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In ARL Publications

Abstract

The Adirondack Chronology is intended to be a useful resource for researchers and others interested in the Adirondacks and Adirondack history.

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DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

In President's Report

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

In President's Report

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

In Steinmetz Symposium

Abstract

The current study investigates the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptomatology, checking behaviors, and metamemory. OCD is characterized by the presence of intrusive thoughts and/or images, recognized as obsessions, along with increased anxiety and repetitive or ritualistic behaviors, known as compulsions. A common type of compulsive behavior is referred to as checking. One example of this kind of behavior is when people check to confirm that they have properly shut off stove burners. Van den Hout and Kindt (2003) developed a virtual stove-checking task in order to simulate the experience of OCD individuals who perform checking behaviors. The current study used a similar program as used in previous research that simulated the experience of manipulating specific stove-burners and completing either one check or no check following each trial. This study included variables of memory accuracy (remembering which burners were manipulated), metamemory (level of confidence in memory for the burners), state anxiety, perceived responsibility, and outcome confidence. In addition to these variables, each participant completed an obsessive-compulsive inventory (OCI) to determine the level of OCD symptomatology that they typically experience. The original hypotheses were: 1) individuals who report experiencing higher levels of OCD symptomatology would also report higher levels of state anxiety and perceived responsibility and 2) high levels of state anxiety and perceived responsibility in individuals experiencing OCD symptoms more frequently would be accompanied by a greater decrease in metamemory across trials. Data from 152 participants (64 male, 86 female, 2 other) werecollected, with each participant being randomly assigned to either the one-check or no-check condition. Following data collection, participants were split intohigh and low OCD groups based on their responses to the OCI scale. While the original hypotheses were not supported, other findings revealed a general decrease in memory accuracy across trials, with those in the one-check group generally performing better than those in the no-check group. Additionally, a general decrease in metamemory across trials for all groups was observed. Interestingly, the data also revealed a higher average report of perceived responsibility in the low OCI group, as opposed to the high OCI group, directly contradicting the original hypothesis. However, among check groups, the one-check group reported slightly higher levels of perceived responsibility overall, which was found to be marginally significant. Additionally, various significant correlations were found that may be further explored in future studies.

Type of Resource

VideoObject

Rights Statement

Controlled Access Terms

In Steinmetz Symposium

Abstract

Many of our abilities and physical features have been shaped by evolution with the ultimate goal that these changes will help increase our survival and enhance fitness. One such evolutionary adaptation is memory. Countless studies have suggested that our memory systems are particularly tuned to information that is relevant to our survival (e.g., Nairne, Thompson, & Pandeirada 2007). This finding has become known as the survival processing advantage. Another less studied processing method, which has become known as the animacy effect, states that animate objects are better recalled than inanimate objects (e.g., VanArsdall, Nairne, Pandeirada, & Blunt, 2013). The present study examined the effect that both of these processing effects would have on recall by comparing a survival related condition to a non-survival related condition. However, this study differed from other studies in the way that it contained more ecological validity. All of the previous studies on survival and animacy either presented words or images on a screen that people had to remember later on. This study was composed of a more life-like situation, induced by a realistic video of a person walking through grasslands, which contained animate and inanimate objects appearing on the screen. Based on previous findings related to both the survival and animacy processing advantages, it would be logical to expect animate objects to be recalled at higher rates than inanimates and for recall to be better in the survival group.

