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Microaggressions in music therapy internships: a survey studyA gap in the literature appears to exist between the internship experiences for interns that might belong to minority groups based on sex assigned at birth, gender identity, racism, ableism, and classism versus those that identify as White, cisgender, able-bodied, financially privileged, and male. The purpose of this survey study was to examine the incidence of microaggressions, including sexism, cisgenderism, classism, racism, and ableism, experienced by music therapy interns. Results suggested that race-related microaggressions are prevalent for BIPOC interns throughout their internship experience, also for gender non-conforming interns, bisexual, pansexual, lesbian, and gay interns, interns with emotional and/or physical disabilities, and interns belonging to lower and middle-lower socio-economic class. Further, results suggest that microaggressions resulted in significant consequences for bisexual and pansexual interns, interns who self-identified as having emotional disabilities, and interns belonging to the lower and middle-lower socio-economic class. Keywords: microaggressions, internships, minority, majority, dominant
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Music-based interventions for post-stroke patients with aphasia: a rapid reviewAphasia is a common and debilitating consequence of stroke, significantly affecting one's communication and quality of life. Music-based interventions (MBis) have gained attention as potential therapeutic tools for post-stroke aphasia. This rapid review aims to synthesize the current evidence regarding the effectiveness of music-based interventions in the rehabilitation of post-stroke patients with aphasia. A rapid review of the literature was conducted including studies that examined the use of music-based interventions for aphasia in post-stroke patients. Eligible studies included post-stroke patients with aphasia, peer-reviewed articles, quantitative studies, and studies that were published in English within the last 10 years. The focus was on interventions that targeted speech, language, and communication outcomes, with a particular emphasis on music-based interventions. A total of 17 studies were included in this review. The findings suggest that music-based interventions, particularly the use of MIT, can lead to improvements in speech production, prosody, and overall communication skills for individuals with aphasia. The evidence supports the potential of music-based interventions as a therapy that would be beneficial for stroke patients with aphasia. Music-based interventions show promise as an adjunct to conventional aphasia therapies for post-stroke patients, with moderate to strong effects observed in communication recovery.
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Threading the needle: tatreez, trade, tales and talk in anglophonic, women's literature of the Arab diasporaPenelope weaving by day and unweaving by night Laertes' death shroud, Arachne's metamorphosis as punishment for depicting the cruelty of the gods in thread, the cloak embroidered with stories of famous lovers stolen from a Sultan's unnamed daughter and gifted to Emare- the metaphor of embroidery or weaving in storytelling overcomes borders to permeate our transnational memories and cultural milieus. Foundational texts of both Western and global canons time and again tum to weaving as metaphor; from the ancients like Athena, the Moirai, or Neith who- in some myths- is credited as the weaver (and frequent reweaver) of the world, literature and narratives have been explored via the development of a rich tapestry of not only women, but men1 who weave and are woven into global narrative memory. Contemporary works such as Carmen Maria Machado 's "The Husband Stitch," R.B. Lemberg's The Four Profound Weaves, and Salman Rushdie's Shame, to name just a few, remind us of the central and formative connection between the material craft of embroidery and the transcendental art of storytelling.
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Music-based stress management for college music students: research protocolThe purpose of this paper is to outline a research protocol to determine the effectiveness of engaging with a YouTube channel in reducing the perceived stress of college music students. Due to the demanding nature of their degree, music students are at risk for depression, anxiety and burnout. The channel will offer accessible, and research based guided music experiences in order to mitigate academic stress while offering students the opportunity to reflect and understand their emotional responses to stress. This mixed method study will be evaluated by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing 14 item scale (WEMWBS). As this is a research protocol no data is presently recorded. Once concluded, this research offers a way to assess the potential of online music experiences to supporting the mental health and well-being of college music students. Key Words: Student Stress, Self-care practices, Music majors, Depression, Anxiety, Learning burnout, Mental well-being, Music Based Experiences, Mindfulness.
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Entropy, accretion, and l’informe: MFA Thesis - Painting & DrawingIn my paper, I will explore how entropy and accretion serve as catalysts in contemporary painting through Georges Bataille’s concept of l’informe (the formless), first published in 1929 in the Surrealist journal Documents, and further developed by Rosalind E. Krauss and Yve-Alain Bois in the 1990s. While entropy—the inevitable dissolution of matter into disorder—and accretion—the gradual accumulation of matter into sedimentary layers—seem antithetical, I will argue that their tension, in relation to l’informe, has played a generative role in art since the birth of Modernism and continues to reverberate in artmaking today. How can painting function both as an indexical mark and as an expressive collaboration with the forces that shape our world and beyond? What slippages, or gaps, remain to be explored by engaging with these phenomena in painting today? Over the course of a month-long residency in Northern Italy, I discovered an unexpected link: dust, as a pervasive, unifying accumulation, and its specific effects on the paintings I made there.
