Article archive / June 1, 2011
Originally published: . Volume 2, No. 10. Source pages: 1, 15, 16.
The 23rd Annual Convention of the American Psychological Society held its meeting May 26-29 in Washington, DC. Researchers from Centenary, Louisiana Tech, Loyola, LSU, Northwestern, Tulane, and University of Louisiana–Lafayette, and others, presented their research, and covered topics from attention in movie- goers, to rules about emotional labor, to being more receptive to advice if you’re looking up, to mediation and mindfulness. Research topics from the following schools are covered below, with others in subsequent issues.
Centenary
Amanda Shackleton, Jessica Garris, Michael Naquin, Shakeria Alcorn, Jacob Jones, and Katherine Shamburger, with professor Amy Hammond, presented “A Sense to Remember: Seeing and Touching Are Better Than Hearing.” The researchers found that recall was better for items presented in the tactile and visual modes, rather than auditory.
Louisiana Tech
Margaret L. Hindman (now at Louisiana State University) Mary M. Livingston, and Alice P. Carter. In an investigation of social comparison and grades, showed how grades of other students influenced happiness and satisfaction ratings in “Influence of Social Comparison on Happiness and Satisfaction With Grades.”
In “Numeracy and Domain-Specific Risk Attitude as Potential Predictors of Framing Effects,” Kevin T. Mahoney, Amy L. Frost, Walter C. Buboltz, and John E. Buckner examined numeracy, thinking-style, and domain-specific risk attitude are examined as individual differences that may predict risky choice framing effects.
John Buckner, Kevin Mahoney, and Amy Frost examine the relationships among positive display rules, emotional labor, personality, and emotional display by manipulating the presence (or absence) of a positive display rule in a work-sample task, in “Positive Display Rule, Personality, Emotional Labor, and Emotional Display.”
“Self-Regulated Learning: A Brief Intervention Designed for Elementary Students,” by Ashley N. Carroll and Alice P. Carter. Researchers determined the effectiveness of a short intervention teaching self- regulation to elementary students.
Margaret L. Hindman (now at Louisiana State University,) Mary M. Livingston, and Alice P. Carter determined the amount of personal space that people leave between them and understanding of sex, age, and familiarity differences in “Personal Space Proxemics: Race, Sex, and Familiarity Differences.”
In “Relationship of Psychological Health, Sleep Quality, and Physical Health Sleep” examined sleep quality, mental health, and physical health and showed them to be interrelated. Students with better sleep quality were less likely to exhibit mental or physical health difficulties. By Steve M. Jenkins (Wagner College,) Jennifer Thibodeaux, Walter C. Buboltz, and Janel McDaniel.
Loyola
“Attention Goes to the Movies: Impact of Auditory Components on Film Perception” by Lewis J. Baker and Lawrence B. Lewis, looked at how participants with an elevated ability to split attention showed greater accuracy in distinguishing cinematic elements.
Erin C. Dupuis and Sheridyn R. Miller presented “Welcome to the Club: Recruitment's Effect on Social Support and Well-Being.” Researchers looked at women going through sorority recruitment and compared to a non-recruitment group. Before and after recruitment, self-esteem, depression, loneliness, and aspects of identity were measured. Results indicated that sorority women were less depressed and perceived greater social support; however, sorority women were more likely to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes.
“Effects of Short-Term Dynamic and Static Meditation Practices on Attention and Mindfulness.” Lawrence B. Lewis and Matthew S. Glenn had participants practice either a static (still breathing awareness) or dynamic (tai chi or yoga) meditation exercise for ten minutes. Relative to controls, mediators performed significantly better on a change blindness attentional task.
LSU
“Factors of the High School Experience in Relation to First Year College Success,” presented by Wade Smith (Louisiana State University Laboratory School), Jason Droddy (Louisiana State University) and A.J. Guarino (MGH Institute of Health Professions). This study investigated the relationship between high school accountability, Pell Grant eligibility, core GPA, Taylor Opportunity Program eligibility, and free/reduced lunch status on first year college retention.
Washington Monument, Photo Jake McGuire
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.