
• Pryor, Mary. A Study of Face Recognition: The Comparison of the Recognition of Current-Ear Faces to Past-Ea Faces. 2016. (K. Hourihan)
• Reid, Carissa. The Effect of Temporal Landmarks on Early Memory Recall. 2016. (Peterson)
• Renouf, Alysha. The Impact of Irrelevant Tapping and Word Length on Serial Recall. 2016. (A. Surprenant and I. Neath)
• Rowe, Hillary. Using Wrist Actigraphy to Examine Sleep and Cognitive Functioning in University Students. 2016. (S. Garland)
• Ryan, Michael. The Effect of Perceived Social Mobility on Present Bias. 2016. (M. Day)
• Scurrey, Samantha. Obesity Epidemic: Exploring The Link Between Negative Interpersonal Relationships and Body Mass Index. 2016. (K. Fowler)
• Smith, Katherine. Neuroanatomical Localization of Phospho-MTOR in the Predator Stressed Rat Brain. 2016. (J. Blundell)
• Smith, Megan. Administering the Right-to-Silence and Right-to-Legal Counsel Cautions: A descriptive Study of Canadian Police Officers. 2016. (B. Snook)
• Tarrant, Rachel. Emotion Regulation and Health Related Quality of Life in Patients Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease. 2016. (K. Hadden)
• Tiller, Ryan. The Regulatory Effect of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) on Food Intake. 2016. (M. Hirasawa)
• Tumilty, Alexandra. Using the Satisfaction with Life Scale and The Health Utility Index as Measures of Quality of Life for Canadian Women Living with Osteoporosis. 2016. (K. Fowler)
• Upshall, Dylan. Changes in Microrna Expression in Astrocytes Subjected to Hypoxia. 2016. (Craig Moore)
• Vincent, Julia. Early Memories and Young Adults: Memory Dating Before and After the Critical Age. 2016. (Peterson)
• Wall, Kayla. Does Access to a Food Entrainable Oscillator Lead to Better Performance in a Daily Time-Place Learning Task? 2016. (Thorpe)
• Waring, Sydney. Tackling Eating Disorders Through Caregivers: Do Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Predict Caregiver Outcome in Emotion-Focused Family Therapy? 2016. (J. Carter-Major)
• Wynes, Rutanya. Cross-Cultural Differences in Digit Manipulation Interference on a Numeracy Judgment Task. 2016. (D. Hallett)
• Yetman, Brad. The Effect of Criminal Evidence on Judgments of Guilt: A Policy Capturing Approach. 2016. (B. Snook)
• Yildiz, Nadine. The Effects of Mathematics Automaticity Training on Math Anxiety. 2016. (D. Hallett)
• Abelseth, Brian. Does Variation in Oxytocin Alleles Predict Individual Differences in the Affiliative behaviour of Men? (A. Storey)
• Bennett, Katie. Pain and Social Support: The Role of Perceived Mental Health Status in Youth Adult Patients With Rheumatiod Arthritis. (K. Fowler)
• Benson, Teresa. Concreteness Effects and Its Implications for Working Memory Theory. (I. Neath)
• Blake, Lauren. The Rat Exposure test: A Potential Animal Model for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. 2015. (J. Blundell)
• Clarke, Shannon. Time Dependent Effect of Rapamycin on Consolidation of a Contextual Fear Memory. (J. Blundell)
• Collins, Katie. Understanding Gender Differences in Coping and Health Behaviours in Older People with Multiple Sclerosis. (M. Ploughman)
• Gallant, Kelly. Mid-Brain Distribution of Phospho-MTOR After Predator Stress. (J. Blundell)
• Gibson, Demi. Does the Presence of Symptoms of Psychopathology, Depression, and Trauma Affect Language Use in Early Autobiographical Memories? (C. Peterson)
• Guinchard, Michelle . Predictors of Disordered Eating Among Middle-Aged Women. (K. Fowler)
• Gulliver, Tracy. Alcoholism in the Canadian Population: An Examination of Psychosocial Health Status, Gender and Social Environment. (K. Fowler)
• Hogan, Sarah. The Role of BCL-XL in Embryonic Ventral Forebrain (J. Vanderluit)
• Lewis, Leanna. The Effect of Single Versus Multiple Meals on Performance in a Go No-Go Time-Of-Day Discrimination Task. (C. Thorpe)
• Lundrigan, Angela . Directed Forgetting: Can Context Reinstatement Strengthen Memory for Remember and Forget Cues? (K. Hourihan)
• Lye, Melissa. An Investigation of the Validity and Reliability of the Neucodia Visual Evoked Potential System: A Comparison to Optotype Visual Acuity. (J. Drover)
• Mahon, Kaitlyn. Exploring How Neighborhood Size Affects The recall of Words From Working Memory. (A. Surprenant)
• McDonald, Janet. "Food Addiction" as a Possible Predictor of Weight Regain in Obesity. (J. Carter-Major)
• Milnes, Lindsay. The Link Between Quality of Friendship Relationships, Psychological Health and Language Use in Autobiographical Memories of Friends. (C. Peterson)
• Murphy, Ryan. Facilitating Citizen Science Through Gamification. (J. Parsons [Business], A. Storey (Psychology], Y. Wiersma [Biology].
• Philpott, Emily. Cognitive Health in Seniors: Community and Social Support as Prevention for Cognitive Decline. (K. Fowler)
• Pond, Emily. The Influence of Socioeconomic Status on Psychological Distress in Canadian Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. (K. Fowler)
• Purchase, Nicole. An Odor-Association Learning Model for Transgenic Neonatal Mice. (Q. Yuan)
• Qin, Tirong. Importance of Social Support Provided by Partner and Community to International Students in Canadian Universities. (K. Fowler)
• Ralph, Nicole . Investigating the Neuroanatomical Localization of Phospho-MTOR in The Hippocampus Following Predator stress Interactions . (J. Blundell)
• Ricketts, Christopher. Investigating the Relationship Between Oxytocin Receptor Gene variation and personality in Dogs . (C. Walsh)
• Rockwood, Nadine. Metamemory for Studying: Students' Awareness of Effective Learning Strategies. (K. Hourihan)
• Ryan, N. Meagan. Assessing the Validity and Reliability of the Neucodia Visual Evoked Potential System: Measuring Monocular Resolution (Grating) Acuity in Adults. (J . Drover}
• Singleton, Christopher. Do Difficulties With Emotion Regulation Predict Weight Regain in Obesity. (J. Carter-Major)
• Wallace, Claire. Optogenetic Control of the Locus Coeruleus to Generate Long-term Potentiation of the Perforant Path-Evoked Potential in the Dentate Gyrus. (G. Martin)
• Walsh, Colin. Does Promoting Evolutionary Fitness Affect Men 's Willingness to Donate Sperm? (A. Storey)
• Warren, Raven. Emotion and Memory: The Impact of Valence and Arousal on Item Recall. (K. Hourihan)
• Albrechtsons, Hannah. Does Being a Mother Influence Childhood Memory? (C. Peterson)
