Keynote Address by:
Helen Fisher, Ph.D.
Research Professor,
Department of Anthropology
Rutgers University
The Drive to Love:
An fMRI Study of Romantic Love
and
the Role this Brain System Plays in
Cross-Cultural Patterns of Divorce, Romantic
Addiction, Crimes of Passion, and Depression
Associated with Rejection in Love
Partial Funding Provided by:
The University of Scranton Student Government
&
Generous Contributions of Alumni:
Keith Gunn
David Osborne
Colleen Phillips
Organized by:
American Psychological Society Student Caucus
University of Scranton
2004 Conference
We extend our thanks to the Royal Ambassadors, the University Print Shop, the Mailroom, Aramark, Donna Rupp the Psychology Department Secretary, and University Maintenance.
8:00-9:00 Registration (Brennan Hall Lobby)
9:00-9:15 Introduction and Welcome (Brennan Hall Room 228)
9:30-11:15 Symposium: (Brennan Hall, Room 228)
Therapeutic Touch: Science, Pseudoscience, or Superstition?
Galen L. Baril, Ph.D.
Randomized Controlled Trials of Alternative Treatments of Psychological Disorders
Patrick T. Orr, Kathleen M. Shinko,
& Brad A. Alford, Ph.D.
The University of Scranton
11:30-12:30 Oral Presentations
Session I:
Personal Relations and Interactions
(Brennan Hall, Room 228)
Session II:
Neuroscience and Health
(Brennan Hall, Room 205)
Session III:
Gender and Personality
12:45-1:30 Lunch (Brennan Hall 5th Floor Dining Room)
1:45-3:15 Keynote Address (Brennan Hall
Room 228)
The Drive to Love: An fMRI Study of Romantic Love and the Role this Brain System Plays in Cross-Cultural Patterns of Divorce, Romantic Addiction, Crimes of Passion, and Depression Associated with Rejection in Love
Helen
Fisher, Ph.D.
Research Professor, Department of Anthropology
Rutgers University
3:30-4:30 Poster Session (Brennan Hall 5th Floor Atrium)
Table of Contents
Symposium: Skeptical Inquiry and Clinical Practice
Therapeutic Touch:Science, Pseudoscience, or Superstition?
Randomized Controlled Trials of Alternative Treatments of Psychological Disorders
Personal Relations and Interactions
The Effects of Sexual Orientation on Helping: Does Perceived Cause of Homosexuality Matter?
Missing a romantic partner in long-distance relationships: A prototype approach
The association between judgments of responsibility and disease management for people with diabetes
The Effects of L-Theanine on Locomotor Activity and Stereotypy in Rats
African- American Women and Body Image
The Chameleon Effect: Examining Mimicry as a Function of Gender and Self-Monitoring
The Association Between Education and Disease Management for People with Diabetes
The Brain Train Leaves the Station: Winning Kids Judge! Exhibits go to Schools
The Effect of Plants and Flowers on Cognitive Functioning and Creativity
Contrast Effects in Aesthetic Judgements of "Abstraction" in Artwork
Infant Eye Movements: A Window into Early Language Acquisition
How Expectations Affect Perceptions of Offensive Humor
Low Care Oriented Females Most Accurately Predicted Moral Hypocrisy
The Effects of Suggestion on the Perceived Taste of Non-Alcoholic Table Wine
Discredited Psychological Treatments and Tests: An Expert Panel
Attitudes about Gender Equality in Freshmen University Students from
Single-Sex and Coeducational Catholic High Schools
The Fuzzy Definition of Outliers in Introductory Statistics Textbooks
Strategies for Measurement Estimation Tasks
Personality Variables Related to Two Types of Quantitative Estimation Tasks
Higher order interactions predicting disease management in a sample with diabetes
Brennan Hall 228
9:30 - 11:15
Chairperson: Galen Baril, Ph.D.,
University
of Scranton
Brennan Hall 228
11:30 - 11:50
The conditions under which the average individual would help a person perceived to be homosexual and whether perceived cause of homosexuality played a role was investigated. Two variables were examined: sexual orientation (obvious condition versus subtle condition) and perceived cause of homosexuality (innate versus learned). In the subtle condition a person wearing a rainbow colored bandana asked individual shoppers at a mall for help to tie on a rainbow colored bracelet. In the obvious condition, the person wore a hat on top of the bandana and also asked for help to tie on the rainbow colored bracelet. After taking part in the helping task, participants were approached by a second, and apparently unrelated group and asked whether they thought homosexuality was innate or a choice. Helping behavior was measured by the percentage of people who helped the person to tie on the bracelet and the length of time the person helped. Based on previous research on the effects of stigma on helping behavior, we predicted that overall; persons in the obvious condition would receive less help than those in the subtle condition. We also hypothesized that participants who saw homosexuality as a choice would help less than those who saw it as innate. Based on 39 trials, we found no difference between the obvious condition and the subtle condition; participants helped for the same amount of time in both conditions. However, consistent with our second hypothesis, the group that perceived homosexuality as a choice did help for a significantly shorter amount of time than did the group that perceived homosexuality as innate.
