PSI CHI: The International Honor Society in Psychology

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Summer Research Grant 2002-2003 Winners

Psi Chi reports a successful year for its Summer Research Grant program, with ten $3,500 grants awarded. Each of the grants included a stipend of $2,500 to the winning Psi Chi student plus $1,000 to the sponsoring faculty member at the research institution. The 2002-03 Summer Research Grant winners are listed below (alphabetically).

Protein Synthesis Requirements in the Hippocampus During the Formation and Consolidation of Contextual Fear Memory
David E. Baruch
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The objective in the following investigations was to examine the possible contribution of the dorsal hippocampus to the consolidation of contextual fear memory (the conversion of short-term memory into a more stable long-term memory). Several insights into the neural mechanisms that underlie learning and memory have been derived from work using Pavlovian fear conditioning. Contextual fear conditioning, a version of Pavlovian conditioning in which an environment comes to predict an aversive event, has been demonstrated to be normally dependent on the hippocampus.
     Previous reports demonstrate that the production of new message RNA and protein is critical for the consolidation of long-term memory. Consequently, the present experiment evaluated the role of the hippocampus in the consolidation of contextual fear, at the cellular level, by selectively and reversibly inactivating protein or mRNA synthesis in the dorsal hippocampus. It was hypothesized that if consolidation of contextual fear occurs in the hippocampus, then administration of protein synthesis inhibitors should selectively block long-term retention of contextual but not auditory fear. Two phases of protein synthesis were manipulated to determine whether there was a differential requirement between transcription and translation. Finally, two time points of infusion were chosen, one prior to and one immediately following fear conditioning in order to differentiate between processes required during or after acquisition of conditional fear.
     As expected, all rats exhibited normal learning to the discrete and thus hippocampal independent auditory cue regardless of time of infusion. Interestingly, only a pre-training infusion of Anisomycin, a drug that blocks translation, resulted in performance deficits during testing to the context compared to controls, while pre-training infusions of Actinomycin-D, a drug that blocks transcription, and post-training infusions of both drugs failed to produce impairments of contextual fear. 
     These findings indicate that either the dorsal hippocampus is not involved in cellular consolidation of contextual fear or suggest that the conditions and time course to its contribution may be more complex than previously anticipated. Clearly, further work is required to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the role for the hippocampus in the cellular consolidation of contextual fear.

David E. Baruch is a senior psychology major at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Mr. Baruch is conducting research in conjunction with two neuroscience labs at UWM while completing additional research for his psychology honors senior thesis. He is a member of Psi Chi, Golden Key International Society, Phi Kappa Phi, and Phi Beta Kappa. Mr. Baruch received the 2003-2004 UWM Honors Program Scholarship. He has presented his research at the 2003 Midwest Psychological Association conference as well as the 2003 Annual Pavlovian Society and Society for Neuroscience conferences. Apart from his academic life, Mr. Baruch enjoys spending time with friends and family. Upon graduation, he hopes to join a clinical program that will permit him to integrate clinical therapy with neuroscience research.

A Study of Children's Flexibility in Card-Sorting Task
Jennifer Brace
University of Colorado at Boulder

This study investigated children's flexibility in a card-sorting task. In a previous card-sorting study, children perseverated and failed to sort cards by a new rule after sorting them by an old rule. Perseveration may result from a competition between memories of old and new behavior. Children may be more likely to switch to a new rule if they gain experience with it, rather than receiving direct instructions.
     Thirty-two 39-month-old children participated in two conditions. In the experimental condition, children were given "scaffolding" cards in addition to instructions to switch to a new rule. In the control condition, children were only given instructions. More children switched in the experimental condition than in the control condition (5/16), X^l, N = 32) = 10.8, p < 0.005.

Jennifer Brace is a senior at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She will be graduating in May 2004 with honors in psychology and a minor in computer science. She is also working toward completing a certificate in cognitive science and completing her honors thesis. Ms. Brace is the recipient of several research grants, including two CU Summer Undergraduate Research Fund grants. She also served one semester as a teaching assistant for CU's general psychology course. Ms. Brace has been a member of Psi Chi and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars since 2001. She is also a student affiliate of the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Society. In addition to her research activities, Ms. Brace designed, drew, and painted a large mural in the greeting room and hall leading to her lab. Ms. Brace's interests outside psychology include yoga, hiking, skiing, art, and music. After graduating, Ms. Brace intends to go to graduate school to pursue a PhD in cognitive science or cognitive neuroscience with an emphasis on computational modeling.