• Cheema, Avineet. The Determination of Juror's Perception of Lawyers. (B. Snook)
• Churchill, Landon. Intentional Forgetting of Factual Information: A Comparison of Reliable and Unreliable Sources. (K. Hourihan)
• Derraugh, Lesley. Orthographic Neighbourhood Size as an Alternative to the Word Length Effect. (I. Neath)
• Doyle, Mario. Metacognitive Monitoring During Category Learning: How Success Affects Future Behaviour. (K. Hourihan)
• Forward, Tiffany. Improving Children's Accuracy and Completeness of Eyewitness Accounts Using a Streamlined Narrative Elaboration Technique. (C. Peterson)
• Gambin, Chelsea. Simulated Hearing Loss and Memory for Spoken Words. (A. Surprenant)
• Hickey, Kayla. The Effects of Social Context and Mastery on the Intention and Adherence to Mammography Screening. (K. Fowler)
• Hughes, Isaac. Locus Coeruleus Activation by Glutamate Strengthens Memory and Defends Memory Against Induced Stress. (G. Martin & C. Harley)
• McCarthy, Sarah. Risk, Decision-Making, Personality, and Financial Behavior: A Developmental Study. (R. Adams)
• O'Brien, Samantha. Adaptive Emotion Coping Strategies as an Intervening Factor in the Negative Association Between Self-Worth and Depression in Youth. (S. Francis)
• O'Leary, Janie. Making an Entrance: Factors Influencing Canine Chemosensory Investigation Patterns in a Dog Park. (C. Walsh)
• Peddle, Nicole. Is The Word Length Effect the Same as the Neighborhood Effect? (A. Surprenant)
• Pelley, Nicole. Methods of Division: What Works Best for Fourth Grade Students? (D. Hallett)
• Quinlan, Joshua. Position Error Gradients in the Brown-Peterson Paradigm. (I. Neath)
• Smith, Alexis. The Effect of Production on Memory for Face-Name Associations. (K. Hourihan)
• Snow, Anna. The Effect of Mathematic Automaticity Training on Mathematics Anxiety in Education Students. (D. Hallett & J. Hesson)
• Tobin, Sara. Phonological Precursors to Reading: What is the Phonological Path to Literacy? (C. Penney)
• Walsh, Melissa. The Role of Norepinephrine in the Olfactory Bulb: An Olfactory Memory Study of Odour Discrimination in the Adult Rat. (Q. Yuan)
• Ward, Burton. The Fetal Programming Effects of Salt on ADHD-Like Symptoms in Rats. (J. Blundell)
• Waye, Shannon. The Effects of Removing Either Ideothetic or Allothetic Cues on Spatial Navigation in Rats. (D. Skinner & G. Martin)
• Does Operation Span Score Based on Type of Recall, Distractor Placement, and List Length Predict Performance as well as an Original Operation Span Score? (I. Neath)
• Evaluation of Computer-Delivered Spelling Training: Do Effects Generalize to Reading Fluency? (C. Penney and D. Hallett)
• Children's Memories for Medical Emergencies: 10-Year Follow-up. (C. Peterson)
• An Examination of the Effects of Rapamycin on the Meal Patterns of Male Sprague-Dawley Rats (Rattus norvegicus) (J. Blundell)
• Validity and Reliability of the Plusoptix Vision Screener and the Suresight Autorefractor. (J. Drover)
• Dental Anxiety: A Cross-Generational Study. (M. Courage)
• The Effect of Lesions to the Dorsal Tegmental Nucleus on Direction Leaming in Rats. (D. Skinner)
• Coat Color and Behavior in Beagles: Do Owners of Bi-Colored Dogs Report More Behavior Problems? (C. Walsh)
• Pigs (Sus scrofa) Show Consistent Stress-Related Behaviours While Salivary Alpha-Amylase and Cortisol Levels Change in Response to Stressor Type. (C. Walsh)
• A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Preschool Vision Screening Tests. (J. Drover)
• Does the Noradrenergic Antidepressant Desipramine Have Addictive Qualities in Rats Following Chronic Administration? (S. Walling)
• Assessing Worry Through an Examination of Self-Management. and Mindfulness. (P. Mezo) Police Caution Comprehension: Identifying the Listenability Facto.rs that Contribute to Increased Comprehension of Legal Rights Using a Mock Crime Paradigm. (B. Snook)
• Searching for the Engram: Enhanced Pyramidal Cell Responses in the Piriform Cortex Parallel An Extended Early Oldor Preference Memory in Neonate Rats. (Q. Yuan)
• Analysis of the KGB Warning: Is it a Rapport Killer? (B. Snook)
• Are Slow Letter-Naming Times Due to Phonological or Orthographic Deficits? (C. Penney)
• Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the PlusoptiX S09 and the Welch-Allyn Suresight Autorefractor in a Pre-School Vision Screening Program. (J. Drover)
• New Techniques for Interviewing Young Children: The Streamlined Narrative Elaboration Technique. (C. Peterson)
• Testing Benchmark Working Memory Effects with a New Implementation of the Primary Model Under Forward and Backward Recall Conditions. (I. Neath)
• The Effects of Ketamine on Predator Stress-Induced Hyperarousal and Anxiety-Like Behaviours. (J. Blundell)
• The Role of Bcl-x in Embryonic Cortical Development. (J. Vanderluit)
• The Effect of Lesions on the Lateral Marnrnillary Nucleus on Direction Learning in Rats. (D. Skinner)
• Community Involvement as a Predictor of Mental Health: A Comparative Study of Gender Differences. (K. Fowler)
• Implicit and Explicit Attitude Measures: How Reliable and Valid are They? (M. Grant)
• The Effects of Norepinephrine Re-Uptake Inhibition and Status Epilepticus on Levels of Microglia Within the Hippocampus Using Immunohistochemical Detection of IBA-1. (S. Walling)
• The Effect of Predator Stress on Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis. (J. Blundell)
• Life Satisfaction as a Predictor of Chronic Distress in Those Living with Cancer, Diabetes and Heart Disease. (K. Fowler)
• The Effectiveness of Online Math Facts Training in Ninth Grade Students' Fractions Aptitude. (D. Hallett)
• Comparison of Absolute Thresholds in the Human Senses of Vision, Audition, Touch, and Pain. (M. Mercer)
• The Production Effect: The Effects of Divided Attention on Encoding. (K. Hourihan)
• Examination of Ultrasonic Vocalizations and Behavioural Activation in the Prediction and Expression of 48 Hour Odor Preference Memory in Neonate Rats. (J. Maclean)
• Role of BCLXL In Embryonic Spinal-Cord Developmental of Mice. (J. Vanderluit)
• The Effect of Rapamycin Injection Time Post-Predator Stress on Recurrent Rounds of Fear Memory Consolidation. (J. Blundell)
• The Effect of Rapamycin on Hyperarousal and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Predator Stressed Rats. (J. Blundell)