11:50 - 12:10
The experience of interpersonal separation within romantic relationships, or missing a romantic partner, has largely been ignored in the close relationships literature. This as an unfortunate oversight, particularly because the concept of missing seems especially relevant to relationship maintenance processes in geographically separated dyads. Following from research utilizing prototype approaches to examine other relational constructs (e.g., love, commitment, forgiveness; Fehr, 1988; Kearns & Fincham, 2004), our past work has investigated the construct of missing in two studies in which prototypical features of missing were identified and validated (Le, Loving, Fiorentino, Quill, Porricelli, & Adams, 2004). The current work builds on our past studies by examining romantic missing in ongoing long-distance relationships. Specifically, a prototype-based measure of missing a romantic partner was constructed and administered to a large sample of participants in long-distance relationships via an internet survey. The psychometric properties of the measure were investigated using exploratory factor analysis, with the items including prototypical features of missing loading together onto one factor. In addition, convergent and discriminant validity of this new prototype measure of missing was investigated, with missing correlating with loneliness, jealousy, and perceived stress significantly, but weakly. In addition, missing was found to be significantly associated with relationship commitment and attachment orientations.
12:10 - 12:30
A large body of literature has explored Rusbult’s Investment Model (1983) of romantic relationship commitment, yet few have sought to investigate the applicability of the model to other types of relationships. The present study was aimed at examining the Investment Model in the context of undergraduates’ relationships with (i.e., commitment to) their college. Participants were freshmen at Haverford College who filled out questionnaires during the first week of their first semester at college (Time 1) and then again during the last week of the same semester (Time 2). Students? commitment to, satisfaction with, investments in, and alternatives to Haverford College were assessed at both Time 1 and Time 2. At Time 1, satisfaction and alternatives were significant predictors of commitment (ps <.01), with satisfaction being the larger predictor; however, investments were not significantly associated with commitment. Interestingly, this pattern of results was reversed at Time 2, with investment size showing the strongest association with commitment (p < .01), while the association between satisfaction and commitment disappeared. These results suggest that the structure of the Investment Model, and associations between constructs in the model, may change over time. If so, this provides insights into the use of the Investment Model in the context of college commitment, as well as having implications for theory in the Investment Model in general.
Chairperson: Steven M. Specht, Ph.D.
Utica
College
Brennan Hall 205
11:30 - 11:50
It is well-established for a variety of species that fluid intake occurs in close temporal relationship to food intake and is dependent upon histaminergic mechanisms in both gut and brain neuropathways (Kraly, 1983; Kraly and June, 1982; Kraly and Miller, 1982; Kraly and Specht, 1984; Specht and Spear, 1989).
Despite the extensive research examining the role of histamine in drinking in animal models, the role of histamine in human ingestive behaviors has not been investigated. Such investigation seems particularly relevant nowadays, given the extensive use of prescription and over-the-counter histamine H1 antagonists for allergy symptomatology (e.g. the pheniramines, including brand names such as Triaminic) and histamine H2 antagonists for gastrointestinal problems related to gastric acid secretion (e.g., cimetidine and ranitidine; including such brand names as Tagamet and Pepcid AC).
