The purpose of this study is essentially to act as a needs assessment for future learners. Students will be watching a sexuality education video on STIs, their preventions, and treatments from the early 2000s. Following the video, students will take a survey that allows them the opportunity to give feedback on the information that was presented to them and what was lacking in the video, as well as possible accessibility concerns. The results from this survey will be used to update both the information in the original video, as well as implementing the feedback we received from the first video into a newer, updated version of this video later on.

Citation

Perkins, Emily, “Review of a Sexuality Education Video” (2024). Undergraduate Research Conference. 3.
https://athenacommons.muw.edu/urc/2024/oral-presentations-i/3

Description

Previous research has identified a link between romantic relationship formation (sliding vs. deciding) and satisfaction (Clifford et al., 2017; Vennum et al., 2015). During college, the decision to enter and maintain a romantic relationship can play a role in the relationship-churning process among young adults (Brandes & Doron, 2020; Grower & Baldwin-White, 2021). Specifically, some college students may slide into marriage or having kids (Loeb et al., 2020; Priem et al., 2015) due to financial, social, and psychological barriers that keep them from ending an unhealthy relationship (Loeb et al., 2020). To explore the effect of sliding into a relationship further, we conducted a relationship education workshop (N = 12) at a University in the Southeastern United States. We adopted the Love Notes curriculum to create a 45-minute workshop on the topics of self-reflection, communication skills, and relationship conflict management. The goal of the workshop was to increase participants self-awareness of their communication skills when they experience conflict in a relationship. Most participants identified as White females (n = 10; 76.9%), and the average age of the participants was 23.7. 2 The statistical analysis revealed participants confidence in having difficult conversations with romantic partners and their ability to recognize healthy relationships increased as a result of their participation in the workshop. Therefore, relationship education programs on college campuses can help not only develop the communication skills of college students but also positively contribute to their ability to form meaningful and healthy relationships.

Citation

Reel, Hailey and McCool, Hailey J., “Stop churning relationships by avoiding the relationship slide” (2024). Undergraduate Research Conference. 1.
https://athenacommons.muw.edu/urc/2024/oral-presentations-i/1

Description

This research project aims to conduct further research using a questionnaire developed by the fall 2022 FSC 330 class to assess the sexual health knowledge of W students. I plan to study their use as a potential educational tool to provide sexual health knowledge to W students in addition to assessing their sexual health knowledge. The revised survey consists of topics that cover: contraceptives, women’s/ men’s sexual health and anatomy, gender/ sexual orientation, sexual coercion, STIs, and lastly love/ communication. The survey we are currently making will have three different versions that are: feedback on incorrectly answered questions, feedback on correctly/ incorrectly answered questions and no feedback. This is to test if feedback will improve test scores. To start the experiment, I will give the participants access to versions where feedback is given. One week after the surveys are finished, I will release the final version with no feedback to evaluate the knowledge of the explanations that were given. The hypothesis is those given the most information will perform better on a post test of sexual health knowledge. Although the data collection is incomplete, preliminary results will be provided at the time of the conference with most recent results. Analysis will not be available by the time of the presentation.

Citation
Parker, Aubrey, “Sexual Wellness and Knowledge of College Students” (2024). Undergraduate Research Conference. 7.
https://athenacommons.muw.edu/urc/2024/posters-ii/7

Description

Stealing thunder is defined as revealing potentially damaging information about oneself before others reveal the same information to save one’s image from harm (Arpan et al., 2005). Although research has examined the stealing thunder effect on political matters (Nguyen 2020; Nguyen et al., 2021), research has not explored the effect within the context of romantic relationships. To explore stealing thunder among emerging adults’ romantic relationships, we identified a transgression and a scenario that would prompt a young person to question their romantic partner’s commitment to the relationship. Our goals were to identify (1) whether confessions at varying levels of specificity provided any benefit relative to when the negative information was revealed by a third party, (2) whether the severity of the transgression moderated the efficacy of stealing thunder at different levels of specificity, and (3) how people perceive the fictional partner in each scenario. An online Qualtrics survey link was distributed to individuals ages 18 and older who currently identified as being in a relationship (n = 47). The three-factor ANOVA test revealed the overall perception of a romantic partner and the intent to stay in a relationship after a transgression is revealed is influenced by how, when, and by whom the transgression is revealed. Furthermore, the integrity of the romantic partner is not altered by the circumstances of how a transgression is revealed. Therefore, further research is needed to establish a relationship between stealing thunder and relationship churning among young adults.