• Repeated Inhibition of Mtorci Via Rapamycin Produces a Reduction in Food Intake and Body Weight Gain in Rats. (J. Blundell)
• Validation of "The Coping Styles Questionnaire for Social Situations" (CSQSS) in a Clinical Sample of Social Anxiety. (P. Mezo)
• Metamemory for Emotional Stimuli and Neutral Stimuli. (K. Hourihan)
• The Roles of Parental Anxiety Sensitivity, Communication, and Affective Responsiveness in Child Anxiety Sensitivity. (S. Francis)
• Cultural Differences and Susceptibility to Advertisement Strategy. (J. Wood)
• Effectiveness of a Modified Liverpool Interview Protocol. (B. Snook)
• Testing the Accuracy and Reliability of the Plusoptix Vision Screener and the Suresight Autorefractor. (J. Drover)
• The Effect of Repeated Exposure to Palatable Food: The Development of Food Preference in the Lateral Hypothalamus. (M. Hirashawa)
• Mealtime Behavioural Correlates of Activity-Based Anorexia in Male Rats (Rattus Norvegicus). (G. Grant)
• Understanding the Roles of Social Support and Community Belonging in Mammography Acquisition. (K. Fowler)
• Acute Inhibition of Mtor Kinase Via Systemic Rapamycin Blocks Weight Gain and Food Intake in Rats Under Normal Dietary. (J. Blundell)
• Validity and Inter-Tester Reliability of a Computer-Based Instrument of Contrast Sensitivity. (J. Drover)
• Analysis of Neuronal Degeneration in the Rodent Hippocampus Following Chronic Inhibition of Norepinephrine Reuptake and Status Epilepticus. (S. Walling)
• An Intervention for Procedural and Conceptual Understanding of Fractions. (D. Hallett)
• Childhood Amnesia: A Longitudinal Study. (C. Peterson)
• Directional Heading, Not Location Cues, Underlies Successful Place Location. (G. Martin)
• "What Does magical Number 7 Have to do With My Math Skills?": Investigating the Link Between Mathematical Ability and Working Memory. (D. Hallett)
• Individual Differences in Media Multitasking Among University Students. (M. Courage)
• The Role of Epac, An Exchange Protein Activated by cAMP, in Mammalian Olfactory Memory: An Analysis of Short-Term Memory and Odor Discrimination in the Neonate Rat. (J. MacLean)
• The Moderating Effect of Social Support Types on the Psychological Well-Being of Individuals at High Risk for Eating Disorders. (K. Fowler)
• Immunohistochemical Analysis of the Effect of Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibition and Status Epilepticus on Microglosis in the Rodent Hippocampus. (S. Walling)
• Judgments About Political Candidates as a Function of Their Attractiveness, Age, and Gender. (M. Grant)
• Chronic Distress and Eating Disorders: The Moderating Effect of Social Support. (K. Fowler)
• Attitude Inoculation via the Peripheral Route. (J. Wood)
• The Relation Between Self-Monitoring and Mindfulness Constructs. (P. Mezo)
• The Effects of Lesions to the Postsubiculum on Direction Learning in Rats. (D. Skinner)
• The Effect of Minimization Techniques on the Perception of Leniency. (B. Snook)
• Extiction of Predator Stress-Induced Fear Memories. (J. Blundell)
• Ensuring a Successful Re-Entry Into the Community and a Reduction in Recidivism Rates: Exploring the Reintegration Challenges Faced by Formerly Incarcerated Male Offenders. (K. Fowler)
• The Effect of Nociceptin in the Hypothalamus: Implications for Palatable Food Intake. (Dr. Hirasawa)
• Distribution of the Gaping Response in a Contextual Discrimination Task. (D. Skinner)
• Predictors of Mental Health in Canadian Immigrants: Exploring the Impact of Social Environment on Chronic Distress. (K. Fowler)
• Inhibition of Extinction of a Predator Stress-Memory is Rescued by Corticosterone Following Extinction Trials.  ( J. Blundell)
• An Analysis of the Ability of a Rat to Return to Varying Start Locations When the Food Location is Fixed. (G. Martin)
• Irrelevant Speech Effects and Statistical Learning of Tone Sequences. (A. Surprenant)
• Does a Long-Term Memory Task Predict Short-Term Memory Performance? (I. Neath)
• Is Chronicity of Distress in Canadian Lone Mothers a Function of Social Support or Socioeconomic Status. (K. Fowler)
• The Effect of Starting Point Differentiation in the Solution of Place Problems on an Open Field Maze. (G. Martin)
• Prophylactic and Therapeutic Responses to EMD in Predator Stress Model of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. (R. Adamec)
• Gender Differences in Children's Emotional Expression in Fantasy Narratives. (C. Peterson)
• Do Rats Use Time-of-Day as an "Occasion Setter" or as a Discriminative Stimulus in a Daily Time-Place Learning Task? (C. Thorpe)
• The Relationship Between Social Activities of Dogs (Cants familiaris) in a Dog Park and Cortisol. (C. Walsh)
• A Evaluation of the Validity and Reliability of a New Computer-Based Instrument for Vision Testing. (J. Drover)
• Visualizing the Changes of Glutamatergic AMPA and NMDA Receptor Expressions in the Olfactory Bulbs of Neonatal Rats Following Early Odor Preference Training. (Q. Yuan)
• The Effects of Lesions to the Anterior Dorsal Thalamus on Direction Learning in Rats. (D. Skinner)
• Young Adults' Recall of Sentence Final Words in Noise. (A. Surprenant)
• Immunohistochemical Analysis of the Effects of Norepinephrine on microglia in Norman Rats and After Pilocarpine-Induced Status Epilepticus in a Rodent Model of Temporal Lobe Epilespy. (S. Walling)
• Changes in an Interval Time Place Learning task with the Introduction of Breaks in Reinforcement. (C. Thorpe)
• The Parental Influences on Child Anxiety: An Examination of the Moderating Effects of Control Through Guilt on the Relationship Between Child Anxiety and Parental Discipline. (S. Francis)
• A Rodent Model of Vascular Cognitive Impairment: Assessing the Effects of Stroke in Prefrontal Cortex and Thalamus Using an Attentional Set Shifting Task. (D. Corbett)
• An Exploratory Analysis of the Relationship Between Sexual Intercourse, Social Support and Mental Health. (K. Fowler)
• The Effect of Rapamycin on the Consolidation of Non-Associate Fear Memories. (J. Blundell)
• Corticosterone Facilities Extinction of Hyperarousal in Predator Stressed Mice. (J. Blundell)
• Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System: A Test of Inter-Rater Reliability. (B. Snook)
• Measuring Comprehension of the Right-to-Legal Counsel Caution in a Mock Investigative Interview. (B. Snook)