Examining Culture Specific Meanings and Expressions of Childhood Anxiety in Hispanic Americans
Frances M. Colon-Garcia
Loyola University New Orleans (LA)

Today, more than 35 million Americans are Hispanic and 35% of them are children or adolescents. Unfortunately, not much research has been conducted concerning anxiety problems in the Hispanic American child population. The purpose of the study was to examine how Mexican and Mexican American individuals perceive childhood anxiety. 
     A total of 17 Mexican and Central American descent families living in New Orleans, Louisiana, were interviewed about their perception of the meaning of anxiety. Children were between the ages of 7 and 13 and were living with both biological parents. Parents and children were interviewed separately in their preferred language, English or Spanish. Responses were transcribed and translated, but the low number of participants did not allow for meaningful analyses. Presently, data collection is ongoing. Once the data collection is completed, descriptions of anxiety and its expression in children will be sorted by Mexican and Central American descent volunteers into conceptually coherent groups and cluster analyzed.

After graduating high school with honors from Academia Santa Teresita in San Juan, Puerto Rico in May of 2000, Frances M. Colon-Garcia enrolled at Loyola University New Orleans as a psychology major. She maintained a general and psychology grade point average of a 3.80 and was on the Dean's List every semester of college. She was a member of Phi Eta Sigma and graduated early as a magna cum laude in December 2003. She was selected as a Who's Who Among Students in Colleges and Universities and recognized as a member of the National Dean's List, an honor bestowed to only one percent of college students. Her research interests lie in the field of gender studies and cross-cultural perspectives in research. Ms. Colon-Garcia completed an undergraduate senior thesis on the influence of culture on females' views of career and motherhood, which was presented at the annual SEPA conference in March of 2004. She felt it encompassed all her research interests which include ethnicity, acculturation, gender differences, nontraditional roles, and vocational and caregiver issues. Ms. Colon-Garcia plans to continue her studies in a Counseling or Clinical Ph.D. or Psy.D. Program in August 2004. She would like to add new knowledge towards research on Hispanic and Hispanic-American culture. When she finishes her doctorate, she would like to work in a private practice or hospital, specifically within the Hispanic community, where she will provide assessment and therapy in either Spanish or English, while continuing to conduct research.

Life Stress and the Five Factor Model as Predictors of Subjective Well-Being
Robert J. Cramer
Loyola College (MD)

There is undoubtedly universal accord among psychologists that depression is an exigent societal problem. Experts have estimated that one in five people in the United States population will have at least one depressive episode in their lifetime (Gotlib & Hammen, 2002). What is more alarming is that in recent decades, there has been a sharp incline in rates of depression among young people (Weissman, Bland, Joyce, & Newman, 1993). 
     Depressive symptomatology is one significant portion of a broader concept of subjective well-being. Recent research has explored additional aspects of subjective well-being such as satisfaction with life and affective (positive and negative) well-being (Fabricatore, Handal, & Fenzel, 1996; Pauls & Stemmler, 2003). However, little evidence exists for exploration of these factors in conjunction with one another. The present study incorporated both depressive symptoms and positive/negative affect into the definition of subjective well-being. Furthermore, not enough research has investigated the role of life stress and personality on subjective well-being.
     Therefore, we examined two specific research questions:

1. How would personality (the FFM domains) and life stress impact subjective well-being (as defined by depressive symptoms, positive affect, and negative affect) in emerging adults?
2. What specific personality facets, if any, play an integral role in accounting for the impact of personality on subjective well-being?

