Reading, Pa.- Thirty Albright College students showcased their research at the Tenth Annual Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference, sponsored by the Higher Education Council of Berks County (HECBC), on April 18, 2009.

Berks County’s five institutions of higher education – Albright College, Alvernia University, Kutztown University, Penn State Berks and Reading Area Community College (RACC) – formed HECBC to work together for educational, financial and community interests.

Each year, HECBC gives students the opportunity to present their research and express their ideas in a supportive environment with an interested and involved audience. The variety of presentation formats and the range of topics demonstrate that students have been encouraged to think critically and creatively.

At this year’s conference, hosted by RACC, approximately 185 students presented papers, posters and art exhibits, as well as a variety of musical, theatrical and spoken-word performances.

Following are brief descriptions of the research that Albright students presented at the conference. The name of the faculty member that each student worked with on their project is provided as well.

PAPER PRESENTATIONS

John Bilinski, junior

“Popular Memory and the Battle of Britain”

Memory can often be a function of choice, with the positive memorialized and commemorated and the negative buried. Bilinski studied “popular” memory, the idea of a shared memory in which a group of people conceive of the same idea regarding an event. Recently, historians have become interested in the uses of public memory, especially when it’s used to create either an imagined community or a national myth, thus replenishing a patriotic identity. To illustrate this process of myth, memory and identity, Bilinski examined World War II’s “Battle of Britain” in the context of memory, specifically how the memory of the battle became the badge of honor for a larger memory of World War II as a whole.

Faculty Sponsor: Guillaume de Syon, History, Albright College

Dawn Gieringer, junior

“Seeing the Light in ‘Heart of Darkness’ by Joseph Conrad”

Gieringer’s essay addressed sentiments expressed by students, teachers and, most notably, the author Chinua Achebe, that Joseph Conrad’s theme in his novelette “Heart of Darkness” is a racist one. Conrad’s work has been studied and anthologized for a century. During that time, much debate has centered on his subject matter and word usage. Gieringer researched various points of view and forms of literary criticism, as well as Conrad’s life, to uncover the possible motives for the writing of this work.

Faculty Sponsor: Joanne Gabel, Humanities, Reading Area Community College

Soma Chatterji, senior

“Queensland Australia: The Rainforests of the Atherton Tableland”

	Soma Chatterji on a field session in Australia.

Chatterji performed an observational study to examine the effects of time and habitat on bird activity patterns in the rainforest of tropical Queensland, Australia. In a simple notophyll vine forest surrounding the School for Field Studies Center for Rainforest Studies, Chatterji surveyed multiple habitat types several times a day. Using simple chisquared analyses and a more complex log-linear analysis, Chatterji found that time of day had the largest effect on bird activity and that habitat type was also a significant factor. Interestingly, weather had little significant effect on the birds’ activity levels.

Faculty Sponsor: Stephen Mech, Biology, Albright College

Talia DiDomenica, senior

“Generational Differences in Attitudes Toward Product Placements”

DiDomenica wanted to determine if there are generational differences in attitudes toward the use of product placements in television and movies. She used a survey to measure attitudes toward media habits, technology, advertising, media expectations and product placements. Two hundred participants were sampled and invited to participate in the study. Approximately 100 participants represented Generation Y, while another 100 represented Baby Boomers.

Faculty Sponsor: Margaret Rakus, Communications, Albright College

Brittani Kelly, senior

“Case Study on the Autism Society of America and the Autism Society of America, Berks County Chapter”

Kelly’s study examined communication techniques and strategies used to accomplish the organizations’ objectives. Brochures, newsletters, annual reports, newspaper advertisements and other communications pieces were analyzed with a focus on how a non-profit organization serves diagnosed individuals and their families.

Faculty Sponsor: Margaret Rakus, Communications, Albright College

Amy Defibaugh, senior, and Danielle Ferri, junior

“Zen and the Art of Peacemaking”

During the summer of 2008, Defibaugh and Ferri embarked on a spiritual exploration of Zen Buddhism in America. As a personal and academic journey, they interviewed numerous practicing Zen Buddhists, both monastic and lay, in an effort to determine the spiritual and social significance of Zen in American culture. Through the medium of documentary filmmaking, the two were able to capture the experiences and lifestyles of their subjects. Extensive research prepared them for their first filming location, Japan. Upon their return, they visited American monasteries and filmed a Berks County, Pa., Zen group. From their interviews, the pair concluded that Zen Buddhism has become a popular substitute for Judeo-Christian religion.

