Undergraduate students had the opportunity to showcase their research accomplishments at our 12th annual undergraduate research symposium in Tobin Hall. Check out some of their outstanding research!
From Parents to Prisons: A Biopsychosocial Approach to the Link Between Sterotypes in Early Male Development and Later Criminal Outcomes
Emma L. Beckwith, Dr. Erik Cheries, Victoria Vizzini, M.S., & Dr. Charlotte L. Wilinsky
With males continuously surpassing their female counterparts as arrestees, this research offers a developmental pathway linking parent’s gender socialization practices to later problem, possibly criminal, behaviors. It also offers an intervention to help ameliorate this issue.—Emma Beckwith
The Effects of Birth Order on Early Developmental Outcomes on Infant and Toddler Development
Elina H. Shah, Madison Nett, Jennifer Holmes, Melissa Horger, Noe Flores, & Rebecca M.C. Spencer
Is birth order associated with developmental outcomes in infancy? We found that firstborn infants had higher levels of cognitive and language development at 9, 12, and 15 months of age compared to younger siblings. Alternatively, later-born infants exhibited higher levels of motor development compared to firstborns. This suggests greater cognitive and language investment in oldest children and social learning benefits for later born children, leading to higher motor development. However, the lack of statistical significance in our small sample suggests factors such as parenting practices, resource dilution, and individual variability play a larger part in early development than birth order. Moreover, any birth order effects most likely emerge later in development rather than during infancy. —Madison Nett
Examining The Effects of the Types and Timing of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Irritability and Impulsivity as Transdiagnostic Factors
Rou Chen
Graduate Student Supervisor: Minji Lee, MA, Faculty Supervisor: Maria M. Galano, PhD
Type and timing of childhood adversity matter for adult mental health. We found that adversity at ages 0–5 predicts higher impulsivity in adults; adversity at ages 6–12 predicts greater irritability; and childhood maltreatment and witnessing IPV each predict adult irritability.—Rou Chen
The Effects of Hormonal Contraceptives on the Mental Health of Physically Healthy Adult Females: A Systematic Literature Review
Zoe Miller & Katherine Dixon-Gordon
Hormonal contraceptives can impact mental health in many different ways! Depending on type, generation, and previous mental health history, hormonal contraceptives can help or hinder mental health.—Zoe Miller
