Experimental Posters - Green
Analyzing Home School Children's Fitness Performance
Subject: Research Poster (Physical Education)
Presenters: Matthew DeGrandpre, Amanda Carey, Taylor Hall, Alexyss Conley
Faculty Sponsor: John Liu
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the fitness performance of home school children with the national physical education standards. The participants being tested were from a home school program at a college located in the northeast region of the United States. The participants (N=25) included 12 boys and 13 girls ranging from the ages of 7-12 years old. The participants were test on four different test: 50 meter run; the sit and reach; a one minute jump rope; and a one minute standard crunch. A one sample T-test will be utilized to assess the data collected. Of the data assessed, all statistical analyses were performed using SPSS.
The results of the study revealed that the boy participants (M=10.10, SD=1.01) had a slightly faster 50 meter dash time than the girls (M=11.1, SD=1.18). The results of the study revealed that the boys (M=27.42, SD=6.93) had a slightly worse sit and reach than the girls (M=33.42, SD=5.74). The results of the study revealed that the boys (M=26.08, SD=17.86) had a significantly lower number of jump ropes than girls in one minute (M=40.23, SD=21.13). The results of the study revealed that the boys (M=21.58, SD=8.54) had a lower number of crunches than girls in one minute (M=29.38, SD=11.50). Since both groups of participants (boys and girls) were dominant in two categories each, it is not clear which group is more physically fit.
Busting Up Bias: Quantifying Implicit Bias in the Springfield College Community
Subject: Research Poster (SEED Club)
Presenters: Willow Mennone, Megan Klein, Lauren Szczesny, John Paulino, Leah Berke, Nathalie Beltran, Frankie Wotton, Briana Perez, Hannah Medeiros
Faculty Sponsors: Melinda Fowler
Abstract: Implicit bias is an automatic preference for one group of people over another without conscious thought. Everyone has some form of bias; underlying stereotypes are often responsible for implicit bias, which can result in automatic associations. Understanding that subconscious bias exists is important as it may affect interpersonal relationships. Our goal was to educate ourselves and our fellow students about implicit bias. In an attempt to quantify and pinpoint implicit bias on the Springfield College campus, the SEED Club administered the Project Implicit test that was developed by Harvard University.
Participants took the Race Implicit Association Test as well as the Gender-Science Implicit Association Test. Participants were given a debriefing form with information regarding implicit bias and sources of additional support and information. This is the third year of our study and this year participation was insufficient for robust analysis. We identify broad patterns and compare to trends in previous years. We also discuss plans for improving participant recruitment for the future.
Can headphone/earbud decibel intensity and duration of use predict noise-induced hearing loss in college students?
Subject: Research Poster (Communication Sciences and Disorders)
Presenters: Hannah Lopes, Madison Muccino
Faculty Sponsor: Deborah Cook
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the decibel intensity range of students’ headphones/earbuds and the amount of time college students use headphones/earbuds to access media, as well as to predict the long term effects this may have on their hearing. Today, headphone/earbud use has become the preferred method to listen to music, television, podcasts, and even telephone calls (Nielsen, 2015). Research supports that prolonged exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels can lead to noise-induced hearing loss, after just eight hours (Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, 2017). 50 college students ranging from 18 to 22 years-old with normal hearing participated in this study. They were surveyed on their listening habits after working out at the Wellness Center. The decibel intensity output of their headphones/earbuds was measured at the level they listened at during their workout using a decibel (dB) meter. The findings suggest that participants listen at an average of 82.9 dB, with readings as high as 108.9 dB and as low as 63.3 dB. 16% of participants reported listening for 2+ hours during a single session and 50% reported listening for 4+ hours each week.
Coordination Test
Subject: Research Poster (Physical Education)
Presenters: Nicole Cronin, Kyle Mailey, Kayla Dvorchak, Mark Serricchio
Faculty Sponsor: John Liu
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to find the main difference between homeschool boys and girls in the coordination test. We had 34 participants and are 19 boys and are 15 girls. The students only have physical education once a week. For the coordination test we will comparing the difference of gender and performance of the students.