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DigitalDocument

Rights Statement

Controlled Access Terms

In Honors Theses

Abstract

South American climate is influenced primarily by the South American Summer Monsoon (SASM), which operates on decadal cycles with intensities reliant on the position of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and solar insolation. This study investigates the fluctuations of South American climate that occurred during the penultimate glacial period using the analysis of stable carbon (δ¹³C) and oxygen (δ¹⁸O) isotopes from a Peruvian stalagmite. Based on uranium/thorium dating, the stalagmite grew between 122,010 - 208,738 years BP, during the glacial period MIS6. The analysis of stable carbon and oxygen isotopes can be used to determine the behavior of climate oscillators that influence the hydroclimate in the Peruvian Andes during the stalagmite growth. δ¹⁸O values indicate precipitation and temperature patterns in the cave and δ¹³C values are influenced by the percolation of precipitation through the epikarst, where the concentration of CO₂is correlated to precipitation and temperature. Through the comparison of other climate proxies from existing research we observe the relationship between environmental conditions and stable isotopes. The stalagmite isotopic record shows the decoupling between carbon and oxygen values during the glacial period MIS 6, during which increasing δ¹⁸O values suggest a gradual shift from wet to dry conditions occurs over a period of 13,000 years. We would expect δ¹³C values to show the same behavior, however, the values show a sharp increase followed by a gradual decrease, opposite of the oxygen record, suggesting other factors perhaps control carbon isotopes in this stalagmite. As the climate crisis can bring great uncertainty, the study of paleoclimate can be used to predict how climate oscillators will change in response to global warming and ultimately affect the livelihoods of people. <strong></strong>

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Some researchers speculate memory systems are adaptations that arose to enable the storage of survival related information. Supporting this view, information processed for survival relevance and death relevance has been shown to produce a memory advantage that is superior to deep processing control conditions. While these procedures increase recall, the information retrieved is not necessarily accurate. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of survival processing and death processing on the formation of false memories. In addition, through analyses of cumulative recall curves the extent of relational and item-specific processing was examined to explore the proximate mechanisms underlying the effects. Participants were placed into a survival, death, moving, or pleasantness condition. They were instructed to rate lists of words, which have been shown to produce false memories, for their relevance to the given scenarios. It was predicted that if death processing and survival processing are related, then participants would recall a similar number of list items and false memories. Although not significant, analyses of the surprise memory task revealed the survival condition had the highest numerical recall of list items, while the death condition had the lowest. The death condition significantly differed from the other conditions by producing the highest recall of false memories. The survival condition did not lead to an increase in false memories. Overall, the results suggest survival and dying scenarios do not share similar underlying mechanisms.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that affects 1% of the United States population, and is categorized by both obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. The most prevalent compulsive behavior is checking, which is an attempt to mitigate anxiety about a situation the person believes will be harmful if not addressed. Previous studies suggest a negative correlation between checking and metamemory (memory confidence, vividness and detail); however, there has been limited research on the effects of doubt, one of the main causes of checking behaviors, on metamemory. The current study used an online stove-checking task, first used by van den Hout and Kindt (2003), to investigate the influence of doubt on memory accuracy and metamemory in checking versus no checking groups as well as comparing people with high versus low levels of OCD symptomatology. Doubt was not shown to have any effect on metamemory, however, when comparing the low and high OCD groups, significant results were found for both accuracy and memory confidence. Checking had an effect on memory accuracy, but only for the high OCD symptomatology group. The high OCD group also had overall higher confidence levels. Some of these results contradict previous findings.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