     Participants were 136 undergraduate students with a mean age of 18.82 (SD = 1.067), and age range of 17-22. Participants completed a questionnaire packet including the Undergraduate Stress Questionnaire (USQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), NEO-PI-R, and a demographics form.
     Results showed that neuroticism, extroversion, conscientiousness, and life stress all significantly predicted depressive symptoms. Significant predictors of negative affect were neuroticism, extroversion, and life stress. For positive affect, significant predictors were neuroticism, extroversion, openness to experience, and conscientiousness. 
     Based upon results of the initial investigation, a secondary investigation was conducted to examine the specific facets of each personality domain that predicted subjective well-being. Exact results of each secondary inquiry are surveyed. Interpretations, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Robert J. Cramer is a senior psychology major at Loyola College in Maryland. He is scheduled to graduate May 15, 2004 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. In addition to psychology, Mr. Cramer has a vast experience in secondary education, having completed all necessary requirements for a social studies certificate minus student teaching. He is currently a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Psi Chi, and Alpha Sigma Nu. Mr. Cramer has garnered several distinctions from Loyola College, including the Presidential Scholarship and Scholarship/Leadership Award in psychology. Outside psychology, his primary interests and hobbies lie in music and sports. Mr. Cramer is applying to various master's and doctoral programs in clinical and forensic psychology. As part of his doctoral work, he hopes to specialize in the areas of depression/suicide, violence prevention/forensics, and personality assessment. Vocational aspirations include a fall university professorship, work as a clinician, and federal employment in criminal profiling or research.

Computer Games: Are They Really Bad?
Tara Dickey
Creighton University (NE)

Despite overall equivalent intellectual abilities, several studies have shown men perform significantly better on visual-spatial tasks than women. The source of this difference, however, is still unknown. It is possible that these spatial abilities develop over time through different experiences such as outdoor play or playing with video and computer games, which boys tend to prefer (Cherney, 2003). 
     It is important to understand this difference because high visual-spatial skills have been linked to higher perfor-mances in math and sciences. Improving these skills may also increase performance and may encourage females to enter underrepresented careers that emphasize math and science. Training sessions may be beneficial in improving visual-spatial skills. For example, individuals who play video games more frequently perform better on the Mental Rotation test (Cherney & Neff, 2003). 
     This study investigated how different training methods would affect several cognitive tests that have previously shown gender differences. The preliminary results show significant improvement for both males, t(4) = -3.73, p = .02, and females, t(12) = -3.82, p = .002, on the Card Rotation test, as well as a p = .06 trend for female improvement on the MRT. Additionally, playing the 3-dimensional Antz game seemed to help females improve their scores on both the Card Rotation and the MRT, whereas Tetris, a 2-dimensional game, only improved the Card Rotation scores.

In May 2004, Tara Dickey will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Creighton University. She is extremely proud of the honors received in her academic career. In addition to the Psi Chi Summer Research grant, she achieved the position of grader in the Psychology Department in fall 2003. She was president of the Creighton University Dance Club in 2003-2004 and has participated in Psi Chi and Phi Alpha Theta (National Honor Society in History) since fall 2002. Ms. Dickey was the treasurer of the Creighton University Dance Club in 2002-2003 and has held membership in the National Society of Collegiate Scholars since fall 2001. She has been on Creighton University Dean's List every semester and was included in Who's Who Among American College Students in spring 2000. In addition to her academic studies, Ms. Dickey also works several hours every week as a lifeguard, swimming instructor, and supervisor at the Southwest YMCA and as a work-study in the psychology department. Her plans include earning a PhD in school psychology and pursuing a career in academia, teaching at the undergraduate level.

Changes in Language Production Due to the Presence of Novelty Across Age
Toni M. Kooy
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

Differences in word retrieval and its connections to perception were examined as a function of the aging process. Node Structure Theory (NST) was used as a theoretical framework for the study. It was hypothesized that older adults' descriptions of pictures containing novelty would be less clear, using various language measures, than those of younger adults. Participants were 19 younger and 14 older adults. They described one of 2 sets of 6 pictures which were identical, except that some contained errors or anomalies, and some did not. Clarity of descriptions was analyzed according to dependent variables of the number of word finding problems, number of words used, and the length (in seconds) of the descriptions. Three 2 X 2 ANOVAs were used to analyze the data, all of which examined the independent variables of age and error presence. There was a main effect for error presence on word finding problems which was exaggerated in the older adults. There was no main effect of error presence or of age in the number of words used or length of time for descriptions. The results partially support the NST in that older adults' descriptions of pictures containing errors were less clear than younger adults.