• Satisfaction of Family Relationships as a Predictor of Mental Health and Well-Being. (K. Fowler)
• Hearing Impairments and Mental Health in Canadian Men and Women: Exploring the Impact of Social Support. (K. Fowler)
• Characterization of Synaptic Alterations, and the Influence of Noradrenergic Tone in the Rodent Hippocampus After Status Epilepticus. (S. Walling)
• Spatial Memory in Non-Immersive Virtual Environments. (C. Thorpe)
• What is the New Information Telling Us? A Deeper Look at Late-Appearing Information on Children's Accounts of a Personally-Experienced Injury. (C. Peterson)
• The Decline of Four Visual Functions with Age. (J. Drover)
• Parental Anxiety Cognitions and Child Anxiety Sensitivity: Does a Correlation Exist? (S. Francis)
• Delayed Ne-Induced Potentiation of the Dentate Gyrus in Freely Moving Rats. (S. Walling/J. Evans)
• Comprehension of Police KGB Warning: The Potential Effect on Rapport-Building. (B. Snook)
• Immunohistochemical Analysis of the Effects of Norepinephrine on Astrogliosis after Status Epilepticus in a Rodent Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. (S. Walling)
• The Moderating Effect of Social Support on the Level of Distress and Life Satisfaction in Patients Diagnosed with Diabetes. (K. Fowler)
• The Relationship Between Breastfeed and Sexuality: Sexual Functioning Pre-Pregnancy and Postpartum. (E. Hannah)
• Age-Related Changes in Three Visual Functions. (J. Drover)
• Evaluation of a New Sinusoidal Optotype for Assessing Human Spatial Vision. (R. Adams)
• Exploring the Relationship Between Social Environment and Distress in Canadians Living with Cancer. (K. Fowler)
• Personality, Cortisol Levels and Conspecific Behaviour in Domestic Dogs. (C. Walsh)
• The Mediating Effects of Social Support for Seniors Suffering from Depression. (K. Fowler)
• Adult Hippocampal Neurogensis Following Predator Stress in Rats. (J. Blundell)
• An Examination of Response, Direction and Place Learning by Mice in a Water T-Maze. (D. Skinner)
• The Moderating Effects of Stress on the Rumination-Depression Relationship in an Undergraduate Sample of Women. (P. Mezo)
• Community Attachment, Social Support and Depression. (K. Fowler)
• Experiences of Caregiving for Young Carers. (C. Arlett)
• Developing a Rodent Model of Learned Non-Use. (D. Corbett)
• Time of Day Understanding in Four-year-old Children using a Time-Place-Learning Paradigm. (D. Hallett/C. Thorpe)
• Olfactor Bulb Protein Expression in Rat Pups Following Single or Multiple-Trial Odor preference Training. (J. McLean)
• The Effects of Varying the Number of Re-Exposures to a Context on Fear Memory Extinction in Predator Stressed Mice. (J. Blundell)
• Tuning Up Focal Ischemia: The Effects of Task Specific Repeated Rehabilitation in Rats. (D. Corbett)
• Investigating the Role of the Ubiquitin-Proteasome Pathway in Early Odor Preference Learning. (Q.Yuan)
• Dominance in Domestic Dogs ( Canis familiaris ): No Evidence for Social Hierarchy Formation in Transient Social Groups. (C. Walsh)
• Comparing the Outcome of Two Modes of Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) Delivery and Investigating How Personality may be Associated with PMR Outcome. (P. Mezo)
• Will You Hear Opportunity Knocking? Examining Auditory Perceptual Training in Older Adults. (A. Surprenant)
• Strategies for Coda-Delection and their Relation to Phonemic Awareness. (C. Penney)
• The Effects of Rapamycin on Long-Lasting Anxiety-Like Behaviour and Hyperarousal in Predator Stressed Rats. (J. Blundell)
• Students’ Attitudes Toward Decision Making Strategies. (B. Snook)
• At Face Value: The Effect of Attractiveness on Facebook Friend Request Approval. (M. Grant)
• Effects of Age and Trauma on Markers of Autophagy in Neurons. (J. Webber)
• Aging and Memory: The Effect of Cue Type on Implicit Memory Recall. (A. Surprenant)
• The Effect of Work Stress on Severity of Depression in Men and Women. (K. Fowler)
• Conditioned Taste Aversion and Avoidance by Wheel Running in Rats. (V. Grant)
• Adult Detection of Deception in Children: Effect of Coaching and Age on Both True and Fabricated Reports of Injuries. (C. Peterson)
• Assessing Vision in Children and Young Adults Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. (R. Adams)
• The Effect of Housing Conditions on the Expression of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in Rats After Alternating Days of Exercise. (D. Corbett)
• Early Exposure Effect on Time-Place-Learning Task. (C. Thorpe)
• The Effects of Variable Home Locations, Food Sites and Memory on Path Integration in Rats. (G. Martin)
• Glucocorticoid Inhibition Blocks Extinction of Hyperarousal in Predator-Stressed Mice. (J. Blundell)
• Hyperarousal and Anxiety-like Behavior in Rats When Exposed to a Combined Predator Scent. (J. Blundell)
• Effects of High Fat Diet on the Lateral Hypothalamus. (M. Hirasawa)
• Thought Processes of Women and Men in the Maintenance of Depression. (K. Fowler)
• Exploring Perceptions of Body Satisfaction and the Moderating Effects of Social Support and Gender. (K. Fowler)
• “You are what you drink!” A Preliminary Analysis of Beverage Consumption in University Students. (B. Roebothan)
• Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge: Grade 8 Students’ Understanding of Fractions. (D. Hallett)
• Stress Levels and Coping Mechansism in Heterosexual and Non-Heterosexual University Students. (O. Heath)
• Effect of HSP27 on Primary Cortical Cells Treated with Beta Amyloid. 2009. (K. Mearow)
• What “Shocks and Appalls” the Community? Public Attitudes Toward Police Interrogation Techniques. 2009. (B. Snook)
• Social Support, Community Attachment and Reported Mental Health in Rural and Urban Newfoundland. 2009. (K. Fowler)
• Path Integration Requires a Fixed Home or a Fixed Food Site. 2009. (G. Martin)
• Developing a Model of Learned Nonuse in Rats. 2009. (D. Corbett)
• A Complexity Analysis of Canadian Police Cautions: The Right to Silence and Right to Legal Counsel. 2009. (B. Snook)
• Heart Disease and Self-Perceived Health; Exploring the Moderating Effects of Social Support. 2009. (K. Fowler)
• Developing an Animal Model of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder by Means of Predator Scent Stress. 2009. (R. Adamec/J. Blundell)