Faculty Sponsor: Victor Forte, Religious Studies, Albright College

ART EXHIBITS

Lila Mukhtarzada, senior

“From Cilia to Syphilis: Creating Artwork from Scientific Images”

This project entailed the combination of biology and art. Five pieces include cellular imagery of various parts of the body. Pages from old science books were used to create the artwork. The pieces, derived from scanning and transmission electron microscope photos, are low-cast sculptures on a large scale. With Professor Kristen Woodward’s assistance, Mukhtarzada was able to combine both majors. Woodward created works that relate to human disorders, viruses and other pathogens. The two contributors’ works were different in content and form, but the relationship between the concept and the subject serves to incorporate science into the arts.

Faculty Sponsor: Kristen T. Woodward, Art, Albright College

Kaila Hawriluk, senior

“Corsets: Victorian Tight-Lacing to the Modern Fetish”

Corsets have been used as undergarments for hundreds of years. Whenever styles changed, corsets helped women and men achieve the appropriate silhouette for the particular garment. Corsets have also been surrounded by debate and controversy, since the corset evolved from a garment that was socially acceptable to one that is now synonymous with both couture clothing and sexual fetish. With the aid of Professor Paula Trimpey, Hawriluk patterned and constructed a corset from 1860 and one from the turn of the century. The two also revamped a traditional lingerie ribbon corset from 1904 and designed and patterned a contemporary fetish corset of black plastic leather.

Faculty Sponsor: Paula Trimpey, Fashion Design, Albright College

Tricia Falco, sophomore

“Painting Perspectives”

Artists have a unique opportunity to change their audience’s perspective. It is the artist’s job to present the material in a way that will accomplish their narrative, persuasive or even theoretical goals. Falco started with a sketch that included the entire figure, then cut pieces out to come up with a more interesting narrative. Without seeing the entire figure, viewers are able to imagine what events led up to the scene. Another series builds on this thought process by exploring how environment can affect the viewer’s perception of a person. Using the same three models in different environments and wearing different clothing, Falco gained a better understanding of how subtle environmental changes can impact the way the models are regarded.

Faculty Sponsor: Kristen Woodward, Art, Albright College

 

POSTER SESSIONS

Lindsay Kurtz, junior

“The Impact of the Color of Food Across Different Food Categories on Food Cravings”

This study examined whether the color of food has an effect on food cravings. Participants were shown pictures of different types of food, either in color or in black and white. Five food categories were presented, and participants were asked to rate their cravings for each picture on a 7- point Likert scale. The results showed that the pictures in color were craved more than the pictures in black and white. Furthermore, the “sweet” foods were craved the most across all categories. Kurtz surmises that people may have evolved preferences for eating certain foods of certain colors because they represent nutritious/vital resources for their survival.

Faculty Sponsor: Susan Hughes, Psychology, Albright College

Valerie Busz, senior

“Young Children’s Understanding of the Verb ‘Trust’”

What do young children understand about the verb “trust”? Busz asked this question in the context of research on children’s developing “theory of mind,” which suggests that emotion verb understanding precedes cognition verb understanding. Four- to 6-year-olds were read stories about two children that varied by interaction quality (positive or negative) and were asked to respond to questions varying by verb type (such as “trust” and “believe”). Busz examined the similarities and differences in the children’s responses by verb type to address the hypothesis that “trust” is understood more as a verb of emotion than cognition, and has implications for action before thought.

Faculty Sponsor: Julia F. Heberle, Psychology, Albright College

Steven Bambinelli, senior

“Perceptions and Mood Reactions to Viewing Violent Films: An Investigation of Auditory and Visual Stimuli and One’s Trait Hostility”

Bambinelli examined whether exposure to auditory and visual stimuli when watching violent film clips had an effect on viewers’ perceptions and moods. Participants were assigned to one of three experimental conditions: viewing violent film clips with sound, viewing violent clips without sound, and only listening to the sound of the violent clips. Additionally, all participants completed the Anderson State Hostility Scale and were then divided into high- and-low trait hostility groups. Participants then answered six questions regarding their perception of the clips and their current mood in reaction to the clips. Individuals in the high-trait hostility group consistently scored higher for current mood measures of anxiousness, aggressiveness and anger in reaction to the films. Bambinelli’s findings suggest that persons with higher trait hostility may be more likely to negatively react to violent media exposure.

