College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs Poster Presentations Copyright (c) 2013 Boise State University All rights reserved. http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12 Recent documents in College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs Poster Presentations en-us Sun, 27 Jan 2013 16:08:51 PST 3600 Assimilation of Hmong Refugee Students http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/25 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/25 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:37:20 PDT This study examines the educational attainment of Southeast Asian immigrants, specifically Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Hmong, to explicate their diversity within the racial category, “Asian American”. Over 1 million Hmong refugees and immigrants arrived in the United States from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos following the end of the Vietnam War. This broad pan-ethnic label is particularly detrimental to Southeast Asian ethnic minorities because of the model minority stereotype ascribed to them. This stereotype renders ethnic groups categorized under the “Asian American” identity term from being considered for social and educational programs that they may otherwise benefit from (Hurh & Kim, 1989, S. Lee, 1996, Nakanishi, 1995). This study is important because the Asian-origin population in the U.S. is the fastest growing ethnic group. Southeast Asian refugees are a source of this growth. Studies have examined the educational attainment of Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Hmong students but none have used empirical evidence with Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory to explain the disparity of educational attainment among varying Asian ethnicities. Secondary data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS) is employed. This study is part of a growing body of research regarding the assimilation of Southeast Asian refugees and contributes to future research on Southeast Asian Americans.

]]> Lesley Yang President Civic Leadership- Business Management Internship http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/24 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/24 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:37:19 PDT I am a President Civic Leadership Scholarship recipient, and each semester the civic scholars have requirements to fulfill. Last semester the requirement was to do an internship with a company that had you helping with activities that pertained to your individual major, which for me was Business Management. This spring semester, our requirement is to now present our internship experience at the Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Conference.

Throughout my four years of college I have been able to now complete two internships. By taking part in each of the internships, I have enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about business, business management, and the different aspects involved in business. The two internships I have participated in were two very different experiences and have showed how different yet similar businesses can be no matter the size of the company or the industry one pursues.

The internship I did for the fall 2011 semester was for Chrysalis Salon Professional Products. Chrysalis is a distributor for Idaho, Montana, and Washington and distributes different manufactures’ salon exclusive products. This sole proprietorship consisted of my supervisor, the CEO of the company, and me. This was a great way for me to get involved in all of the different departments involved in business, even though the internship experience was on a very small scale. I was able to see a simplified example of accounting, marketing, management, inventory, organizational planning, and sales.

During my internship I was able to get some hands on experience and see the real world of daily business activity. There were many objectives and projects I was able to accomplish during my internship and many ways I was able to relate what I was learning in class to what I was doing in the workplace.

During the Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Conference, I will be able to share my experiences and talk about the difference that participating in internships has made for my education.

]]> Emma Gibson The New Evangelization: Loving America Through Catholic Radio http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/23 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/23 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:37:17 PDT I interned with Salt & Light Catholic Radio for 16 weeks. I set out to learn about the Catholic radio environment in Boise, especially how the station is both struggling and succeeding with the Catholic “New Evangelization” movement. Catholic media is a new and growing section of American Catholicism, though admittedly the Catholic Church is far behind the times. The “New Evangelization” movement seeks to proclaim the relevance of seemingly antiquated Catholic doctrine to America through media. My internship in Catholic media, then, was directed at getting groundwork experience as an amateur in the business. To gain this experience, I worked in every field available at the station, including administrative tasks, development, fundraising, promotions, and audio production. As a result of my efforts, I’ve acquired valuable basic knowledge of how an up-and-coming radio station functions as well as areas that are most neglected and most emphasized. In the future, with the experience that I’ve gotten, I can better assist the struggling world of Catholic radio, because I’ve gained an understanding of the current effectiveness of this facet of Catholic media. My goals for the future align directly with what I’ve learned, for I now plan to supplement Catholic radio with my contemporary and energetic perspective.