• Orthographic Neighborhood as an Explanation for the Word Length Effect. 2009. (I. Neath)
• Time-Place Learning in Young Children. 2009. (C. Thorpe)
• Retention of Place Memory by Rats in a Water Maze. 2009. (Dr. Skinner and G. Martin)
• Cognition Over the Lifespan: Auditory Perceptual Training for Older Adults. 2009. (A. Surprenant)
• An Examination of Response, Direction and Place Learning by Mice in a Water T-Maze. 2009. (D. Skinner)
• What Children Recall Over Time: An Investigation of the Content and Characteristics of Children’s Recalled and Forgotten Earliest Memories. 2009. (C. Peterson)
• Assessment of Anxiety Symptoms in Clinical and Non-Clinical Children: Investigating the Correspondence with Parental Anxiety. 2009. (S. Francis)
• Associations and Temporal-Context in a Paired-Associate Paradigm of Memory. 2009. (A. Surprenant)
• Gender Differences in Loneliness and Shyness in Relation to Alcohol Abuse in College Students. 2009. (C. Arlett)
• Prolactin and Breastfeeding Rates: Can Breastfeeding Success Increase by Enhancing Prolactin Reactivity? 2009. (A. Storey)
• Glutamatargic Activation of Locus Coeruleus Does Not Enhance Memory of a Morris Water Maze Place-Learning Task. 2009. (C. Walsh)
• Representative Models of Stroke: Considering the Silent and Comorbid Epidemic. 2009. (D. Corbett)
• Intrahippocampal Infusion of the β-Adrenoreceptor Agonist Isoproterenol Potentiates the Perforant Path-Evoked Population Spike in the Dentate Gyrus of Urethane-Anesthetized Rats. 2009. (C. Harley)
• A Small Dose of Amphetamine and a Short Episode of Wheel Running: Their Effects Alone and in Combination on Feeding in the Rat. 2009. (G. Grant)
• A Look at Multiple Environmental Factors and Their Potential Relationship to the Level of Childhood Anxiety, Anxiety Sensitivity and Depression. 2009. (S. Francis)
• Using Predator Scent Stress to Develop a Preclinical Model of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. 2009. (R. Adamec/J. Blundell)
• Effect of Adolescent Social Isolation on Activity-Based Anorexia in Rats. 2009. (G. Grant)
• Object, Location or Time?: The Properties that Play a Privileged Role in the Binding of Memories. 2009. (A. Surprenant)
• Developing an Animal Model of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Comparing the Anxiogenic Effects of Two Predator Scent Stress Paradigms in Mice. 2009. (R. Adamec/J. Blundell)
• The Incubation Effect with Multi-Solution Anagrams: Does Prior Work Matter? 2009. (C. Thorpe)
• Fear-Memory Extinction Rescues Anxiogenic Behaviour in Predator Stressed Mice. 2009. (J. Blundell/R. Adamec)
• The Effect of an Exposure Period on T-Maze Learning in Rats. 2009. (G. Martin)
• Like Mother, Like Daughter? Parent and Child Narrative Styles Five Years Later. 2009. (C. Peterson)
• Revisiting a Rural Fishing Community Sixteen Years After the Industry Closed: A Case Study of Resident Resilience. 2009. (K. Fowler)
• Investigating Whether Irrational Beliefs Differentially Predict Anxiety and Depression in an Undergraduate Population. 2009. (P. Mezo)
• The role of CREB and pCREB in the Periaqueductal Gray in Neuroplasticity and Anxiety. (R. Adamec)
• The Role of CRF R1 in the Initiation and Consolidation of Anxiety in Mice following Predator Exposure. (R. Adamec)
• Assessing ‘minor’ Stroke in Rodents: Emotional and Cognitive Alterations Following Left Cingulate Cortex Ischemia. (D. Corbett)
• Testing the Combination of Stem Cell Transplantation and Rehabilitation after Focal Ischemia in Rats. (D. Corbett)
• Individual Differences in Infants’ Ability to Resist Distraction During Toy Play. (M. Courage)
• Anxiety Sensitivity in Children: Examining Parental Predictors. (S. Francis)
• Predicting Child Anxiety: The Influence of Parental Beliefs About Anxiety and Parental Stress. (S. Francis)
• The Relationship Between Parental Beliefs about Anxiety and Children’s Levels of Anxiety and Depression. (S. Francis)
• Conditioned Taste Aversions for Assessing Naloxone-Precipitated Withdrawal in Non-Deprived Exercising Rats. (G. Grant)
• Stress Induced in Rats by Swimming in Cool or Warm Water is Indicated by Increased Fecal Output but not Conditioned Taste Avoidance. (G. Grant)
• Using Conditioned Taste Avoidance to Assess Naloxone-Precipitated Withdrawal from Endogenous Opiates Released by Wheel Running in Rats. (G. Grant)
• A Comparison of Measures of Implicit and explicit Stereotypes about Mental Illness: The Good, the bad, and the ugle. (M. Grant)
• Children’s Conceptual and Procedural Understanding of Fractions: Individual Differences in Learning Profiles. (D. Hallett)
• “If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do, and how to do it”: Orientation changes as a contextual cue in response reversal learning. (G. Martin)
• Phosphodiesterase Inhibitor for Potentiation and Prolongation of Odor Preference Memory in the Serotonin Disrupted Neonate Rat Pup. (J. McLean)
• The Requirement of Transcription at Different Time Points in Formation of Olfactory Memory in the Neonate Rat. (J. McLean)
• The Self-Management Correlates of Social Anxiety. (P. Mezo)
• Proactive Interference in Short-Term Memory: Replication of a Study by Hanley & Scheirer (1975). (I. Neath)
• Testing Three Benchmark Immediate Serial Recall Effects with Backwards Recall: Implications for Models of Short-Term/Working Memory. (I. Neath)
• Adult Detection of Deception in Children. (C. Peterson)
• “And Then What Happened?”: A Follow-up Investigation of the Impact of Narrative Intervention on Pre-Literacy in Preschoolers. (C. Peterson)
• Narrative Elaboration Training: Does it Enhance the Recall of Injuries in Children Aged 3 to 7 Years? (C. Peterson)
• Statistical Models of Infantile Amnesia: Predicting Measures of Early Memory. (C. Peterson)
• Think Way Back: A two-Year Follow-up Investigating Infantile Amnesia in Children and Adolescents. (C. Peterson)
• Getting Oriented on the Elevated Radial Arm Maze. (D. Skinner)
• Asking the Right Question? An Examination of Canadian Police Interviewing of Witnesses. (B. Snook)
• Are Canadian Police Officers Using the Red Model of Interrogation? A Content Analysis of Police Interrogation Videos. (B. Snook)
• Police Decision Making: Fast and Frugal or Complex and Calculating? (B. Snook)
• The Impact of Empathy, Belief in a Just World, and Attitudes Toward the Justice System on Bail Decision-Making. (B. Snook)