As a returning student who is deeply interested in psychology, Toni M. Kooy exceeded the minimum requirements expected in the undergraduate setting. She maintained a 3.92 GPA at Pikes Peak Community College and a 4.0 at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS). This means Ms. Kooy has been on the Dean's List all but one semester of her college career.
     Ms. Kooy participated in the Honor's Program at UCCS and defended her honor's thesis during the spring. This thesis is the culmination of her efforts as an undergraduate student majoring in psychology, and was judged by Psi Chi to be worthy of its Summer Research Grant.
     She received the LAS Undergraduate Student Scholarship Award in the area of Collaborative Research. Accordingly, Ms. Kooy had the opportunity to present research to the Undergraduate Symposium on April 24, 2004 at UCCS.
     For the past five semesters, Ms. Kooy has been employed as a research assistant for Dr. Lori James. In this capacity, she was fortunate enough to be named as coauthor of a poster presentation she exhibited at a meeting of the APS this past year.
     Ms. Kooy is currently participating in another two years of discovery in the Clinical Master's Program in Psychology at UCCS and looks forward to receiving her master's degree from UCCS.

Intergenerational Transmission of Attribution
Lynette Lau
University of California, Los Angeles

The present study examines the intergenerational transmission of attribution styles from parents to their children. Previous research indicates that couples who make more responsibility and blame attributions will display more anger and whining in their problem discussions (e.g. Fincham & Bradbury, 1992). Based on social learning theory, it is predicted that parents' attribution patterns would predict their children's attribution patterns, which would be mediated, at least in part, by parental behavior during conflict discussions. In addition, it is hypothesized that children who make more hostile attributions about peer behavior are more likely to endorse using aggressive or hostile strategies in response to ambiguous peer behavior.
     Hypotheses were tested in 70 families who participated in a 13-year longitudinal study on marriage and family development. Couples were recruited from marriage licenses and, at the start of the study, were within the first six months of marriage and had no children. At Time 1 (within the first six months of marriage) and Time 2 (one year later) spouses were given the Relationship Attribution Measure (Fincham & Bradbury, 1992). Couples were also observed during two 10-minute problem solving discussions at Times 1 and 2. Problem solving skills (e.g., agreement, criticizing) were coded using the Kategoriensystem fuer Partnerschaftliche Interaktion (KPI; Hahlweg et al., 1984) and expressed affect (e.g., anger, affection) was coded using the Specific Affect Coding System (SPAFF; Gottman, 1989). 
     Nine years into the marriage (Time 3), the couples' oldest child (average age = 6.8) was administered the Children's Attribution Measure (Crick et. al., 1986). Data is currently being collected and will be analyzed using hierarchical regression predicting children's attributions from parent behavior and attributions.

Lynette Lau, originally from Singapore, is a senior at the University of California, Los Angeles. She expects to graduate in June 2004 with college and departmental honors in psychology and a double minor in applied developmental psychology and education. Ms. Lau currently works as a childcare specialist for autistic children at UCLA's Neuro-psychiatric Hospital & Research Institute, and has experience as a college counselor for high school students as well as being a classroom assistant for infants. She is currently serving as president of the UCLA chapter of Psi Chi and is a member of the Golden Key Honor Society. She has also previously served as the vice president of the Santa Monica College chapter of Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society. Ms. Lau is interested in research on intimate relationships and child develop- ment. She hopes to eventually pursue these interests in a doctoral program and, ultimately, pursue a career in the field of education.

