Fall 2008
Influence of Sociocultural Eating Norms and Age on Food Selection in Young Girls -- Lynn Price and Rochelle Braunschweig
As girls develop throughout childhood, eating norms are acquired through sociocultural influences. Therefore, we predicted that as girls get older they will take less food than younger girls, especially when primed by eating norms. Participants (ages 8-13) watched a video that either showed or did not show an adolescent female rejecting food; they then chose a snack and completed a survey. Results indicated that as girls got older they took less food, lending partial support for this hypothesis. Further exploration suggested girls may internalize eating norms about thinness ideals at 10-11 years-old. This study could help psychologists, educators, and parents encourage healthy eating behaviors and intervene with girls who are pressured by thinness ideals.
The Effects of Training and Interrupted Attention on Computer Game Performance -- Joshua De Haan and Jess Klopstra
Attention and training have both been shown to influence computer game performance (Arthur, Strong, Jordan, Williamson, Shebilske, & Regian, 1995). This study attempted to manipulate attention levels using interval and continuous game play combined with prior training at the task. Fifty-one participants played a computer game called “GridWars 2,” and results showed that neither training nor continuous versus interrupted play had a significant effect on performance. In fact, the context of play was much less influential on scores than factors such as gender, caffeine intake, and long-term video game experience. Future studies on learning using a computer context should control for individual differences in gaming experience and skill.
This Will Make You Yawn: The Effects of Time and Visual Yawning Stimulus on Yawning -- Amber Wilson and Rachel Engle
Yawning is a stimulus as well as a response. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the time of day and a visual yawning stimulus when reading. Undergraduate college students were separated into early afternoon and late evening groups. One group in each time slot had a visual yawning stimulus. The participants read a short story and completed a questionnaire. Participant yawns were counted and documented. No significant interaction between participants yawning and the time and visual yawning stimulus were found, but those that were introduced to the visual stimulus had a higher mean of yawns. This study would benefit those leading evening classes, conferences, and meetings.
The Effects of Deception and Gender on Trust and Persistence -- Benjamin De Nooy, Nathan Nikkel, and Eric Nieuwsma
Deception is a common psychological research strategy, especially in social psychology (Van Leeuwen, 1982). We predicted that participants warned about deception would be less trusting and persistent than participants not warned and that females would generally be more trusting and persistent than males. Fifty-six undergraduates’ trust was measured by a survey and “completedness” of a difficult task. We found no significant interaction of gender and deception awareness on either trust or persistence; however, we did find a significant main effect of deception such that those aware of deception were significantly more persistent than those not informed. Further research on the impact of deception, whether explicit or assumed, is important for obtaining more valid data about human behavior.
