Journal of Undergraduate Research

Eric Brighton and Brock Kirwin, Department of Psychology Introduction Visual pattern separation is the ability of an individual to correctly distinguish between images that they have already seen, images that are very similar but not identical, and novel images. Over the last eight years visual pattern separation has come to be well accepted as a […]

Athena Howell and Brock Kirwan, Department of Neuroscience/Psychology Introduction My project focused on the neural activity associated with memory consolidation, particularly the role of pattern separation and pattern completion over an extended period of time. Pattern separation occurs when the brain successfully encodes similar experiences into distinct memories (Deng et al. 2003); for instance, pattern […]

Aaron Miller and Chad Jensen, Department of Psychology Leptin and ghrelin are two hormones involved with suppressing satiety and meal initiation. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of acute exercise duration of 30 and 60 minutes on the total levels of leptin and ghrelin. This study was carried out in […]

Rebecca Oliphant and Scott Steffensen, Department of Psychology Introduction Dopamine (DA) neurons are at the core of many highly-researched diseases. Dopaminergic neuronal degeneration has been linked to oxidative stress, a state that occurs when high levels of normally-occurring reactive oxidative species (ROS) are formed. Depending on the location of such degradation, the result could be […]

Samuel Jackson and Scott Braithwaite, Department of Psychology Introduction Communication in romantic relationships is changing. Partners today increasingly choose to communicate via technology1, and use a mix of communication channels ranging from purely verbal formats (e.g., text messaging) to those rich in nonverbal expression (e.g., video chats). Despite this, theories about romantic communication tend to […]

Anna Lisa Ward and Ben Ogles, Department of One debate found in the psychological field is one of nature vs. nurture. Those agreeing with the nature side of this argument would state that we, as individuals, come into the world knowing everything we will ever know. We are ‘born’ with the genes, brain structures, etc. […]

Daniel Sands and Erin Bigler, Department of Psychology Introduction Americans suffer an estimated 3.2 million concussions per year. Concussions are known to cause notable and long-lasting deficits in cognitive functioning in some individuals. This creates the need for new assessment tools and technology to facilitate assessment and treatment. This study will advance research in the […]

Spencer J. Nielson and Wendy Birmingham, Department of Psychology Introduction Marriage has been positively associated with better physiological health outcomes, although the specific pathways by which this occurs remains somewhat elusive. Additionally, the quality of marriage appears to influence the health benefits derived from marriage. Marital partners, like other social relations, can be sources of […]