For our study we had 3 coordination tests that tested the ability of the students coordination. The first test was over the barrier. The students have to hop over one inch blocks and land on the same foot without falling or knocking over the blocks. The purpose of this is to see how high they can get. Another test is the lateral jumping. The students have to jump from side to side continuously for 30 seconds. The purpose of the test is to see how many times they can touch each side.
The final test was lateral panel. The students stand on a hotspot and then pick up another hotspot seeing how far they can move lateral by placing and stepping on these two hotspots for 30 seconds. Independent T test was used to analyze mean performance between boys and girls. The results show that there was no significant differences.( t= .8112, p=.423). Conclusion is that the boys and girls displayed the same level of performance of the coordination test.
Correlation Coefficient
Subject: Conference Paper (Physical Education)
Presenters: Nicholas Yozzo, Dante Curry, Erik Skiver, Steve Ludtke
Faculty Sponsor: John Liu
Abstract: The purpose of the study is to find the difference between two age groups. We had 34 participants in the study ages 4-12. The students only have physical education once a week instead of the normal time which is 2-3 times a week. For the coordination test we will be comparing the difference of age and performance of the students.
For our study we had 3 coordination tests that tested the ability of the student’s coordination. The first test was over the barrier. The students have to hop over one-inch blocks and land on the same foot without falling or knocking over the blocks. The purpose of this is to see how high they can get. Another test is the lateral jumping. The students have to jump side to side continuously for 30 seconds. The purpose of the test is to see how many times they can touch each side. The final test was lateral panel. The students stand on a hotspot and then pick up another hotspot seeing how far they can move lateral by placing and stepping on these two hotspots for 30 seconds. The results of the study were the mean of the ages 4-6 is 44.62.
The ages 7-12 the mean was 86. This is almost double the mean of the age group of the 4-6-year olds. The SD for the students that were 4 to 6 was 16.54 and the students that were between the ages of 7-12 their SD was 19.57. There is definitely a difference from the age 4 to 6 group to the 7-12-year-old group. Researchers should look more into the age vs performance in the future.
Factors That Contribute to the Levels of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Rape Victims
Subject: Research Poster (Social Science)
Presenter: Taylor Barnard
Faculty Sponsor: Francesa Spina
Abstract: It has been reported that 65% of rape victims develop PTSD. The purpose of this research is to look at the different demographic factors that contribute to a rape victim’s level of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The demographic factors of focus are gender, age, and race/ethnicity. I examined this research by looking at different peer reviewed articles that compare demographic factors and the levels of PTSD in rape victims. There is no strong correlation between demographic factors and levels of PTSD.
Certain factors, such as being a woman, being college-aged, and being a minority, can put a person at a greater risk to develop PTSD, but there is no evidence that they are strong indicators. The majority of existing research is focused on college aged women, since they are most at risk of being a victim of rape. However, there needs to be more research on other populations to explore the indicators that make PTSD so common in rape victims. More research is crucial in order to provide pro-active treatment options to rape victims who are more likely to suffer from PTSD.
Judicial and Public Opinions on Hate Speech: Reconciling the Deficits
Subject: Research Poster (Criminal Justice)
Presenter: Bradley Deckel
Faculty Sponsor: Francesa Spina
Abstract: The purpose of this research is to raise awareness of the judicial opinions on Hate Speech and to reconcile the deficits of public knowledge with said judicial opinions. Hate speech - speech that is intended to insult, threaten, or harm another on the basis of some sort of characteristic - is an undesirable aspect of living in a free country and has led to multiple issues regarding the First Amendment. Furthermore, there are some misconceptions about the topic that have manifested in some colleges banning speakers, fearing that their speech is Hate Speech.
I conducted my research through a literature review of the judicial opinions relating to Hate Speech and the First Amendment. I further used polls to access public opinion on the topic to see if the layperson’s knowledge on the topic is in line with judicial opinion. This research is essential so that everyone can understand what Hate Speech is, why it is free speech, and recognize it in the future. A uniformed opinion on Hate Speech will prevent the slander of certain speakers and intolerance of solely offensive material.