Citation

McCool, Hailey Jeanette and Reel, Hailey B., “A case for “Stealing Thunder”: Relationship sliding vs deciding after a transgression” (2024). Undergraduate Research Conference. 2.
https://athenacommons.muw.edu/urc/2024/oral-presentations-i/2

Description

In the holdings of the Department of Psychology and Family Science at Mississippi University for Women there a_re about 15 psychological machines and instruments. I have been investigating these machines and instruments as part of a research project on the history of the department and psychological measurement because current faculty are unsure what most of them are. I utilized several resources to identify each instrument and its purpose (e.g., psychology museum archives and YouTube). One interesting find was the equipment for the Mirror-Tracing Task. This apparatus has been used in research on hand-eye coordination and motor skills. The next step is to determine how these machines can be used in classes today to help students learn more about psychology.

Citation

French, Irelyn, “Investigating Historical Psychological Instruments on Campus: Mirror Tracing Apparatus” (2023). Undergraduate Research Conference. 1.
https://athenacommons.muw.edu/urc/2023/poster/1

Description

This goal of this study is to measure if and how perceived racism on college campus affects mental health help seeking behaviors of students. The goal is to examine racism in asynchronous courses as well as synchronous online and face-to-face courses across primarily white and historically black colleges and universities. The proposed study will include assessment of perceived racism, help seeking attitudes, and intent to seek help among students at six universities in the state of Mississippi. Implications would be to open disclosure on micro- affirmation/ micro- inclusions in college courses regardless of course delivery method to improve the well being of all college students regardless of race or ethnicity.

Citation

Dora, Tera, “Perceived Racism and Help Seeking Behaviors on College Campuses” (2023). Undergraduate Research Conference. 1.
https://athenacommons.muw.edu/urc/2023/social-sciences-i/1

Description

The goal of this study is to research, to watch how misinformation plays a role in our community and world today. We put out misinformation in the public about a hero or savior type story and a suspect and victim story. What we did was put the misinformation out into the world via twitter and when we did it, we made screenshots and waited for reactions. When we posted it, we made updates and acted as if it was being reported live and in the moment. Thought in the end we made changes to the original tweets about how the original suspect was actually not the color or maybe even the gender that was told to the public and they actually had the story wrong the suspect was now the victim and victim the suspect. We did this to get the publics first reaction to the crime, the race or the person, and recorded the publics original perspective of it.

Citation

Thompson, Shameria, “Misinformation” (2023). Undergraduate Research Conference. 3.
https://athenacommons.muw.edu/urc/2023/social-sciences-i/3

Description

Abstract: The purpose of this research project is to conduct further research on the use of a questionnaire developed by the fall 2022 FSC 330 class to assess sexual health knowledge of W students. I plan to study their use as a potential educational tool to provide sexual health knowledge to W students in addition to assessing their sexual health knowledge. The revised survey consists of topics that cover: contraceptives, women’s/ men’s sexual health and anatomy, gender/ sexual orientation, sexual coercion, STI’s, and lastly love/ communication. The survey we are currently making will have three different versions that are: feedback on incorrectly answered questions, feedback on correctly/ incorrectly answered questions, and no feedback. This is to test if feedback will improve test scores. To start the experiment, I will give the participants access to versions where feedback is given. Three weeks after the surveys are finished, I will release the final version with no feedback to evaluate the knowledge of the explanations that were given. The hypothesis is those given the most information will perform better on a post- test of sexual health knowledge. Through the survey that FSC 330 produced, we found that W students knew more than the typical American. Students performed best on the sexual coercion subscale and showed poorest performance on the gender and sexual orientation subscale. The mean score of these participants was a 67%, which is passing, however it indicates that the W students still have much to learn about sex, and healthy sex habits.

Citation

Parker, Aubrey, “Sexual Knowledge and Wellness of College Students” (2023). Undergraduate Research Conference. 4.
https://athenacommons.muw.edu/urc/2023/poster/4

Description

The United States is often referred to as the land of opportunity and the home of the free, yet today, those who challenge the patriarchal system are not treated fairly or equitably. Historically, from owning land to voting women have fought for the same rights enjoyed by men. The effort of early feminist movements paved the way for the Supreme Court to protect women’s reproductive rights through Roe v. Wade. For decades, women were able to make a choice regarding their reproductive health. However, in just the past year (2022), the Supreme Court ruled to strike down Roe v. Wade, thus undoing years of work and the liberty of women to decide on their own health care. While some people associate Roe v. Wade with abortion and pro-life and pro-choice, this view discounts the fundamental right to access contraceptives and resources all women need to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. In a country where women are so desired, their rights mean so little to the men who seek to promote gender roles that ignore the fundamental values Americans have enjoyed for centuries: the freedom to pursue happiness. The consequences of the overturning of Roe v. Wade can restrict access to birth control for minority women and teenagers, restrict resources for domestic violence victims, and create additional burdens on society when individuals are not ready or equipped to form families.