]]> Heidemarie Martin Nursing in Action http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/22 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/22 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:37:16 PDT As a nursing student, I have discovered that learning through experience has been the most beneficial way for me to master my skills. I wanted to take on an internship where I could practice my nursing abilities. As a Nursing Apprentice I have put into action how I can be a strong nurse in the future while understanding fully what the duties of nurses are—from multi-tasking several clients with assessments, medications, interventions, and reassessing, and all while trying to keep a big picture idea on each client can be very difficult. In my presentation, I plan to compare my duties from this experience to the Nursing Process, because everything in nursing revolves around this main idea: Assess, Diagnose, Plan, Implement, and Evaluate. I will also include Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, because this is a basis for figuring out which needs must be met for my clients before helping them move up along the hierarchy to a healthier state. Nursing is so complex that while I realize these are only just a few of the tools I use on a daily basis for the critical reasoning in practice, they are sufficient for helping others understand what I love doing as a nurse.

Just recently I have joined an Evidence-Based Practice Research team through BSU, and I am hoping that when I have more information from this study I can also incorporate that into my presentation for this conference. Evidence-based practice (EBP) is crucial to nursing. Some basic examples that sometimes are sadly overlooked from EBP are washing hands, using sterile technique when doing invasive procedures, and in general, making safer procedures. EBP is used frequently to improve efficiency and safety for clients in the healthcare setting. I am excited to see what I will learn from this research assistant position and how I can put this information into action with nursing.

Finally, since I am a Communications minor, I would like to show how important communication is in my practice. I will be able to show this through stories about my experiences. Nurses are talking with so many people throughout the day, including the patient, fellow members of the healthcare team, family members, and so many other people. Communication in nursing is focused on being client centered. What I have learned through practice is that sometimes patients really just need someone to talk to, especially about something that they want to keep secret from other people. For example, working some shifts, I have seen some clients that are ready to die. We reminisce about the good times of their lives, the people they love and have been close to, and find ways to make them happy about the life that they have lived. Death is a difficult subject for many people to talk about, but nurses deal with these discussions frequently. Nursing is a crucial part of the healthcare team and nurses usually spend the most time with the client throughout the day. Therefore I believe having a high quality nurse is essential to helping a client to better health through therapeutic attention.

From my knowledge of nursing skills from my Nursing Apprentice position, basic background in EBP, and communication abilities, I have been able to put into action my nursing talents. I am looking forward to presenting how much a Nurse Apprentice does and the rationales, and also about the duties of nursing on the healthcare team in action.

]]> Jeanette McMillan An Exploration of Historical Idaho Through Photography http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/21 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/21 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:37:14 PDT The close proximity of the Idaho Historical Archives offers a unique opportunity for Boise State students. For the research of any subject, from History to Environmental Science, the Archives have a plethora of information. However, few BSU students take advantage of this readily available source. As a photo intern at the Historical Society, I have sorted through mass amounts of visual information pertaining to Idaho history. My goal in the Undergraduate Research Conference is to highlight significant images of historical Idaho while explaining the methods behind preserving, compiling, and archiving valuable photography for future reference. By doing so, the presentation will demonstrate the potential for a hands-on experience with local history as well as the opportunity BSU students have for researching primary sources. Idaho has a colorful and interesting past which is well documented and easily accessible through the hard work of those at the Archives. Students at Boise State could put this information to good use and make BSU a center of Idaho history knowledge and expertise.

]]> William Neely Non-Profit Theatre: A National Epidemic http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/20 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/20 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:37:12 PDT During fall of 2011 had the opportunity to intern with the Idaho Shakespeare Festival (ISF). The ISF team develops and produces theatre in Boise while working in congruence with the Great Lakes Theater Festival (GLTF) in Ohio, and the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival (LTSF) in Nevada. I expected to focus on Boise’s own particular theatre hub, but due to this unique partnership I gained nation-wide insight. ISF is a successful, well known theatre, enjoyed by Idahoans beyond the typical “theatre folk”. ISF and its partner companies, produce primarily Shakespeare… the world’s already most produced playwright, ever, while continually gaining popularity. This is nearly astounding considering society’s current emphasis on all things fast paced, high action, and 3Dimensional. With production in its off-season, my time was needed in their main office. Many hours were used logging patron information in the company database, creating fliers, mailing newsletters, preparing information for the Shakespearience tour, and developing a map and record system for onsite recognition of patron donation. The efforts needed to run a nonprofit theatre are vast. Nonprofit theatre flourishes against all odds because of one particularity though, the audience. ISF emphasized firstly on producing great theatre and secondly on gaining and maintaining an audience. I intend to bring the great insight ISF has given me directly into my future career in the theatre and hope to aid in the flourishing of non-profit theatre upon my graduation from Boise State University.