The disconnect between members of Congress and the American public is no secret. Of the three branches of government, the legislative branch is intended to be the most representative of the people. However, it consistently faces the lowest approval ratings among the American public. Although the public largely disapproves of Congress as a legislative body, most Americans support their own representative. This phenomenon is reflected in high reelection rates for congressional incumbents. My thesis examines the relationship between congressional representation and elections through an evaluation of the representational style of Congressman John Faso. Faso, who represented New York's 19th District in the 115th Congress, lost reelection after a single term. I assess the role of political communication in representational style through a qualitative interpretation of Faso's press releases. I utilize press releases as a method for understanding representational style because Faso used this tool to explain positions and votes. Through an analysis of two politically-polarizing case studies, healthcare and tax reform, I determine that Congressman Faso lacked a cohesive representational style during the 115th Congress. Additionally, I conclude that Congressman Faso's inconsistent representational style had electoral implications in a toss-up district.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Navigation is an essential activity that dictates which environments individuals choose to travel through. Effective navigation occurs when individuals reach their destination point efficiently and without harm. Previous research dictates that landmarks are one of the most popular ways in which individuals maintain orientation and remember a route. The goal of the current study was to investigate how emotional landmarks (landmarks that hold either a positive or negative connotation) effect navigational decision-making. Based on individuals' tendencies to choose low risk options, it was hypothesized that participants would use the positive landmarks more effectively (i.e. participants would travel in the direction of the positive landmarks, allowing them to reach the destination point faster). Sixty participants completed a virtual reality maze. Throughout the maze were either positively or negatively rated pictures. Each participant completed four trials of the same maze, and had a minute and a half to find the destination point during each trial. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and a Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) afterwards. Contrary to my hypothesis, neither females nor males utilized positive landmarks more effectively and efficiently in the virtual reality environment. Instead, females preferred negative landmarks, and performed better in the virtual reality maze when exposed to these landmarks.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Recently, researchers have found that survival processing enhances retention. This led the authors to speculate that our memory systems have been fine tuned to remember survival relevant information. One question that might be asked is what is it about thinking about one's survival that aids memory? As an extension of my previous research, this project examines the extent to which death and disgust influence recall in survival processing scenarios, determining whether or not death and disgust play a role in the memory enhancement associated with survival processing scenarios. There are four conditions in this study differing in the amount of death and disgust involved in each of the scenarios. The results of the study showed that there was no difference in retention between the four conditions, including the control condition. While a manipulation check determined that death and disgust was adequately manipulated, the recall results showed no effect of death and disgust on memory. This leads me to tentatively conclude that death and disgust is not one of the mechanisms responsible for the memory improvement seen in survival research.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Many of our abilities and physical features have been shaped by evolution with the ultimate goal that these changes will help increase our survival and enhance fitness. One such evolutionary adaptation is memory. Countless studies have suggested that our memory systems are particularly tuned to information that is relevant to our survival (e.g., Nairne, Thompson, & Pandeirada, 2007). This finding has become known as the survival processing advantage. Another less studied processing method, which has become known as the animacy effect, states that animate objects are better recalled than inanimate objects (e.g., VanArsdall, Nairne, Pandeirada, & Blunt, 2013). The present study examined the effect that both of these processing effects would have on recall by comparing memory for animate and inanimate objects in a survival related condition and a non-survival related condition. However, this study differed from other studies in the way that it contained more ecological validity. All of the previous studies on survival and animacy either presented words or images on a screen that people had to remember later on. This study was composed of a more life-like situation, induced by a realistic video of a person walking through grasslands, which contained animate and inanimate objects appearing on the screen. Based on previous findings related to both the survival and animacy processing advantages, it would be logical to expect animate objects to be recalled at higher rates than inanimates and for recall to be better in the survival group. The results showed that no survival effect appeared to be present, but the animacy effect was seen in both conditions and was stronger in the survival condition than in the hunting condition. The results are discussed in the context of previous findings.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Research has revealed a context-dependent memory effect in which stimuli tested in the same context that they were encoded in tend to be remembered better than stimuli tested in a different context. The impairments of those with ADHD suggest that the restoration of context may be less beneficial for these individuals. The present study examined context-dependent memory effects among individuals with high and low ADHD symptomatology. It was expected that those with higher ADHD symptomatology would benefit less from the restoration of context compared to those with lower ADHD symptomatology. Participants were presented with a series of words on colored backgrounds and later completed a recognition memory test where words were presented on the same background or a new white background. The results revealed a significant effect of context and a significantly higher number of false alarms for those with high ADHD symptomatology. There was no interaction. While those with higher ADHD symptomatology appeared to benefit less, this was not found to be significant.<strong></strong>

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Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