Pre-K Fitness Tests
Subject: Research Poster (Physical Education)
Presenters: Jeremy Cerbo, Chad Shade, Sean Thornton, Molly Looney
Faculty Sponsor: John Liu
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to assess the skills of Pre-K students in their ability of locomotor, non-manipulative and manipulative movements. During this study we examined a group of twenty students, both males and females ranging from the ages of four to seven. These students were measured in height and weight and tested in their ability to run, jump, balance, and throw.
The tests included a 10 meter shuttle run, standing jump, tennis ball throw, sit and reach, rim walking (balance beam), and two foot jump. The scores were measured in distance (cm) or time (sec). These scores were compared to the national standards.
For our presentation we will be looking at how the Pre-K students we assessed at the Springfield College Homeschool program compare to what is statistically chosen to be the national standard for this age group. These tests were able to show us the correlation between growth in students and their capabilities to succeed in the various skills that they were tested in. While conducting this test our group had multiple people helping us at each station to test the students by explaining each activity and recording scores while students performed the task.
All students who participated in this study were willing to participate and were given the option to decline the opportunity if so desired.
The results show that the girls (N=9, Mean=19.33, SD=4.74) of homeschool has significantly lower (t=-6.746, p=.0001) level of fitness test performance than the great level (score=30) of the national standard; however, there is no significant difference (t=.843, p=.424) between the performance of the homeschool girls and good level of the national standard (score=18). The boys (N=11, Mean=21.73, SD=3.19) of homeschool has significantly lower (t=-8.58, p=.001) level of fitness test performance than the great level (score=30) of the national standard; however, the homeschool boys have significantly better performance (t=3.867, p=.003) than the good level of the national standard (score=18).
The Analysis of PACER Test Performance of Homeschool Children
Subject: Research Poster (Physical Education)
Presenters: Ye He, Peter King, Trey Witter
Faculty Sponsor: Zhan Liu
Abstract: The multi-stage fitness, PACER (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run), test is used to estimate the aerobic capacity (VO2 max). The participants would do the 20 meters shuttle running with the beeps and would be withdrawn from the test after missing two beeps, the last beep they matched would be counted as the performance. The children who are doing Home-school instead of going to the public schools have fewer opportunities and time to participant physical education classes and activities.
The purpose of the current study is to use PACER test to compare the aerobic capacity between the home-school children and the national standard. The children from 12 to 15 years old in a home-school program of a college at northeast American were tested by the physical education teacher education (PETE) majoring students. SPSS 25 was used to analyze the data. All statistical analyses were performed using the current version of SPSS.
The results of the study revealed that the male participants (N= 4, M=26.75 , SD=12.89380 )had insignificantly(t=-1.993 , p=.140) mean difference of aerobic ability with the national standards. While female students (N=13 ,M=16.1558 , SD=6.95037 ) significantly lower performance (t=-10.451, p=.000 ) aerobic ability than the national standards.
The Association on Concussion and The Development on Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Parkinson’s
Subject: Research Poster (Health Science)
Presenters: Lucy Abramian
Faculty Sponsor: Pamela Higgins
Background: Long-term consequences of high levels of dietary sugar intake include not only physical obesity but also psychological symptoms including depression, increased levels of fatigue, tension, anxiety and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Objective: To understand the relationships between sugary diets and mental health issues such as, ADHD, stress levels, fatigue and tension, and anxiety.
Methods: Relevant articles were selected from a Medline search using terms including sugary diets, mental health, anxiety, stress, and ADHD.
Results: High sugar diets have been associated with a short-term decrease in levels of stress and anxiety. Animal studies suggest that the type of sugar may impact the level of stress relief, with honey being more effective than sucrose. Even though sugar provides this initial relief it also has negative effects. About one hour after consumption of sugary foods there is a significant increase in fatigue and tension. In addition, high sugar diets have been associated with the development of ADHD.
Conclusion: There are short-term mental health benefits of sugar consumption, including the initial reduction in stress and anxiety, that are observed after eating a sugary snack. However, after this initial relief, increased fatigue and anxiety are observed. In addition, excess sugar consumption is directly associated with the risk of ADHD in children. Animal models suggest that the type of sugar may impact the reduction in anxiety, with honey being superior to sucrose. Further research is needed to evaluate these relationships in humans.