]]> Breck Thompson Early Childhood Special Education Services http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/19 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/19 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:37:11 PDT Beginning in the Fall Semester of 2011 I started a field study at a local elementary school in Boise in their Early Childhood Special Education classroom. The class consists of eight children all with different levels of development and need. I chose a focus child whose main qualifier was for speech and language. This began a process that I will complete this May.

The process begins with observation during which we can identify some of the strengths and weaknesses of the child. We also do a family interview to assess their concerns. Following that we conduct a AEPS which is an assessment used to determine a child’s developmental level. Following the AEPS we are able to choose goals and objectives that we target throughout the child’s intervention. Upon completion of goal and intervention development we complete an Individualized Education Plan to guide how and when the education team teaches the child. Upon the completion of this process our goal is to see some sort of progress in one of the three goals we have developed for the child.

]]> Delanie Williamson PACO: Determining Throttle Position in NASA’s T‐38 Talon http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/18 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/18 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:37:10 PDT The T‐38 Talon aircraft is used at NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Johnson Space Center as a supersonic jet trainer for the astronauts, as well as a chase plane in both launches and research missions. The PEDRO (Permanent Engine Data Recording Object) system has been installed on the aircraft to record and detect engine abnormalities during flight operations. To expand PEDRO's data collection, PACO (Power Adjustment Capturing Object), a throttle position sensing system, has been developed. This system will provide insight to flameout analysis, allow for easier troubleshooting with afterburner lights, verify project engine feed and eliminate the need for video recording. The designed system identifies the five standard throttle positions within a 0.5 degree precision, provides a timestamp correlated with the PEDRO system, and identifies the throttle rate of change and direction. A hazard analysis was performed on the PACO flight system and all hazards were identified and corrective actions were taken to reduce the hazard risks. This system has been through the standard NASA‐Aircraft Operations Division reviews and has been approved for flight testing. At the completion of flight testing, PACO will be installed in all PEDRO jets during their next maintenance phase.

]]> Mallory Yates The Influence of Parent-Child Attachment on Romantic Relationships http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/17 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/17 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:37:08 PDT The present study examined the significance of parent and child relationships and how the parenting styles used and parent-child attachment related to future reports of romantic relationship anxiety. Participants were young adults ranging from ages 18-30 recruited from various university psychology courses. The participants were given an online questionnaire measuring quantitative data. This questionnaire asked about the participants feelings of respect from their parents toward them, the expectations perceived from parents toward the participant, fear of losing romantic partner’s love, and comfort with closeness in romantic relationships among other related items.

]]> Monica Del Toro A West European Style Populist Radical Right Movement in America? The Case of the Tea Party http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/16 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/16 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:05:43 PDT The Tea Party (TP), whose candidates made significant gains in the 2010-midterm elections, lacks a place in the comparative party literature and also defies ready classification. Is it solely a movement to reduce the size of government and cut taxes as its name – some refer to it as the Taxed Enough Already party – implies? Or do its supporters share a broader set of conservative positions on social as well as economic issues? Does the movement draw support from across the religious spectrum? Or has the religious right “taken over” the TP, as some commentators have suggested (Koelkebeck, 2010)? In light of these various claims, this comparative study seeks to characterize the TP and asks: (1) Is it a populist party? (2) Is it a populist radical right party? The aim is to locate the TP in multi-dimensional space using a careful reading of the party literature as the primary data source and to do so by reference to three fundamental ‘isms’ attributed to West European populist radical right parties – that is, populism, socio-cultural authoritarianism and ethno-nationalism (nativism). It is argued that the TP is indeed a populist radical right party – with Americanism as its pivotal concept – albeit one (thus far) lacking the xenophobic extremism of the likes of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPA) or the Danish People's Party (DPP).