The purpose of the proposed study was to investigate the extent to which histaminergic antagonism (via intake of anti-allergy and acid-reducing pharmacological agents) might influence spontaneous eating and drinking behavior in humans.
Method
Participants in this study were parents of students enrolled in courses at Utica College who were given a packet of information which included a seven-day ingestive behavior diary The parents recorded for each of seven consecutive days, each instance of ingestive behavior, including amount of food and fluid intake separately, as well as the incidence of use of anti-allergy and antacid medications.
Response rate was approximately 30%. Preliminary results indicate a similar level of food-related drinking for respondents who reported taking antihistaminergic medications and those who did not. Non-food-related drinking appeared to be slightly higher (albeit not significantly) in those respondents taking antihistaminergic medications.
11:50 - 12:10
We investigated the association between judgments of responsibility and disease management in individuals with diabetes. Through an Internet survey, participants assessed their perceptions of responsibility for the onset of the disease and perceptions of control over its management. We hypothesized that judgments of personal responsibility for disease onset would positively correlate with feelings of anger and blame. These feelings of anger and blame would negatively correlate with the level of perceived social support available to the participant. Lastly, the level of social support would then correlate positively with the effectiveness of the participant’s disease management. The results of the analysis reveal significant support for the proposed model. Participants (n = 43) reported increased feelings of anger and self-blame when they felt more personally responsible for their disease onset (r = .441, p<.01). Higher levels of anger and blame amongst participants are correlated with perceptions of available social support (r = -.378, p<.05). Finally, the participant’s perception of social support is highly correlated with his/her ability to manage the disease (r = .551, p<.01 ).
12:10 - 12:30
Natural substances can sometimes have significant effects an organism’s activity level and behavior. However, many natural chemicals have not been scientifically evaluated. L-Theanine is a derivative of glutamic acid found in green tea and has shown to increase certain monoamines and catecholamines in specific regions of the rat brain, including the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and striatum. These increases in neurotransmitters in regions of the rat brain have been associated with certain displays of activity, such as locomotion and stereotypy. It was hypothesized in this experiment that since L-Theanine increases neurotransmitters in regions of the brain associated with certain activities, rats will display those activities when administered L-Theanine. After 23 hr of food deprivation, male Sprague Dawley rats (n=6) were orally administered 100 mg L-Theanine within a 7 g food mash. The rats were then put into activity chambers which recorded distance traveled, stereotypy time, number of stereotypies, vertical time, number of vertical movements, number of movements, and movement time 1 hr after administration. Their behaviors were recorded for 10 min, either in white light or red light conditions over 2 days in the afternoon. Rats in the experimental condition displayed 28% higher movement times (p = .014) and showed 19% more stereotypical behaviors (p = .033) than the control subjects. Lighting conditions were not a significant factor in the differential displays of activity. L-Theanine’s effects on rats can be further understood by replicating this experiment and performing tissue assays of regions of the brain after data collection. Also, a comprehensive effect of L-Theanine could be found by using differential amounts of the natural substance.
Chairperson: Thomas P. Hogan, Ph.D.,
University of
Scranton
Brennan Hall 203
11:30 - 11:50
African-American women report higher body satisfaction than Caucasian women. Caucasian women’s body satisfaction is negatively influenced by media images of beauty. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the impact of media images of beauty on African-American women’s body satisfaction. In addition, the study investigated the role friendships play in body satisfaction to see if African-American women with predominately White friends are less satisfied with their body than African-American women with predominately Black friends. To examine these questions, African-American undergraduate women viewed a short PowerPoint presentation of media images and completed four body satisfaction questionnaires. Data collection is currently in progress; preliminary data will be presented.