The Long-Lasting Ramifications of Reproductive Experience for the Female Rat
Melissa Morgan
University of Richmond (VA)

Young parous females display significantly better maze acquisition and memory compared to nulliparous (Kinsley, 1999). The purpose of the current study was to determine if this effect of reproductive experience (RE) would continue beyond reproductive age and into senescence. 
     Nulliparous, primiparous (one birth and lactation), and multiparous female rats were tested in the dry-land version of the Morris water maze at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. The multiparous females performed significantly better than both primiparous and nulliparous females at all ages. The multiparous females were able to learn the location of the food reward and recall that location on subsequent trials in a shorter amount of time. The primiparous females also performed significantly better than the nulliparous females. Thus, in rats, RE results in improvements in learning and memory that last throughout the female's life span.
     The brains of these 24-month-old nulliparous, primiparous, and multiparous female rats were examined for the presence of amyloid precursor protein (APP). Multiparous females had significantly less APP present in the hippocampus, the region associated with spatial memory, than primparous females. Nulliparous females had the highest amount of APP present. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between the amount of APP present and maze performance. In other words, females with greater amounts of APP took longer to find the food reward. Overall, these findings suggest that RE may have neuroprotective effects.
     Currently, I am examining the brains of another set of aged female rats for neurodegeneration in the cortex using silver stain, neuronal structural changes in the hippocampus (memory) and amygdala (emotion and stress) using Golgi stain, and serotonin activity in stress-mediating regions. The multiparous and primiparous females in this group showed decreased anxiety in an elevated plus maze compared to nulliparous females throughout their life span in addition to enhancements in cognition.
     The data suggest thus far that reproductive experience produces permanent changes in the brains of mothers, alterations that contribute to a lifetime of improved cognition, decrease anxiety, and a reduction in the likelihood of developing deposits of neurodegenerative proteins. Though it is too early to say with any certainty, RE appears to express the inherent plasticity contained in the female brain. This remarkable change occurs to facilitate the rearing and protection of the female's metabolic and genetic investment: her offspring. Evolution may have provided females a neural boost to enable them to effectively manage this important job.

Melissa Morgan is a senior at the University of Richmond in Virginia. She is graduating in May 2004 with a double major in biology and with honors in psychology. She has been doing research with Dr. Kinsley since her freshman year. Ms. Morgan has been a presenter at the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting for two years (2002 and 2003) and at the Mother and Infant: Perinatal Influences on Health Conference (2003).
     In addition to the Psi Chi Summer Research Grant, she has received two summer fellowships and numerous research and travel grants from the University of Richmond Undergraduate Research Committee, including the John Neasmith Dickinson Memorial Research Award and the Department of Psychology's Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award. Ms. Morgan's other honors include Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Beta Beta (Biology Honor Society), Mortar Board, and Golden Key. She is a teaching assistant in biology, volunteers at a hospital, and is involved in tutoring programs. Ms. Morgan will begin medical school in the fall.

HIV/AIDS Cases Among African American Women 50 and Older
Khamia B. Powell
Hampton University (VA)

The past several years has seen a marked increase in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection among women ages 50 and older. According to published reports, the rate of HIV infection among older women has increased by 106% and among older African American women the figures are no less daunting (CDC, 2001). These findings provide evidence that HIV/AIDS is a significant health concern for this group and evokes the question: what behavioral mechanisms contribute to the disproportionate number of HIV/AIDS cases among African American women ages 50 and older?
     A burgeoning research literature has outlined a number of factors that may help to explain the increasing trend of HIV infection among this group. Thus, the proposed research seeks to examine the relationship between HIV knowledge, sexual negotiation skill, and condom use among older African American women.
     Several research studies suggest that lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS is an important issue among older adults (Emiet, 1996). Specifically, research by Le Blanc (1993) has shown that age is positively associated with misconceptions about HIV transmission and negatively related to HIV knowledge. These findings confirm previous findings that indicate that older adults are less likely than younger adults to perceive that they are at risk for contracting HIV (NCHS, 1988, 1993).
     Though little direct evidence exists with respect to HIV knowledge in older African American women, research in the area of mortality knowledge does suggest that compared to other cohorts, older women are the least accurate in their mortality knowledge (Wilcox & Stefanick, 1999).
     Additionally, because older generations of women were socialized in an era that was less candid regarding sex and sexuality, this group may face difficulty in effectively negotiating safe sex and condom use with sexual partners. Specifi-cally, recent findings in this area reveal that while younger women are more likely to use condoms to prevent pregnancy and disease, older women-who are beyond child bearing age-may be less inclined to do so (Wyatt, Carmona, Loeb, Guthrie, Chin, & Gordon, 2000). In fact, because older adults are less likely to believe they are at risk for contracting the AIDS virus, they are also less likely to use condoms during sex (Stall & Catania, 1994).  Unquestionably, this puts women of this age group at considerable risk for HIV infection.
     African American women are faced with additional concerns, specifically, the sex-ratio imbalance within the African American dating pool. Because of the perceived dearth of available African American men, some African American women may have difficulty negotiating safer sex with their partners. Congruent with this proposal, research has found that some African American women may have lower expectations of a husband or significant other, including the expectation of  monogamy (Harawa & Greenland,  2003). Additional research in this area suggests that many African American women have negative attitudes regarding condoms and condom use. Findings suggest that many of these women associate condom use with casual, uncommitted relationships, disease, and the belief that they may undermine trust, intimacy and commitment in a relationship (Weeks, Schensul, Williams, Singer, & Grier, 1995), thereby increasing the potential for high-risk sexual behaviors. As such, the following research questions serve to guide the proposed study:

1. What is the relationship between age, HIV knowledge, sexual negotiation, and condom use among older African American women?
2. Does age serve as a moderating factor in the relationship between HIV knowledge, sexual negotiation, and condom use?

     For the proposed study, approximately 150 African American women, ages 50 and older, will be recruited and distributed over three age categories: middle-aged, young old, old. Participants' HIV knowledge, level of sexual negotiation skill, and level of condom use will be assessed using a previously administered instrument assessing these constructs.
     A series of zero-order correlations will be performed to determine the relationship between HIV knowledge, level of sexual negotiation skill, and level of condom use among African American women ages 50 and older. To examine the moderating effect of age on the relationship between HIV knowledge, sexual negotiation, and condom use, a series of multiple regression analyses will also be performed. It is expected that (a) age will be negatively associated with HIV knowledge, level of sexual negotiation, and level of condom use; and b) age will serve as a moderating factor on the relationship between HIV knowledge, sexual negotiation skill, and condom use. These expected findings, therefore suggest that age may play a significant role in the dramatic increase of HIV/AIDS in older African American women.
     Note: Due to the limited nature of the literature in the area of HIV/AIDS in older African American women, the focus of this summer research project was an empirical review of the existing HIV/AIDS literature. As such, the objectives of this empirical review were twofold:

     1) to identify gaps in our present knowledge, and

     2) to formulate specific research questions that would serve to guide a subsequent empirical study. Therefore, data collection was not the focus of this phase of the research.

Khamia B. Powell is a senior psychology major at Hampton University with a cumulative GPA of 3.77. She is scheduled to graduate with a bachelor's degree in psychology in May 2004. She is dedicated to fostering the welfare of children and has coordinated programs that provided tutorial services for inner-city children. Ms. Powell honors include: Psi Chi National Honor Society, Golden Key International Honor Society, and the National Dean's List. Her future plans include admission to a graduate program in social work were she will earn an advanced degree in clinical social work. After graduation, Ms. Powell will begin her career as a clinical social worker, specializing in childhood development.

University Educational Image and the Effects of Justice Perceptions
Jennifer Ellen Yugo
Purdue University (IN)

The beliefs an applicant has about a university as a place to obtain an education make up university educational image. Image, as found in the organizational literature, affects organizational attractiveness and intent to apply. Using the Highhouse et al methodology, the dimensions of university educational image were isolated and a measure to assess university image was developed (1999).
     Additionally, the effects of justice perceptions on university educational image were analyzed to determine the effects of selection methods on an applicant's beliefs about a university as a place to obtain an education. Results showed that applicants consider different aspects when formulating a university's image than they do when deciding whether or not to apply to a school.

Jennifer Ellen Yugo is a senior at Purdue University graduating with highest distinction in May 2004. She has a 4.0 overall GPA and will also graduate with distinction in research for her honors thesis and an endorsement from the honors program. In addition, she received the Ford Scholarship awarded to the most outstanding junior initiate of Golden Key International Honor Society, and has held key officer positions within the organization for the past two years. Next year, Ms. Yugo plans to pursue graduate education in industrial-organizational psychology and has been accepted into several of the top programs in the field. Her research interests include organizational justice, cognitive ability testing, decision making and image.