• Prosodic Cues Affecting Memory in Music as a Function of Expertise. (A. Surprenant)
• The Effect of Neighbourhood Size and Bigram Frequency on the Word Length Effect in Nonwords. (A. Surprenant)
• The Effects of Lay Order and Feeding Frequency on Neural Development in the European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). (C. Walsh)
• Effects of Intermittent Binge Alcohol Exposure on Motor Function in Adolescent Rats. (J. Weber)
• The Effect of Binge Alcohol Exposure on Cerebellar Purkinje Cell Death in Adolescent Rats. (J. Weber)
• The Effect of a Recent History of Mild Stress on Vulnerability to the Anxiogenic Effects of Submersion Stress. (R. Adamec)
• Measuring Refractive Error in Young Children and Adults: The Reliability of the Welch Allyn SureSight Non-Cycloplegic Autorefractor. (R. Adams)
• The Role of Squeaking Vocalizations in the Feeding Social Interactions of Grey Wolves (Canis lupus). (R. Anderson)
• The Effect of a High Fat and Sugar Diet on Motor Function Recovery Following Focal Ischemia in Rats. (D. Corbett)
• The Influence of Infant-Directed Videos in Six-Month-Old Infants Attention, Toy Play, and Social Interactions. (M. Courage)
• Anorexia Induced in Rats by Wet Restraint but not by Forced Swimming. (G. Grant)
• The Effects of Activity Anorexia on the Feeding Behaviors of Rats. (G. Grant)
• The Induction of a Romantic Mood and Its Effect on Perceived Physical Attractiveness. (M. Grant)
• The Role of Arm Novelty in Olton Maze Performance. (G. Martin)
• An Analysis of Sensory Neuron Populations with Differing Growth Responses - Using Microarrays to Quantitate Cellular Differences. (K. Mearow)
• Requirement of Protein Synthesis for Olfactory Memory in the Neonate Rat Pup. (J. McLean)
• An Evaluation of Co-Morbidity of Attention Deficit Disorder with Memory Deficits in Elementary School Aged Children. (C. Penney)
• Relationships Between Reading, Mathematical, and Letter-and Number-Naming Skills in Grade Four and Five Students. (C. Penney)
• The Co-Morbidity of Reading Deficits and Inattention in Elementary School Children. (C. Penney)
• Vowel Identity as a Precursor to Literacy. (C. Penney)
• Equivalent Response Learning in the Presence and Absence of Visual Cues. (D. Skinner)
• Ingested Lithium Chloride can Produce Context Avoidance in Rats. (D. Skinner)
• Judging the Veracity of Suicide Notes: An Examination of the Matching Heuristic Versus Logistic Regression. (B. Snook)
• Logistic Regression Versus the Matching Heuristic Judging the Veracity of Sexual Assault Statements. (B. Snook)
• Modeling Judgements of the Veracity of Suicide Notes: Take the best Heuristic Versus Logistic Regression. (B. Snook)
• Perceptual and Memory Spaces in Older and Younger Adults. (A. Surprenant)
• The Effects of Maternal Deprivation on Social Behaviour in Sus Scrofa: An Adaptation of the Haller Box for Pigs. (C. Walsh)
• Long-Lasting Changes in Rodent Affect After Submersion Stress: The Role of Glucocorticoid, mineralocorticoid and noradrenergic receptor activation. (R. Adamec)
• Neural Circuitry Mediating Lasting Changes in Rodent Anxiety-like Behaviour Following Predator Stress: Involvement of the Basolateral and Central Amygdaloid Nuclei. (R. Adamec)
• The Use of a New Contrast Sensitivity Test to Screen Eye and Vision Diseases in Preschool Children. (R. Adams)
• Ambiguous Mental Images: An Exploration of Mental Imagery. (R. Anderson)
• The Effect of Image Part Concreteness on Performance in the Mental Synthesis Task. (R. Anderson)
• A Study Assessing the Differences Between Male and Female Self-Reported Gamblers in the General Population of Canada in Terms of Self-Reported Physical and Mental health, Social Support and Coping (K. Fowler)
• Attending Religious Services, Prayer as a Means of Coping and Perceived Health: Religion as Social Support. (K. Fowler)
• Mmmmm, Chocolate: Predictors of Binge Eating Accross Gender in a Community Sample. (K. Fowler)
• Predicting Binge Eating Frequency in a Canadian Population Based Sample: An Investigation into Self-Rated Mental Health, Self-Rated Health, Age, Sex, Income Adequacy, Body Mass Index and Depression. (K. Fowler)
• Sense of Belonging and Social Support: Gender Differences in Predicting Physical and Mental Health. (K. Fowler)
• Pairings of forced Swimming with a Distinctive Place and Taste Produce Conditioned Place Preference But Not a Conditioned Taste Avoidance. (G. Grant)
• The Relationship Between Target Attractiveness and the Attribution of Homosexuality Across Gender, Age, and Ethnicity. (M. Grant)
• Using Forced Wheel Running to Produce a Conditioned Place Preference in Male Rats. (G. Grant)
• Dose-Dependent Effects of Orexin-A on C-Fos Immunoreactivity in the Locus Coeruleus and Raphe. (C. Harley)
• The Effect of Serotonin Depletion and PDE4 Inhibition on Conditioned Olfactory Learning (C. Harley)
• The Effects of Propranolol on Memory for a Spatial Task in Rats. (C. Harley)
• Comparison of Odor Detection: Thresholds Following Repeated Threshold and Suprathreshold Testing. (C. Malsbury)
• Effect of Participant Expectations of Odour Effectiveness on Handgrip Strength (B. McKim)
• Children’s Ability to Recall a Specific Incident Out of a Series of Repeated Events. (C. Peterson)
• Children's Ability to Recall the Middle Incident in a Repeated Event. (C. Peterson)
• Interrelationships Between Narrative Ability and Pre-literacy Skills in Economically Disadvantaged Preschoolers. (C. Peterson)
• The Influence of Temperament on Pre-literacy Skills Among Preschoolers. (C. Peterson)
• The Relationship Between Attachment Security and Narrative Ability. (C. Peterson)
• Using Social Stories to Modify Behaviours of a Child with Autism in the Home Setting. (M. Rabinowitz)
• Contextual Control Over Taste Aversion: Specific vs. Generalized Aversion to Fluid Consumption. (D. Skinner)
• The Contribution of Surface Properties to Place Learning in the Rat. (D. Skinner)
• Criminal Profiling Use and Belief: A Survey of Canadian Police Officers. (B. Snook)
• Criminal Profiling: Examining the Illusion of Validity. (B. Snook)
• The Effects of Physical Characteristics on Judgments of Criminal Guilt. (B. Snook)
• The Impact of Perceived Expertise on Criminal Profiling Belief. (B. Snook)
• The Use of Heuristics by Armed Street Robbers. (B. Snook)