11:50 - 12:10
Through previous research, mimicry, when defined as unconscious imitation of another, recently developed into a theory concerning affiliation strategies, particularly when relationships are goal-oriented. The present study is a systematic replication of earlier research examining the effect of high and low self-monitors on the amount of mimicry displayed. Furthermore, the present study inspected the relationship between gender and mimicry by manipulating confederate and participant pairings, either same sex or opposite sex. It was hypothesized from an evolutionary perspective that females would mimic the greatest amount, especially when paired with a same-sex confederate. Level of self-monitoring was also studied in an attempt to replicate the findings of previous research, which resulted in high self-monitors mimicking the most due to an increased awareness of situational and affiliate demands. Participants were randomly paired with either a male or female confederate and were instructed to describe a dozen pictures while unknowingly being video recorded. During this period, the previously trained confederate touched, scratched, and/or rubbed his or her face inconspicuously, in hopes of encouraging the participant to follow suit. Subsequently, video tapes were coded for amount of mimicry displayed by 59 participants. The results of this study did not replicate those of earlier research; no difference was found between high and low self-monitors in amount of mimicry. Moreover, no gender differences were found relating to participant gender or same sex/opposite sex confederate pairings. Further research examining gender differences is needed, as high variability may account for the obtained results.
12:10 - 12:30
We investigated the association between educational initiatives and disease management in individuals with diabetes. Through an Internet survey, participants assessed their trait anger, perceptions of social support, knowledge about diabetes, and their ability to manage diabetes. Scores on the diabetes knowledge test correlated significantly with the participant’s ability to manage his or her diabetes (r= .43, p< .016). Trust in the expertise of the patient’s doctors increased motivation to effectively manage his or her diabetes ( r= .46, p<.05). However social support was necessary for the motivation to engage behavior (r=.46, p<.05). From these results we propose educational initiatives which would increase a patients ability to manage their diabetes
The Drive to Love:
An fMRI Study of Romantic Love
and
the Role this Brain System Plays in
Cross-Cultural Patterns of Divorce, Romantic
Addiction, Crimes of Passion, and Depression
Associated with Rejection in Love
Given by:
Helen Fisher, Ph.D.
Research Professor, Department
of Anthropology
Rutgers
University
In Brennan Hall 228
1:45 - 3:15
5th Floor Atrium Brennan Hall
Board 1
Everyone loves the excitement of a Kids Judge! Neuroscience Fair (KJ!), but what do you do when it's over? In addition to the fair we held on campus, this year the "Brain Train" took KJ! hands-on activity stations to local elementary schools. The Brain Train theme derives from Scranton PA's rich railroading heritage.
For three years, the Univ. of Scranton, in collaboration with the National KJ! Partnership and others, has hosted one or two Saturday KJ! fairs on campus each year. The events involved 30-50 undergraduates (enrolled in Behavioral Neuroscience and/or Sensation and Perception courses) presenting 10-13 exhibits for judging by approximately 75 girls from local Girl Scout troops. These large fairs have been highly successful as demonstrated by media coverage, demand by Girl Scouts for more opportunities and, most importantly, by increased undergraduate interest. Almost without exception, participation in a KJ! Fair results in peak experiences for the undergraduates: after a Fair, our students are highly motivated to do more teaching.
Accordingly, to sustain the KJ! Program throughout the academic year and expand our outreach efforts, we developed an abbreviated program that takes three to five of the best kid-tested and approved "stations" directly to elementary schools. These fairs last about 1 hour and are held in gymnasiums or lunchrooms.
Our goals are to: (A) develop ongoing relationships with local teachers to facilitate neuroscience education in their curricula; (B) increase participation of undergraduates in neuroscience and educational outreach; and, (C) share neuroscience concepts with kids. To date, we have presented three such programs, each involving four to seven undergraduate presenters and 30-60 kids. Responses from all involved have been extremely positive and we anticipate four to six excursions next year.
Board 2
This study provides updated information on the admission requirements, acceptance rates, student characteristics, and selected outcomes of 46 APA-accredited PsyD programs in clinical psychology (98% response). The results are presented separately for PsyD programs located in university departments, university professional schools, and freestanding institutions in order to explicate the areas of convergence and difference among these heterogeneous programs. Freestanding PsyD programs offer significantly higher acceptance rates (51% on average), but substantially less financial aid than university-affiliated PsyD programs.