The current study was interested in examining the relationship between cognitive dissonance and susceptibility to misinformation. Participants were exposed to two emotional images; subsequently, they composed a counterattitudinal essay concerned with generating arguments in support of a tuition increase. Participants were either given a set of objective questions concerning the images or a set of misleading questions. All participants were then administered final questionnaires that contained both misleading and non-leading questions. This study hypothesized that participants in the dissonance-induced condition were likely to be more susceptible to the inclusion of misinformation during the final recall task. Findings indicated that participants in the dissonance-induced condition did not make more errors than those in the non-dissonance condition.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Rivers are key passageways connecting inland waters to the world's oceans. They are responsible for the mobilization and transport of nutrients, sediments, and weathered materials. Rivers have been influential in the development of human civilization and are hubs for people and businesses to populate. As our population puts a heavier burden on these waterways, there is a need to better understand the controls on their water quality. The overarching goal of this research is to improve our understanding of the hydrology and water resources of the Upper Hudson and Mohawk watersheds. This is critical to our understanding of the ecological and environmental roles these watersheds play while ensuring ample clean water. To address these issues, we studied six rivers in the Upper Hudson and Mohawk watersheds, looking at how lithology, land use, and physical hydrology impact the geochemistry and water quality of the rivers. I performed an analysis of the physical hydrology of the rivers with a focus on streamflow patterns and long-term trends in flow characteristics. This includes looking at shifts in flow timing, duration and magnitude of low flows, and shifts in annual mean flows. Our results help to paint the picture of how climatic changes are linked with the streamflow values and how they are changing now. I also developed concentration discharge curves to couple with the hydrograph analysis to look at how elemental fluxes vary with changes in streamflow. In addition to the hydrograph analysis, we performed in depth characterizations of water quality and geochemical conditions in the rivers. We sampled under both low flow and high flow conditions on all of the streams. Our results revealed a strong geologic control on stream chemistry however, we observe that some chemical parameters are highly influenced by anthropogenic activities. Notably, we see that our measurements of Na and Cl are higher than historic measurements by the USGS taken on these same streams. Given that other constituents such as Ca, Mg, and K have remained at typical historic levels, we believe that the elevated levels of Na and Cl are due to anthropogenic impacts of road salting. Of particular concern, all of the streams<strong> </strong>have elevated levels of Na and Cl under baseflow conditions when the stream is fed by groundwater discharge. Thus, our results show that groundwater resources have been impacted by road salting which will continue to pollute the streams and will take decades to flush.

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Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

When Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana in 2005, it revealed disparities in the way that recovery efforts are handled after storms. For example, it demonstrated flaws in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's attempt to provide housing for disaster survivors. The agency failed to adequately accommodate vulnerable populations, including communities of color, low-income individuals, the elderly, and people with disabilities, in its housing recovery process. Since then, efforts have been made to reform the agency and ensure that all individuals, regardless of race, income, education or disability level, are accommodated by FEMA. However, when Hurricane Ida struck Louisiana exactly 16 years later in 2021, many of the same problems continued to be seen. As such, this thesis seeks to compare FEMA housing recovery efforts after both storms, and analyze the efforts made by the agency to address its inequities after Katrina. This will be done through a literary review of Katrina, followed by an examination of legislation and congressional hearing testimonies to analyze the attempts made to reform the agency after Katrina and subsequent storms. Then, Hurricane Ida's aftermath will be examined by looking at news articles and interviews with disaster recovery workers to gauge the extent to which FEMA's reforms successfully addressed its recovery challenges. Finally, the thesis will consider policy recommendations. This analysis will demonstrate that the agency is still struggling to accommodate vulnerable populations in their disaster housing recovery efforts, largely because of their failure to account for systemic issues that make individuals more likely to face obstacles in the recovery process.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

