Lehigh Valley Undergraduate Psychology Conference (2001)Effect
of Stereotypical Variables of Physical Attractiveness
on Ratings of Social Characteristics Physical appearance is thought to influence personal perception. The present study investigated the impact of perceived attractiveness on ratings of personal characteristics. Twenty-seven female undergraduates viewed a videotaped conversation of a moderately attractive (MA) target or a moderately unattractive (MU) target. After viewing their respective videotape, participants rated the target on characteristics such as attractiveness and femininity. An independent t-test did not confirm the expected manipulation upon attractiveness. Although non-significant, participants in the unattractive condition (MU)(M = 4.00, SD =.67) rated the target as more attractive in comparison to those in the attractive condition (MA)(M = 3.59, SD = .51), t(25)= 1.69,p >.05. However, when ratings of femininity were examined, an independent t-test supported hypothesized differences, t(25)= -2.42, p =.02. Participants in the MA condition (M = 4.29, SD = .47) rated the target as more feminine than those in the MU condition (M = 3.50, SD = .97).
Multiple Sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that interferes with the brain's ability to send and receive messages by breaking down the myelin around nerve fibers. Previous research has shown that exercise has a positive impact on the quality of life in MS patients. Seventeen MS patients were enrolled in a three-month exercise protocol to determine its effects on psychological and cognitive functioning. Subjects completed assessments at pre, mid, and post intervals of the exercise program. Dependent t tests were done to analyze pre and post intervals for depression, anxiety, locus of control, and cognitive functioning. Participants reported significantly lower levels of depression after the exercise program (M=7.00, SD=8.88), than before (M=14.82, SD=11.46), t(16)=3.64, p=.002. Additionally, participants reported a significant shift towards an internal oriented locus of control after three months of exercise (M=8.38, SD=2.87) than at baseline (M=10.88, SD=3.22), t(15)=2.94, p=.01.
As cell phone popularity grows, so does the need for understanding its societal impact. Forty female students participated in five-minute focus groups to determine whether etiquette of cell phone users affect how others perceive them. Both conditions were interrupted by the ringing of the leader's cell phone and a subsequent 10-second conversation. In Condition A, the leader excused the call (i.e., apology condition). In Condition B, there was no excuse (i.e., no apology condition). After each focus group participants completed questionnaires measuring their perception of the group leader. To test for differences between the conditions, an independent t-test was performed on the participants' judgment of the leader. The effect of apology was statistically significant, t(38)=3.26, p=.002, such that participants in the apology condition (M=75.7, SD=11.88) rated the leader significantly better than participants in the no apology condition (M=57.5, SD=22). Results indicated that etiquette can improve how others perceive cell phone use.
The instructional techniques of visualization and repetition as it pertains to the formation of false memories were investigated in a sample of 20 female college students. Following the research design made popular by the false memory experiments of Roediger and McDermott (1995), subjects were given eight subtests of the False Memory Word Lists, followed by immediate free recall tests and a final recognition test. The results indicated no significant difference among instructional technique groups, suggesting that the use of visualization and repetition have no obvious relevance to false memory creation. However, the small sample size of the present study is a possible limiting factor.
In humans, neurons show very limited capability to regenerate known as abortive sprouting. An intermediate filament protein (IFP) known as Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) forms a scar after sprouting fails. The neurons in the visual system of a teleost fish retain the capacity for regeneration and become fully functional after injury. The capacity of regeneration in the fish optic nerve has been correlated with the expression of specific cytoskeletal proteins, also present in humans. The molecular similarities between mammalian and lower vertebrate forms of GFAP, and Vimentin need to be established through comparative studies in an animal model. The mRNA expression of the proteins encoded by the isolated cDNAs will be analyzed in zebrafish embryos using whole mount in situ hybridization. Development times of 24, 48 and 72 hours will be observed using sense and antisense RNA probes, from GFAP sequence pG1096.
Ageism is when one makes a negative judgment based solely on a person's age. The present study examined factors related to ageism. Twenty-nine female undergraduates read a vignette and responded to a questionnaire designed to measure an ageist response. Time pressure and age of participants served as factors thought to elicit an ageist response. A two (age group: young and old) X two (time condition: time pressure and no time pressure) ANOVA was used to test for differences between groups. A marginally significant age by time interaction was found F(1,24) = 3.142, p = .084. A post hoc comparison for the older participants confirmed hypothesized differences between the time pressure conditions t(8) = -1.728, p = .06. Participants in the time pressure condition (M = 6.6, SD = 2.07) judged the person as older than those in the no time pressure condition (M = 4.4, SD = 1.95). |