Board 3
This study provides updated information on the admission requirements and student characteristics of APA-accredited doctoral clinical, counseling, and combined psychology programs. Data were collected from 288 programs (99% response rate) on the number of applicants, offers, and enrollments; GRE and GPA scores; interview policies; financial assistance; student characteristics; internship placements; and program length. Data are presented for all doctoral programs and then separately for clinical PhD, clinical PsyD, counseling PhD, and combined programs.
Board 4
This study examines how the viewing of plants and flowers affects blood pressure and heart rate, a sense of well-being, cognitive performance, and creativity. Data were collected as participants sat at a desk area containing a computer monitor flanked by either green plants, a bouquet of flowers, a combination of green plants and flowers, or no plants or flowers (control). Eighty participants, all undergraduate students at Ithaca College, were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions. This report focuses on the results from the cognitive tests and a creativity test. Based on prior research and theory, we had hypothesized that, when compared to the control condition, participants would perform better in the presence of plants and flowers on the creativity test but worse on a set of cognitive tests that includes problem solving, attention, and memory tasks. We also had hypothesized that the presence of flowers would have more of an effect than plants alone. The data analyses to date show that the three conditions with flowers and/or green plants enhanced creativity but led to poorer cognitive scores when compared to the control condition.
Board 5
Successive contrast occurs when perceptual experiences are affected by sequential presentation of different sensory stimuli. In humans, these effects have been demonstrated for vision, audition, olfaction and gustation. Contrast phenomena underscore the fact that perceptual experiences are dependent on the combination of the specific sensory qualities of a stimulus and previous experience with similar stimuli.
The present research investigated the role of contrast effects in aesthetic judgements of abstraction by manipulating exposure to various artworks and determining the extent to which previous art-related stimuli affects subsequent ratings of a target artwork.
In a pilot study, participants rated thirty 8 x 10” color reproductions of artworks on “abstractness” using a 10-point Likert scale. There were statistically significant differences between mean ratings of “abstraction” of the 30 pieces of artwork and ratings ranged from 3.54 to 8.21.
For the main experiment, participants were presented with two pieces of artwork and based upon the results of the pilot study, were shown the following sequential pairings in terms of “abstractness: "high-medium"; medium-medium"; and "low-medium". Participants rated the two pieces of art along the dimension of “abstractness” using a 200mm visual analog scale.
A 3(Contrast Group) x 2(Trial) analysis of variance revealed a statistically significant Contrast Group X Trial interaction (F(2,42) = 20.57; p <.0001). Tukey’s HSD post hoc test revealed that participants presented with an artwork “high” in abstraction rated an identical target artwork as significantly less “abstract” than participants who presented with an artwork “low” in abstraction.
These results suggest that successive contrast may play a role in how aesthetic judgements are made may prove useful in understanding the relatively elusive nature of aesthetic perception.
Board 6
Eye movements provide a view into the non-verbal infant’s mind. By measuring where an infant is fixating while novel words are introduced, one can determine factors that influence how an infant pairs a sound segment (word) with its referent in the environment (e.g., object). In an ongoing study with infants 9-14 months of age, we are investigating the role a speaker’s gestures play in supporting early word acquisition. Our hypothesis is that dynamic gestures synchronized with speech will produce better learning than asynchronous gestures or no gesture. Using sample infant responses from this study, we will describe a system that uses eye and head tracking components and a specialized analysis program that provides fixation times and paths. This information provides clues into why gestures assist infants in learning early words.
Board 7
There is no objective metric for measuring the humor value a given humorous stimulus-- subjectivity and context always plays a large role in the assessment of humor. In the present study, our Research Team either primed participants to expect offensive jokes (experimental group) or did not raise any particular expectations (control group). Participants read and rated 30 jokes, 10 each with female victims, male victims, and neutral victims according to the degree to which they found the jokes funny and the degree to which they found the jokes offensive. The results revealed that participants rated jokes as less offensive when primed to expect offensive jokes compared to the control group. Setting up the expectation of offense may have led participants to rate the jokes as less troublesome because, in fact, the jokes were selected by the Research Team not to be excessively offensive. Judgments about what jokes involved only mild offensiveness were arrived at by consensus of the researchers. Participants also found female-victimizing jokes more offensive in general, with female participants particularly likely to take offense. Ratings of humor showed a different pattern, with a typical effect that participants of a given sex tended to enjoy the joke victimization of members of the other sex. Over the past two decades, sensibilities regarding sex-based humor have changed. Analysis of victimizing jokes also revealed that the nature of such jokes may regularly differ by type of victim.