]]> Daniel May Sprawl in the Western United States: Do State Growth Management Programs Reduce Sprawl? http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/15 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/15 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:05:42 PDT Sprawl is faulted for contributing to excessive commuting and transportation costs, raising the cost of providing infrastructure and other public services (Carruthers, 2002). With the advent of the environmental movement in the 1960’s, concern for the impact urban growth was having on the environment caused a surge of growth management legislation that eventually led to several states implementing state growth management programs (SGMP’s). While there have been several studies done on the effectiveness of SGMPs in containing sprawl, there have been no studies of state-growth management that focus solely on the Western States, states that have many characteristics in common such as the percentage of federal land and limited resources. Additionally, this study focuses on the period from 1990 to 2010, bringing the literature up-to-date for SGMP’s in the West. This article examines the effectiveness of SGMPs on containing urban sprawl in the Western United States where five of eleven states had implemented SGMPs by 2000. Several measures were taken to assess the effectiveness of SGMPs in containing sprawl. While several methods were attempted, statistical significance was found using a dummy variable which supports the belief that SGMPs do help to contain urban sprawl.

]]> Jenna Nash Emancipative Values, Development, and Democracy: Regime Legitimacy and Economic Voting Trends Across Nations http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/14 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/14 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:05:41 PDT Few research studies have examined the effect of emancipative values on economic voting in anocric countries, those that are neither democratic nor dictatorial. In this study, I operationalize emancipative values and economic voting across countries around the world and estimate a model of economic voting in a pooled annual time series data set. Evidence from the World Values Surveys indicates a large variation in emancipative values exists between nation-states. Where they are weak, people prefer strong leadership over political freedoms, often for the sake of political or economic stability. Weak emancipative values privilege political decisions in favor of economic performance, rather than freedoms. This may lead to a rise in economic voting. Thus, I hypothesize that, controlling for other factors, anocric countries will display greater evidence of economic voting than will democracies due to weak emancipative values. The ability of an electorate to evaluate governmental economic policy at the polls holds interesting implications for government accountability.

]]> Verona Schaller Effects of Prisoner Location on Visitation Patterns http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/13 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/13 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:54:11 PDT This study explores factors related to visitation patterns for prisoners under Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC). A quantitative data analysis was conducted using a database provided by the ODRC which encompassed visits and demographics on incarcerated prisoners (N=50,551) from 2006 until July 19, 2011. Qualitative analyses depicted a hypothetical visitor’s experience including calculations of transit distances/duration for inmate visits. Hypotheses posited for this study included: (1) there is a negative correlation between travel distances/costs and visitation frequency; (2) inmate relocation to more distant facilities negatively affects visitation patterns; (3) inmate visitation will be greater during early incarceration and immediately prior to release; (4) women receive fewer visits than men due to the smaller number/more centralized locations of women’s facilities. Results show that many inmates had very few visits while a few inmates had many visits. Gender specific analyses indicate significantly more visitors approved, lower security levels, and higher proportion of marriage/significant others among women than men, but no difference in the actual numbers of visits experienced. Tremendous variability exists between institutions in terms of transportation accessibility and visitation policy barriers. Results will be used to raise awareness towards developing strategies to encourage inmate visitation across geographical distances.

]]> Anjannette M. Monroe Analysis of Human Remains from the Siriki Shell Mound, Northwestern Guyana http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/12 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/12 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:54:10 PDT Unique in the prehistory of northeastern South America and the Guiana Shield are the shell mound sites of Guyana. Located within the northwestern part of the country, the mounds which consist of accumulations of shell refuse were utilized as living platforms and as locations for human burials. Recent excavations at the site of Siriki, the largest of the Guyana shell mounds, document multiple occupations spanning a period of 4140-270 RCYBP. The cultural material assemblage consists of 70 artifacts of the so-called Alaka Phase—a Middle to Late Holocene pattern emphasizing the use of shellfish. Excavations recovered the remains of nine individuals from different locations within the mound and spanning the temporal use of the location. Analysis indicates the presence of adults and sub-adults, at least one male individual, evidence of both antemortem and postmortem damage, and pathologies that include osteophytic lipping in vertebrae. As human remains rarely preserve in the northern Amazon, this analysis will provide important baseline data relevant to a more complete understanding of the skeletal biology of regional Holocene populations.