Faculty Sponsor: Susan Hughes, Psychology, Albright College

James Dempsey. sophomore

“Effect of the Attractiveness of a Female Experimenter on Test Scores”

Previous research has found that the presence of a physically attractive experimenter can cause participants to perform worse on memory tasks. Dempsey’s research seeks to learn if the attractiveness of a female experimenter and the gender of the participants affect the scores of participants taking a math quiz. Participants are administered a difficult math quiz while a female experimenter walks around the room. In the experimental condition she is dressed provocatively, while in the control condition she is dressed more conservatively. Dempsey hypothesized that participants tested by the seductively dressed experimenter will score lower on the math test than those tested by the conservatively dressed experimenter. Data for this study is still being collected.

Faculty Sponsor: Gwendolyn Seidman, Psychology, Albright College

Robin Endres, sophomore

“Femininity and Memory of Emotionally Valenced Words”

	Robin Endres with her poster Difference of Feminine and Masculine Memory Using Positive and Negative Valenced Words

Endres’s study examined how the degree of femininity in one’s personality is related to their ability to memorize positively valenced, negatively valenced, or neutral words. Previous research has found that women tend to have better memory than men for emotional information, but none of these studies have examined femininity of personality. In this study, participants are shown 30 positive, negative and neutral words. They then complete a brief word-find puzzle as a distracter before being asked to write down as many words as they can remember. Finally, they use a Likert scale to rate the extent to which they possessed several masculine and feminine personality traits. Endres’s hypothesis is that people with feminine personalities will remember more emotional words than neutral ones. Data for this study is still being collected.

Faculty Sponsor: Gwendolyn Seidman, Psychology, Albright College

Staci Kope, Tara Strause and Lisa Strause, seniors

“Musically Defined: The Correlation of Music Preference, Use and Personality”

This study investigated correlational relationships between personality, music uses and music preference. The purposes for which participants use music were measured and categorized into three main categories. Respondents participated through an online survey platform. More introverted individuals preferred using music to stimulate thought processes. More agreeable people were more likely to listen to reflective and complex music. Respondents who were more extraverted rated the energetic and rhythmic category of music highly.

Faculty Sponsor: Bonnie Rosenblatt, Psychology, Albright College

Danica Vitale, junior

“Emotional Responses and Colors on Different Mediums”

	Danica Vitale with her poster Emotional Responses and Colors on Different Mediums

In general, people know which colors make them feel happy and which colors make them feel sad. However, no research has been conducted on how the presentation of these colors may influence how we react to them. In Vitale’s study, participants are randomly assigned to two different groups. One group views a series of colors in a PowerPoint presentation, the other group views the same series of colors on foam-core cards. As they view each of six different colors, participants complete a questionnaire rating the extent to which they are feeling five different emotions. Vitale hypothesizes that the extent to which participants feel each emotion will differ depending on the mode of presentation of the colors.

Faculty Sponsor: Gwendolyn Seidmen, Psychology, Albright College

Lisa McFadden, senior

“Women’s Self-Esteem and the Media Today”

Social comparison theory predicts that women compare themselves to media images of attractive models; research shows that this comparison negatively affects women’s self-esteem (Kornblum & Julian, 2004). McFadden’s study replicated and extended prior research to explore whether viewing realistic images of women could have a positive effect on women’s self-esteem. Fifty-two adult women viewed either an image of an attractive model or an image of a realistic model. After viewing the attractive model, women reported lower self-esteem. After viewing the realistic model, the women’s self-esteem scores were marginally higher. The difference was not significant, however, possibly due to the small sample.