Board 8
Undergraduates accurately predicted that most Kansas students were self-serving in assigning tasks to themselves and another person. But only 28% accurately predicted that the Kansas students would then say that their assignment was morally wrong. Females, particularly those low on Gilligan's care orientation, most accurately predicted this hypocrisy.
Board 9
The purpose of this study was to examine if there is any effect on the perceived taste of table wine when there is an expert rating prior to the tasting occurring. There has been prior research into this topic as cited below. These studies have focused mainly on perception and taste of wines but never really merging the two topics (Brochet, Douboudieu, 2001; Pangborn, Berg, Hensen, 1962 ; Solomon, 1990). My hypothesis was that the taster’s perception would have an effect on the perceived taste. Specifically if the participant was given a dry rating they would rate the wines drier, and if the participant was given a sweet rating they would rate the wines sweeter. An ANOVA test showed that there was a significant effect during the study, meaning that suggestion of a taste prior to the ingestion of the liquid did affect the taster’s perceived taste of the liquid. This makes my hypothesis, that the taster’s perception will have an effect on the perceived taste, was supported.
Board 10
Several authors have recently attempted to identify pseudoscientific, unvalidated, or “quack” psychotherapies. However, these pioneering efforts did not rely on expert consensus to determine their contents, nor did they differentiate between credible and uncredible treatments. Thus, we conducted a poll of leading mental health professionals to help secure a consensus on what does not work and to establish more refined characterizations of treatments and tests ranging from not at all discredited to certainly discredited.
101 mental health experts (response rate = 48%) rated 55 treatments and 25 tests on a Likert-type scale in terms of their discredited status for a specific purpose. Treatments consensually rated as certainly discredited were angel therapy, orgone therapy, use of pyramids, crystal healing, past lives therapy, treatments for PTSD caused by alien abduction, future lives therapy, rebirthing therapies, color therapy, and primal scream therapy. The Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt test for assessment of neuropsychological impairment, handwriting analysis, the Luscher Color Test, the Szondi, and anatomically detailed dolls or puppets were consensually rated as probably or certainly discredited. Several factors demand that we exercise caution in interpreting these findings, but these results offer a cogent and positive first step in consensually identifying the "soft underbelly" or "quack factor" of modern mental health practice. .
Board 11
Due to heightened public interest in single-sex education, this study sought to examine a potential relationship between social-educational environment and attitudes toward gender equality in 242 University of Scranton freshmen who attended private Catholic high schools. We hypothesized that males from single-sex high schools would evidence less egalitarian attitudes than males from coeducational schools, and females from single-sex schools would evidence more egalitarian attitudes than females from coeducational schools.
Participants completed the Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale (SRES) Form KK during a residence activity in late fall 2003. Results of an independent samples t-test indicated no differences between women from all-girls and coeducational high schools. Significant differences were found for men in the hypothesized direction on the total score (p = .027), and several subscales. When comparing the sample’s scores to normative data, no significant differences were found for either group of women or men from coeducational Catholic high schools. Men from single-sex high schools in our sample reported significantly less egalitarian attitudes (p = .001).
Our findings (although limited in generalizability) suggest caution is warranted in changing national policies regarding the gender composition of public classrooms. More research is needed on potential social implications.
Board 12
Despite considerable progress, many careers remain in which either women or men are underrepresented. Based on indications that socialization contributes to this process, we hypothesized that students from single-sex high schools would be more likely to declare and persist in majors not stereotypically associated with their gender than their peers from coeducational high schools. Participants were 1,504 students from the University of Scranton, 1221 (81%) from coeducational, 148 (10%) from all-girls, and 135 (9%) from all-boys high schools. Majors were identified based on enrollment rates as predominantly male (Business, Science, Computers/Math/Engineering), neutral (Social Sciences, Humanities, Communications), or predominantly female (Education, OT/PT, Nursing). As freshmen, women and men from single-sex schools were less likely to declare majors traditional for their genders. At graduation the relationship remained significant for men but not for women, who shifted across the years toward gender stereotypical majors. It is possible that attitudes/tendencies that correspond with single-sex secondary education might “wear off” for women in coeducational universities.