• The Use of the Recognition Heurstic in Time Constrained Environments. (B. Snook)
• The Effect of Maternal Deprivation on Anxiety-like Behaviour in Miniature Pigs. (C. Walsh)
• pCREB Expression in the Right-Lateral Column of the periaqueductal Gray (PAG) as an Indicator of PTSD. (R. Adamec)
• The Role of Beta-Noradrenergic and Glucocorticoid Receptors in Lasting Effects of Predator Stress on Rodent Affect. (R. Adamec)
• The Submersion Stress and Predator Stress Models of Rodent Anxiety-like Behavior (ALB) - A comparison of post-stress behavioral profiles. (R. Adamec)
• Screening Preschool Children for Visual Disorders: How Accurate is the Welch Allyn SureSight Autorefractor? (R. Adams)
• Qualifying the Effects of Ethnic Stereotypes: The Role of Age and Attractivness on Perception of Intelligence. (C. Button)
• Cytotoxic Lesions of the Hippocampus Cause Deficits in Acquisition of a Spatial-Memory Task Using Auditory Rather Than Visual Cues. (J. Evans/D. Corbett)
• Delayed Minocycline Treatment Promotes Long-Term Functional Outcome in a Rodent Model of Focal Ischemia. (D. Corbett)
• The Effects of Exercise in a Rodent Model of Vascular Dementia. (D. Corbett)
• Learnaing Disabilities and the Canadian Adult Population: An Exploratory Investigation into Health and Psychosocial Determinants and Outcomes. (K. Fowler)
• Psycho-Social Determinants and Health Related Consequences of Eating Disorders in the Canadian Adult Population. (K. Fowler)
• Social Interaction in Juvenile Male Rats Produces a Weak Facilitation of Feeding But Not Conditioned Taste Aversion. (G. Grant)
• Sex Differences in Stereotype-Based Expectations of Leadership. (M. Grant)
• Subverting Stereotypes with Style: The Role of Stylistic Appearance in Gender Stereotyping. (M. Grant)
• Union Members’ Perceived Attitude Similarity with a Union Supporter and a Non-Union Supporter. (M. Grant)
• The Influence of Target Gender, Age, and Attractiveness on the Perception of Mental Illness. (T. Hannah)
• Evidence for Orexin Intervation of Neurons Projecting to the Ventral Subiculum From the Paraventricular Nucleus of the Thalamus. (G. Kirouac)
• Auditory Cues Modulate But Do Support Place Learning. (G. Martin)
• Wherever You Walk, There You Are: Active Locomotion Improves Path Integration Resetting On a Radial Arm Maze. (G. Martin)
• Evolutionary Psychology and Gender Preferences in Perceived Situations and their Relationship to Human Mate Selection. (B. McKim)
• The Effect of Reading Transformed Print on Reading Comprehension. (C. Penney)
• Content of Early Memories for Children and Adults. (C. Peterson)
• Distinguishing Between Truth and Lie-Telling. (C. Peterson)
• Factors Influencing Preschoolers’ Memory: One Year Follow-up. (C. Peterson)
• Improving Pre-Literacy and Narrative SKills in Economically Disadvantaged Preschoolers: A One-Year Follow-Up. (C. Peterson)
• Memory Fluency in Children and Adults. (C. Peterson)
• Response, Direction, and Place Learning in Rats on a Double Plus Maze. (D. Skinner)
• Recognizing NHL Greatness with an Ignorant Heuristic. (B. Snook)
• The Adaptive Function of Confirmation Bias in Decision-Making. (B. Snook)
• The Effect of Additional Information on Accuracy and Confidence When Making Geographic Profiling Predictions. (B. Snook)
• Limbic Neural Plasticity Induced inthe Periaqueductal Gray (PAG) by Predator Stress: An Examination of the Involvement of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BCNF). (R. Adamec)
• Modelling Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Mice: Anxiogenic Effects of predator Stress. (R. Adamec)
• A New Test for Measuring Contrast Sensitivity in Infants and Young Children. (R. Adams)
• Accurancy of the Welch Allyn SureSight Autorefractor in Detecting Early Visual Disorders in Preschool Children. (R. Adams)
• Eating Disorders in Relation to Perceived Stress, Coping, and Self Discrepancy Theory. (C. Arlett)
• Gender Roles Stress and Self-Discrepancy Theory. (C. Arlett)
• An Epidemic of Stigma: The Pervasiveness of Negative Attitudes Toward Those Infected with HIV/AIDS. (K. Fowler)
• Profiling the “At Risk” Gambler in Canada: An Exploration of Physical, Mental & Psychosocial Health Status & Social Environment. (K. Fowler)
• Motorized Wheel Running Produces Place Preference in Male Rats. (G. Grant)
• Categorical and Individuating Information: Forming Impressions of Caucasians and Asians. (M. Grant)
• How Does the Level of Disability of a Child with Cerebral Palsy Impact on Marital and Family Functioning? (K. Hadden)
• How is Functioning in Siblings of Children who Have Cerebral Palsy Affected by Family Functioning and Severity of Physical Disability. (K. Hadden)
• The Influence of Past Personal Experiences of Physical Pain on Assessing Pain in Others. (K. Hadden)
• Norepinephrine-Induced Long-Term Potentation in the Rat Dentate Gyrus Following Orexingergic Activation of the Locus Coeruleus. (C. Harley)
• Recording Cells in the Dinecephalon of Behaving Rats. (C. Harley)
• The Role of β-Noradrenergic Receptors in Orexin-A-Induced Odor Preference for the Adult Rat. (C. Harley)
• The Role of Phosphorylated NMDA Receptors in Odour Preference Learning in Neonate Rats. (J. McLean/C. Harley)
• What Factors Influence Reading Ability in Deaf Individuals? (C. Penney)
• Making the Case of Intervention: Variables Affecting Pre-literacy Skill and Narrative Ability Among Preschoolers from Economically Disadvantaged Households. (C. Peterson)
• Preschooler’s Memory: What Makes the Difference? (C. Peterson)
• Relationships Between Parents’ Conversation Style and Content and Children’s Memory, Narrative Skill, and Attachment: A Direct Comparison Between Factors. (C. Peterson)
• Telling a Story: Mommy and Memory Relate to Narrative Ability. (C. Peterson)
• The Story Before Intervention: The Factors Influencing Pre-Literacy Skills Among Economically Disadvantaged Preschoolers. (C. Peterson)
• Rats Fail to Path Integration in the Presence of Familiar Cues. (D. Skinner)
• The Role of the Retrosplenial Cortex in Allothetic and Ideothetic Navigational Strategies. (D. Skinner)
• Physiological Responsiveness of First-Time Fathers to Child Stimuli: How Important is Paternal Experience? (A. Storey/D. Mackay)
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Department of Linguistics