Faculty Sponsor: Bonnie Rosenblatt, Psychology, Albright College

Amanda Pitchko, sophomore

“Student-Athlete Versus Non-Student-Athlete Stress in College”

	Amanda Pitchko with her poster Stress in Student Athletes and Non-Athletes

Pitchko’s study examines how collegiate athletes deal with stress. Past studies observing collegiate athletes and non-athletes have shown that athletes tend to experience more stress in their lives. Whether athletes deal with a specific stressful situation more or less effectively than non-athletes has not been examined. Pitchko’s study seeks to manipulate stress and compare the levels of anxiety experienced by athletes and non-athletes. Participants are randomly assigned to either a high-stress condition in which they are told they must give a speech, or a low-stress condition in which they are told they must write an essay. Each participant’s level of anxious mood is measured after they’re assigned either the speech or the essay condition. Pitchko’s hypothesis is that athletes will be more prone to the effects of the stress manipulation than non-athletes.

Faculty Sponsor: Gwendolyn Seidman, Psychology, Albright College

Brandon Ruppert, senior

“When Fantasy Meets Reality: Gamers’ Awareness and Knowledge of Product Placements and Advertising in Video Games”

Ruppert’s study explored the phenomena of advertising and product placements in video games. By applying the Persuasion Knowledge Model, this study’s focus differed from previous video game research. A discussion guide in combination with presentations of screenshots of video games was used to gather opinions from 10 college-age gamer participants. Two felt positive about in-game ads, seven were neutral, and one was negative. Persuasion Knowledge played a major role in many of the gamers’ reactions to the advertisements they saw, as did a few limitations in the methodology.

Faculty Sponsor: Margaret Rakus, Communications, Albright College

Anesa Dilberovic, sophomore

“Visual Influences on Self-Image as Related to Food Consumption”

	Anesa Dilberovic with her poster Body Image and its Effects on Food Consumption

Dilberovic’s study examines the influence of self-image and restrained eating on food consumption. The purpose is to reveal if women who are falsely led to believe that either a heavy or a light figure is “normal” will differ in how much food they consume and how these tendencies are related to participants’ eating habits. The participants in Dilberovic’s study are shown black line drawings of female bodies and told that the one in the middle represents “average” weight, but they are randomly assigned to view drawings of either heavy or light figures, and thus led to believe that either a heavy or light figure is normal. During the study the participants are offered snack food, and the amount of food they consume is recorded. Dilberovic’s hypothesis is that those exposed to thin body images will eat less food than those exposed to heavy images. Data for this study is still being collected.

Faculty Sponsor: Gwendolyn Seidman, Psychology, Albright College

Maxine Lodato, senior

“Attractiveness Ratings of Physical Attributes”

Lodato’s study examined whether independent ratings of the attractiveness of a person’s face, teeth and hands were related to one another. Sixty participants viewed pictures of 15 individuals’ teeth, hands and faces, and were asked to rate the attractiveness of each picture. Results showed that, for males, attractiveness of the teeth was related to both their facial attractiveness and the attractiveness of their hands. For females, it was shown that the attractiveness of their hands was related to both teeth and facial attractiveness.

Faculty Sponsor: Susan Hughes, Psychology, Albright College

Brian Wilson, Cindy Quinter, Victoria Polito, Candice Panetta, Shea Mikelonis, and Alison Fies, sophomores

“Teaching Methylation and the Nature-Nurture Dichotomy: The Student Perspective”

The students collaborated with their faculty advisor to design a PowerPoint instructional unit for teaching undergraduate psychology majors about a specific epigenetic mechanism, methylation. Methylation has recently come to the fore as a new way of understanding developmental outcomes beyond the traditional dichotomy of nature versus nurture, or genes versus the environment. The presentation demonstrates the importance of this process for causal explanations in psychology, as well as the need for biological details in achieving student understanding.

Faculty sponsor: Julia F. Heberle, Psychology, Albright College

Founded in 1856, Albright College is a nationally ranked, private college with a rigorous liberal arts curriculum with an interdisciplinary focus. The College’s hallmarks are connecting fields of learning, collaborative teaching and learning, and a flexible curriculum that allows students to create an individualized education. Albright College enrolls more than 1,625 undergraduates in traditional programs, another 500 adult students in accelerated degree programs, and 100 students in the master’s program in education. Albright College is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, about 60 miles west of Philadelphia.