]]> Beki Jumonville College Adaptation among Traditional and Non-traditional College Students http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/11 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/11 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:54:09 PDT Although research has established several factors related to college adjustment in traditional college students (e.g., self-esteem, perfectionism, family environment), few studies have examined whether these factors also relate to college adjustment in non-traditional students. The present study examined whether the factors related to academic and emotional adjustment to college differed between traditional and nontraditional college students. Three hundred thirteen college students (78% traditional; 22% non-traditional) completed the almost perfect scale revised, the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire, and the family environment scale. Non-traditional college students displayed significantly greater academic and emotional adjustment to college than did traditional college students. Academic adjustment was related to self-esteem in both groups; in addition, perfectionism related to academic adjustment in traditional students. Emotional adjustment related to self-esteem and independence in both groups; in addition, emotional adjustment related to achievement motivation and organizational skills in non-traditional students and discrepancy between self and ideal in traditional students. College administrators may wish to emphasize different factors for these two groups when discussing adaptation to college during orientation sessions.

]]> Sofia Fernandez The Effects of Dual Enrollment Courses: Do They Prepare Students for College? http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/10 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/10 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:54:07 PDT The focus on academic success starts early for many students. Many high school students have clear career goals and may take steps to ensure success at the collegiate level in order to achieve their goals (McWhirter, Torres, Salgado, & Valdez, 2007). Studies have shown that students who rate high on academic self-efficacy in high school continue to succeed in college (Eccles, Vida, & Barber, 2004; Eccles & Wigfield, 2002). One method in which high school students can be better prepared for college and increase their academic self-efficacy (Margolis & McCabe, 2004) is by participating in programs that offer college-level curriculum at the high school level, such as dual enrollment (DE) programs. Two hundred and eight undergraduate students responded to questionnaires assessing factors that may help DE students succeed in college, including higher self-efficacy, academic hardiness, perfectionism, and expectations of success. DE students possessed higher GPAs compared to non-DE students. Results showed the most important factor affecting GPA in DE students was facilitating anxiety. For those students that did not take dual enrollment courses, the main factors related to GPA were academic hardiness and general self-efficacy. College administrators may wish to emphasize different factors for success based on students’ academic backgrounds.

]]> Ernesto Soto Effect of Parental Drug and Alcohol Use on Children in College http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/9 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/9 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:54:06 PDT Drug and alcohol abuse is a worldwide problem with significant impact in the United States. In 2009 an estimated twenty-four percent of the United States population has used illegal drugs (Johnson, O'Malley, Bachman, & Schulenberg, 2010). According to Boyd, Plemins, Schwartz, Johnson and Pickens (1999), the problem of drug and alcohol addiction lies in the home. Introductory psychology students between the ages of 18 and 54 participated in an eight question survey that was part of a larger omnibus survey to determine the effect that parents who used drugs and alcohol had on children in their family. Surveys were administered on the Boise State campus, yielding a viable sample of 144 participants. Parental use of drugs and alcohol significantly increase the chance that their children will use drugs and alcohol before the age of 18. There is a significant association between parental drug abuse and parental alcohol abuse. There is also a significant association between children who used drugs before they were 18 and children who used alcohol before they were 18. An association between parental drug and alcohol abuse and the use of drugs and alcohol before the age of 18 in their children is suggested.

