This year, four students presented research at WPUPC hosted by Slippery Rock University. Three additional
students conducted research with Dr. William E. Kelly (see below).
For those interested in seeing RMU students "in action" at a conference, please take a peek at the
PHOTO GALLERY!
The links below are to the pdf versions of the poster or paper handouts (if available). You will need a pdf viewer (e.g., Adobe Acrobat) in
order to view these files.
Amanda Allen: The current study examined possible effects of
romantically-themed television on self-reported relationship satisfaction among students. Four television pilot scripts were created: Two
depicted romantically themed series, and two depicted dramatically themed series. Within each theme, one series was intended to represent
an unrealistic or unlikely plot, while the other was intended to reflect a realistic plot. Each participant read a pilot and completed a
survey measuring relationship satisfaction and their opinions about the series. Results showed that the reality manipulation was effective.
However, despite this, effects on relationship satisfaction were minimal. These results were interpreted in terms of the possible influence
of unrealistic depictions of romantic relationships on TV. Nicole Ciesielski: Depression affects about 10% of the population and
often correlates with anxiety and substance abuse. Dealing with these issues is an important goal on college campuses. A problem is that
students may not know about campus assistance. A correlational analysis compared college students' knowledge of depression symptoms and
services offered on campus. In addition, the prevalence of depression was examined with respect to these variables. Data were gathered
using a 15 Likert-item questionnaire. Findings showed depressive symptoms were prevalent and students indicated willingness to approach
university representatives for help. However, some had no idea help was available and their responses were symptomatic of depression. More
aggressive tactics to advertise campus services was recommended. Cortney Gallagher: The purpose of this study was to
examine the relationship between gender and perceptions of infidelity among 77 college students. This study focused on two
aspects of infidelity (physical versus emotional) and whether males and females defined unfaithful acts similarly.
Additional issues explored included possible reasons why infidelity occurs in relationships and what to do when infidelity
does occur. Previous research suggests that males and females have different views of infidelity. However, those findings
were not supported in the present study. Possible reasons for this inconsistency were discussed. Julie Yoest: The purpose of this study was to discover whether alcohol
consumption among college students is related to parent-student relationships. Data were collected through a survey administered to 33
college students. Variables included amount of alcohol consumed, parent-contact minutes per week, self-reported openness with parents, and
academic year. The findings support the need for college campuses to be more involved in the drinking habits of resident students. In
addition, the relationship between students who are emotionally closer to their parents and alcohol consumption was assessed. This study
provides insight into the association between alcohol consumption patterns among college students and the parent-student relationships they
enjoy in college.
| Susannah S. Chapman: Forgiveness and spirituality have been previously correlated. Also, it has been theorized that forgiveness may relate to life satisfaction. It was predicted that if forgiveness and life satisfaction are related, the relationship exists largely through spirituality. Church members (N = 115) completed a forgiveness scale and measures of life satisfaction and religious commitment. A relationship was found between forgiveness and only religious commitment, not with life satisfaction. Religious commitment was significantly related to higher forgiveness and life satisfaction. It was concluded that church members with stronger spirituality have a higher capacity for forgiveness and life satisfaction. However, their forgiveness and life satisfaction do not appear to be dependent upon one another. |
| Ashley Leonard: Previous research suggests that masturbation serves to reduce stress and has physiological benefits such as reducing blood pressure and inhibiting stress-related hormones. Given this, it seems reasonable that masturbation may also serve as a viable coping mechanism. To investigate masturbation as a possible coping strategy, university students completed a survey assessing their frequency of masturbation, coping style (cognitive, suppressive, and emotion-focused), stress level, and perceptions that masturbation was successful in reducing stress. Correlation and regression results and implications for the findings are discussed. |
| Maria Wojtasik: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a complex and multidimensional disorder. Many of the symptoms of BPD appear to be extreme facets of normal personality. This study investigated BPD characteristics in a non-clinical sample as related to the Five-Factor Model of Personality, which includes the factors openness to experience, extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism. University students completed the Big Five Inventory and the McLean Borderline Personality Disorder Screening Scale. Correlation and regression analyses were used to investigate if BPD is comprised of normal personality features, but at a more extreme level. The implications of the results are discussed. |