Board 13
This study was conducted to ascertain whether young women differ from young men in their perceptions of the interpersonal behaviors of their significant others. Fifty-four undergraduates (37 women, 17 men) completed the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB) Intrex questionnaires, rating behaviors of their significant others at their best and at their worst. The SASB addresses interpersonal behaviors organized into the attachment-based dimensions of warmth-hostility and autonomy-interdependence. In our sample, men viewed their significant others as showing significantly more hostility toward them when the relationship was at its worst than did women. Compared to normative data, the young men’s ratings were typical of relationships during bad times, while the young women’s ratings were unduly positive.
Board 14
This study examined treatment of outliers in 40 introductory statistics textbooks in the behavioral sciences. The majority of texts (75%) included outliers. Other than agreement on the general definition of an outlier as an extreme data point, there was great diversity in treatment. Of the texts including outliers, 53% provided no operational definition, 50% treated only the univariate case, 13% only the bivariate case. Five different operational definitions of outliers were identified in the texts.
Board 15
This study examined strategies employed by persons answering measurement estimation tasks, including length, weight, time, and capacity estimations. Participants completed individual interviews using a talk-aloud technique regarding their estimation processes, as well as a 20-item group-administered test. Seven strategies for providing estimates were identified, several with subcategories. Many of the estimates were wildly inaccurate, especially for any items involving large numbers.
Board 16
This study examined the relationships of personality variables as defined by Cattell’s 16PF to performance on two types of quantitative estimation tasks: computation and numerosity. 80 participants completed the 16PF and tests for each of the estimation tasks. Scores on computational estimation correlated significantly with Independence, Reasoning, Abstractedness, and Openness to Change. In contrast, scores on numerosity estimation did not significantly correlate with the 16PF factors.
Board 17
We investigated the interaction effects of sex, self-blame, anger, and perceived social support within a sample of individuals with diabetes. A univariate general linear model revealed a series of significant interactions on disease management. The results indicate that males manage their disease more poorly when they blame themselves for the onset of their diabetes. Individuals who have a high degree of self-blame for their disease onset and express high levels of anger have poorer disease management. Also, males who express more anger report poorer disease management. Finally, the interaction between self-blame and perceived social support reveals that even in high blame conditions, individuals with higher levels of perceived social support are able to better manage their diabetes. These interactions are discussed with the context of improving disease management for individuals with diabetes.
Presenter
|
Page Number |
|
Abraham, E. |
|
|
Alford, Brad A. |
|
|
Armstrong, A. |
|
|
Baril, Galen |
|
|
Bearce, Karen Hildreth |
|
|
Bona, J. |
|
|
Boydston, S |
|
|
Buchanan, James P. |
|
|
Camporese, M |
|
|
Cannon, J.T. |
|
|
Cloud, Jaime M. |
|
|
Colbern, D.L. |
|
|
Cummings, Andrew |
|
|
Della Rocco, JooHye |
|
|
DePalma, M.T. |
|
|
Evalenko, Kimberly |
|
|
Feinberg, Emily G. |
|
|
Fisher, Helen |
|
|
Freeman, Sharee L. |
|
|
Garofalo, Ariele |
|
|
Gillman, K |
|
|
Hogan, Thomas P. |
|
|
Hosey, Megan M. |
|
|
Johnson, Katherine C. |
|
|
Jung, Y. |
|
|
Karpiak, Christie |
|
|
Keilson, A. |
|
|
Kontos, Julie |
|
|
Koocher, Gerald P. |
|
|
Korn, Miriam S. |
|
|
Lacatena, Raeanne |
|
|
Le, Benjamin |
|
|
Lundquist, Arlene R. |
|
|
Lyko, D. |
|
|
Matthewson, Kristopher |
|
|
Melnychuk, Eric R. |
|