]]> John Bowker Fighting for Our Youth’s Future http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/8 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/8 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:54:05 PDT This study analyzes the issues surrounding the aging out of young adults in the foster care system in the United States and England. Comparative data was collected and analyzed from three diverse locations: the Child Welfare System in England, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Within and between these three systems, the analysis narrows to compare the skills needed by foster youth to achieve self-sufficiency: social support, financial support, healthcare, mental health resources, housing resources, substance abuse treatment, educational resources, legal assistance, employment stability, and assistance with childcare. The widely accepted youth Self-Sufficiency Matrix is used to measure the transitional resources being provided to foster youth. This comparative study seeks to describe the different types of transitional resources provided to youth transitioning out of the foster care system in Idaho, Texas and the England. Four themes emerge from the analysis: the need for better communication, gradual transition, the development of long lasting relationships in the foster care system and outside of the foster care system and collaboration with transitioning foster youth.

]]> Shwaye Eibensteiner Comparing Self Report and Physiological Stress Responses in Survivors of Childhood Trauma http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/7 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/7 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:54:04 PDT Researchers have only begun exploring the physiological aspects of dissociation. However, current research is minimal and results vary across studies. It is clear that further understanding of this subject would be beneficial. Hetzel-Riggin (2010) and Nixon, Bryant, Moulds, Felmingham, and Mastrodomenico (2005) reported that individuals who have experienced a traumatic event (e.g., sexual assault, violent attack) have increased heart rates and skin conductance levels when exposed to traumatic cues. In contrast, Griffin, Resick, and Mechanic (1997) and Pole et al. (2005) reported that greater levels of dissociation resulted in lower levels of cardiovascular activity when participants were asked to recall a traumatic event.

The goals of the current study are twofold: (a) to gather information about the physiological responses to stress in individuals who have experienced either high or low betrayal trauma, and (b) to contribute to research available on the subject of dissociation and physiological responses. We predict a positive correlation between betrayal trauma and physiological symptoms. Our hypothesis is that participants who experienced betrayal trauma as measured by the Brief Betrayal Trauma Survey (BBTS) will show different markers for stress using a modified version of the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS), than those who have no reported history of betrayal trauma. The SUDS is a tool that enables participants to self-report their level of distress on a ten-point scale with higher scores communicating more distress.

We evaluated participants using polygraph equipment to test participants’ physiological responses to stress. Blood pressure, respiration, and skin conductance response were combined to give a sum of the stress responses. Data for participants’ distress levels were collected at 12 points during the study so that comparisons could be made between reported distress and physiological responses to stressful situations. Results were paired with betrayal trauma ratings using the BBTS (Goldberg & Freyd, 2006).

We divided the participants into two groups: those who described themselves as having no betrayal trauma, and those who had experienced betrayal trauma. T-tests revealed no significant difference between groups on either their self-reported stress levels using the SUDS, or their physiological responses as measured by the polygraph equipment. This is an ongoing study, therefore these results are preliminary, and we do expect to find some interaction or group differences when more data are gathered and further data analysis is completed.

]]> Kristin M. Batten et al. Gender Differences in Physiological Responses in Stressful Situations http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/6 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/sspa_12/6 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:54:03 PDT Gender differences in stressful situations are important in determining individual’s vulnerability to psychological stress and their ability to cope under such circumstances. Previous research has established differences in men’s and women’s physiological responses to stressful situations based on their levels of anxiety and ability to cope (Dolan, Sherwood, & Light, 1992; Stoyanova & Hope, 2012). According to Stoyanova and Hope (2012), women are more susceptible than men to experience heightened levels of anxiety and women are at a greater risk for developing anxiety disorders than men. The goal of the proposed study is to examine the difference of physiological response between men and women in a stressful situation. This study will focus on gender differences of anxiety levels of men and women based on their response to exposure to a stressful situation (i.e. math problems). We anticipate that women will report increased self-report levels of stress compared to men. In addition, we anticipate a difference between physiological responses and self-report stress levels, with an increase in physiological responses of men as the rounds of math problems increase in difficulty, whereas women will remain consistent throughout the ten rounds. Furthermore, we examine the self-report levels of stress based on the subjective units of distress scales (SUDS) in relationship to the participants physiological response. Findings from this study may provide direction for future research in cognitive coping strategies such as positive self-talk to help men and women overcome gender stigmas and reduce daily heightened physiological responses to stressful situations.

]]> Charlotte Tomevi et al.