• Honors Theses

Linguistics 99

Senior Tutorial Linguistics 99 is a full course intended for the researching and writing of an honors thesis, under the supervision of a faculty member. (Recall furthermore that Honors students are expected to begin exploring possible thesis topics during Linguistics 98b , the spring semester Junior Year Tutorial.) Final responsibility for assigning the thesis advisor rests with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, although every effort is made to accommodate students’ wishes in this respect.

Thesis Guidelines

The deadline for submission of the senior thesis is 5 p.m. on the last weekday before the beginning of spring recess. Extensions are granted only under the most extreme circumstances.

The thesis should be submitted in PDF format via email to both the Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Assistant Head Tutor. No hard copy is required for submission.

Once grades have been assigned, any thesis receiving a Summa or Magna grade must be printed and given to the Assistant Head Tutor for submiss ion to the Harvard Archives. The thesis should be printed one-sided on 8½” x 11” paper that is acid-free, alkaline-buffered, and durable (available at any office supply or print/copy services store). The left margin should be set at 1.5 inches and the right, top, and bottom margins should be set at one inch. The thesis must be unbound.

The thesis should be roughly 50-70 pages. Although many students find it more difficult to produce a coherent, concise study than a longer, less carefully-edited version, the former is strongly encouraged.

Please use footnotes (rather than endnotes) if possible.

Organization

The thesis should include the following:

• Acknowledgements (optional)
• Table of Contents:  A list of the names of chapters with the appropriate page numbers.
• Abstract: A one-page synopsis of the problem addressed, providing the context of the research as well as the conclusion and possible implications.
• References: A list of reference materials utilized in the researching and writing of the thesis

For formatting, follow the Language style sheet .

Title each section and subsection (if applicable). At the beginning of each major discussion, tell the reader what the section is about. Examples that illustrate your description, as well as derivations that illustrate your analysis, are extremely useful; often a single example can be clearer than pages of difficult exposition. Number the examples. Give titles to formal rules (“Rule 51” does not provide the reader with much information when it is referred to 20 pages later), and when you give a formal rule, always give an informal prose description as well. Tables to organize results are also very useful.

Evaluation of Honors Theses

Each thesis is evaluated by three faculty readers, including the primary thesis advisor. If students have received substantial supervision or advice from scholars other than their advisors, they should inform the Head Tutor so that these scholars can be considered for inclusion on the committee of readers. Responsibility for the appointment of the committee, however, rests with the Head Tutor’s Office. Honors theses are graded by the Department on the following scale: Summa, Summa-, Magna+, Magna, Magna-, Cum+, Cum, No Credit.

General guidelines for a Summa

A Summa thesis should be both original/creative and technically superb. It is generally equivalent to or better than what one would expect from an M.A. thesis.

General guidelines for a Magna

A Magna thesis should be a solid piece of work although it may lack somewhat in originality. Magnas have sometimes been awarded because the thesis clearly reflects an enormous amount of work, even though the results may be somewhat disappointing. A Magna generally corresponds to an A/A-, while a Summa corresponds to an A+.  

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