When primed to think about one's survival, participants experience an increase in recall for a set of words. This result called the 'survival processing effect' was initially found for participants primed to think about their survival in an ancestral environment. The present study was designed to access whether the effect could be replicated in non-ancestral scenarios. Analyses showed that the effect could be replicated and that non-ancestral scenarios even led to a slightly higher level of recall than the traditional ancestral scenario. Various characteristics of the modern scenarios are believed to have been responsible for this finding including an increase in familiarity and fear, as well as a higher degree of media attention. This study helps to broaden the robustness of the original findings on the survival processing effect.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Leadership is everywhere in America. The concept of leadership is nearly impossible to define and means many different things to many different people, yet it permeates American society at all levels. Moreover, the American people seem to be obsessed with the notion of leadership and within their obsession have projected a value on the concept, making it a quality desired by many. The obsession of leadership is exemplified by the proliferation of the leadership industry and an increased emphasis on leadership development in the corporate world. Furthermore higher education has been similarly affected by the leadership phenomenon and often aims to matriculate students with leadership experience and leadership potential. Many collegiate institutions are now in the business of teaching leadership. Rooted in a curiosity about the leadership phenomenon in America, I raise some larger questions about the widespread teaching of leadership, namely if the teaching of the concept is even necessary. My research is aimed at gaining a foundational understanding of what leadership is and an exploration of the effects of the phenomenon as viewed through the lens of teaching leadership in higher education. I draw upon the conceptualizations of three leadership scholars; John Gardner, James MacGregor Burns, and Barbara Kellerman respectively, to create a foundational framework for leadership. Although each scholar possesses distinct leadership views, there are commonalities which the scholars agree upon. Based on these commonalities, I provide an overview of three different case studies, each a different collegiate institution that teaches leadership. The case studies include The Jepson School of Leadership at The University of Richmond, The United States Military Academy at West Point, and The Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania. The case studies help illuminate some of the problems that have emerged in our contemporary democracy in connection to the rise of the leadership obsession.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

Maintaining self-control can be a draining and arduous task, which may be affected by several external factors, such as stress or IQ level. An experiment was conducted on the effects of induced stress on Delay Discounting (DD) performance, or a measure of self-control, and the extent to which IQ level moderated this effect. Participants recorded their SAT or ACT scores (which were later converted to IQ scores), were exposed to a stress-inducing or control task requiring them to place their arms in ice-cold or luke-warm water, respectively, and then completed a DD task where they made a number of hypothetical decisions asking them to choose between smaller, immediate rewards, or larger, more delayed rewards. Although it was predicted that high IQ individuals, regardless of whether or not they were in the stress or no-stress condition, would be better at delaying gratification than low IQ individuals, this was not found. It was also hypothesized that stress would generally increase delay discounting; however, this relationship was not seen. Finally, the prediction that the negative effects of stress on delay discounting would be minimized for more intelligent individuals was obtained as those in the higher IQ group chose the delayed rewards more often than those in the lower IQ group when they were exposed to stress.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Honors Theses

Abstract

In 2007, J.S Nairne, S.R Thompson and J. N. S. Pandeirada investigated the idea that memory systems might have evolved in order to help us remember fitness-relevant information, especially relevant to our own survival. They showed that retention of words rated for their relevance to survival is superior to any other deep processing condition like pleasantness, imagery, self-referential processing, and so on. Since then, many experiments have investigated this "survival processing" effect. Recently, a retention benefit for subjects being primed about thinking of their own death has also been found (Hart & Burns, 2011). I present an experiment that looks at the effect of a combination of survival processing and death priming to determine if they are both caused by the same mechanism or if they are two completely different entities acting to benefit retention. The experiment consisted of subjects rating a list of words for their relevance to survival (or pleasantness) after answering a questionnaire about death or dental pain. I was able to recreate the survival processing effect and the mortality salience effect separately. Results also suggest that the mortality salience effect is due to an increase in item-specific processing. Lastly, when the two processes were combined, no additional retention beyond that produced by survival processing alone was found, suggesting that the mortality salience effect might be a component of the survival processing effect.

Type of Resource

Thesis

Rights Statement

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument

In Alumni Files

Type of Resource

DigitalDocument