Citation

McCool, Hailey, “Reproductive Health in America: A History of Patriarchal Control” (2023). Undergraduate Research Conference. 2.
https://athenacommons.muw.edu/urc/2023/social-sciences-ii/2

Description

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele has been linked with Alzheimer’s disease; specifically having two copies of the APOE ε4 allele greatly increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in older age. Studies have attempted to relate an antagonistic pleiotropy hypothesis to this gene, i.e., the ε4 allele has positive effects on cognition and memory in early life and negative effects later in life. Many of these studies have had several limitations and conflicting results, such as testing adults in upper middle age or comparing the absence of the ε4 allele with the presence of at least one ε4 allele. Studies showed that having two copies of the ε4 allele has the highest risk of developing Alzheimer’s in older age, comparing the presence of one ε4 versus none skews the results. Testing older adults does not allow for proper conclusions about the antagonistic pleiotropy hypothesis. The objective of this study is to determine if the APOE ε4 allele has an effect on cognition and memory before the onset of Alzheimer’s when compared to other variants of the APOE gene. We will use reliable methods to test attention, memory, and executive function in all variants of the APOE gene (ε2ε2, ε3ε3, ε3ε4, and ε4ε4) in healthy adults with an age range of 18-30. The results of this study will offer a better understanding of the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and allow for more in-depth studies on progression with two copies of the APOE ε4 allele.

Citation

Hollis, Annie, “Antagonistic Pleiotropy in Alzheimer’s Disease” (2023). Undergraduate Research Conference. 2.
https://athenacommons.muw.edu/urc/2023/social-sciences-i/2

Description

Mobile payment service (MPS) apps are often used because they are convenient and easy to use. However, some people may not understand how MPS use could impact day-to-day finances or long-term financial well-being. This study seeks to explore the use of MPS apps among college students. It is hypothesized that MPS app use is related to factors such as ease of use, convenience, and financial behaviors, such as monitoring spending or paying bills on time. In the fall of 2021, 122 college students from the Southeastern United States responded to an online Qualtrics questionnaire related to preferences among MPS apps, frequency of their use, and spending and bill-paying financial behaviors in the last 6 months. Responses were coded and analyzed by using IBM SPSS v 28. Correlations revealed frequent MPS use was not associated with financial skills, usefulness, convenience, awareness, or actual financial behaviors. However, financial skills were positively related to factors such as MPS usefulness (r = .62, p ≤ .001) and convenience (r = .58, p ≤ .001), and awareness of financial behaviors (r = .55, p ≤ .001). Findings suggest that MPS apps can be a tool to promote financial management behaviors such as controlling spending and paying bills on time.

Citation

Reed, Mikayla and Brooks, Cecilia, “Convenience or reckless spending? How mobile payment apps can help college students manage their money” (2022). Undergraduate Research Conference. 1.
https://athenacommons.muw.edu/urc/2022/poster/1

Description

Family policy broadly encompasses everything the government does to promote individual and family well-being through policies that seek to improve the quality of life for individuals and their families. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 (P.L. 104-193) requires work in exchange for time-limited assistance and a performance bonus to reward states for moving welfare recipients into jobs. The bill includes a provision known as Section 115 that imposes a lifetime ban on federal food and cash assistance for people with drug felony convictions. Those with a previous drug felony conviction receive a lifetime ban on SNAP and TANF regardless of whether they have completed their time in prison or not. As such, the purpose of this brief is to educate and inform on the impact of this section on the well-being of individuals and families through Hill’s (1949) ABC-X model and Boss’ (2002) model of family stress.

Citation

Little, Benjamin, “Impact of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) on Family Functions” (2022). Undergraduate Research Conference. 1.
https://athenacommons.muw.edu/urc/2022/social-sciences/1

For this project, we examined AIDS Risk Reduction for College Students, a program developed by Fisher, Fisher, Misovich, Kimble, and Malloy, (1996). As individuals, we evaluated this program as individuals using the Sexuality Education Program Resource Review Form, which the entire class adapted from the Family Life Education Program Resource Review Form by Duncan and Goddard (2014) for use on sexuality education programs. Following our individual evaluations, we worked together to establish inter-rater reliability on our individual ratings of AIDS Risk Reduction for College Students. Our results indicated that AIDS Risk Reduction for College Students covered the information via multiple teaching methods, allowing college-aged students to not only understand but completely grasp the knowledge that was being shared. The program is designed to be led by six peer mentors to a group of 30 students. They discussed the appropriate use of condoms and how to apply condoms. In addition, they also discussed the importance of ensuring both partners were informed of safer sex practices. In the case of this program being utilized for the Mississippi University of Women`s purpose, our group deemed this material appropriate and relevant for the use of educating young men and women about the risks of
having unprotected sex.