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Songwriting method variations used in music therapy practice: a research protocolMusic therapy education focuses on the use of several methods in clinical practice. One of the more commonly used methods is songwriting. Songwriting methods are covered to various extents in most music therapy education programs. However, learning how and when to implement a particular song writing method may not be addressed as thoroughly. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to better understand the songwriting method variations used by experienced music therapists, how often they use them, and their perceived benefits. This research will benefit the music therapy field by deepening our understanding of who can benefit from therapeutic songwriting. Despite the research done on the impact of therapeutic songwriting, there is little research that focuses on the variations of songwriting methods. By gaining a deeper insight into what songwriting variations are used most often a better understanding of their benefits can be achieved. This study will build upon the work of Baker (2015) and the song writing variations she identified. I am interested in the songwriting method variations that are used in clinical practice.
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Animalistic alcoholics: respectability and degeneration in sensationWhat does an alcoholic look like? What does an alcoholic sound like? For Victorians these questions had seemingly clear answers. However, the reality of alcoholism often defied expectations and revealed complexities that made most Victorians uncomfortable. Plunging into this cultural tension, this essay explores the treatment of alcoholics in sensation literature and science fiction. Although substance abuse disorders were only marginally understood in the nineteenth century, this essay understands “alcoholism” to be the habitual consumption of alcohol to excess (“Alcoholism”). Additionally, this essay understands alcohol to be inseparable from affect, or the expression of the emotions. As such, sensation fiction—produced to elicit emotional reactions from its readers—offers an apt medium through which to explore the treatment of alcoholism in late Victorian literature. Specifically, this essay addresses Lady Audley’s Secret, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Island of Dr. Moreau. By tracking the portrayal of alcoholics throughout time, from 1862 to 1896, this essay explores Victorians’ evolving understanding of the impact of alcohol—and affect—on society.
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Play hard, work smart: examining the relationship between playful breaks and productivityThis study explored the effects of break activities on task performance, comparing digital play, physical play, and passive social media use. Seventy-six college students completed a letter cross-out task followed by a 3-minute break, then resumed the task for additional trials. Contrary to expectations from previous ego-depletion studies, performance remained stable across all trials, with no significant evidence of cognitive fatigue or differences in post-break recovery between conditions. Trends suggested that physical play offered mild recovery benefits, with smaller performance declines compared to digital play and social media, though these differences were not statistically significant. Self-reported measures of break enjoyment, task disengagement, subjective productivity, and post-break refreshment also favored physical play as the most restorative activity, although not statistically significant. These findings challenge traditional ego depletion models and emphasize the need for more robust task designs and recovery metrics to better understand the dynamics of fatigue and performance recovery.
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Exploring the use of evolutionary principles in early childhood Montessori educationThis study explores the evolutionary relevance of early childhood Montessori education by examining whether Montessori schools offer a more adaptive learning environment compared to traditional preschools. By surveying a sample of parents (n = 106), with over 85% of participants identifying as female and the average age of their children being 50 months, from both Montessori and traditional preschools, this research assesses children’s abilities across several developmental domains while also considering the evolutionary principles underlying the classroom environments. To account for confounding variables, such as socioeconomic status, educational level, and race, the study included relatively matched samples to ensure comparability between the groups. Results suggest that Montessori preschoolers experience more evolutionary-friendly class environments, as well as scoring higher on practical life skills. Correlational analyses revealed statistically significant relationships between the evolutionary relevance variable and certain developmental outcomes measures (See Table 2). This finding potentially supports the idea that Montessori education aligns more closely with evolutionary adaptive principles than traditional methods. Montessori environments may better support children’s innate developmental learning processes. The findings offer important implications for future research, particularly for understanding how to design educational approaches that better align with evolutionary principles to enhance children’s developmental outcomes.
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The impact of a graduate assistantship and optional courses on becoming a teaching librarianThis reflective chapter discusses the impact hands-on practice and optional coursework had on an academic librarian's preparedness to teach information literacy. The chapter is published within Training Library Instructors Volume 1, A Guide to Training Graduate Students. According to the publisher, "Training Library Instructors collects examples of how we train our colleagues to teach, whether they’re student workers, non-librarian staff, new or experienced librarians, or something else entirely. Volume 1, A Guide to Training Graduate Students, focuses on teacher training for graduate students in LIS programs and in academic libraries. It presents existing literature and theories, approaches to teaching library school students to teach, and critical reflections from librarians about their varied experiences receiving teacher training."
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At arm’s length: MFA Thesis - SculptureAt arm’s length speaks to societal and bodily responses to unwanted but essential elements of our environment. Specifically, my research links societal attitudes toward poison ivy to those toward migrants and marginalized groups.
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Conformity and punishment: does conforming to an antisocial behavior reduce punishment?Prior research has examined the inverse relationship between conformity and free will beliefs, as well as the impact of free will beliefs on punishment severity (Alquist et al., 2013; Moynihan et al., 2018; Pande, 2021). However, there is less information on the direct impact of conformity on punishment. The current study examines the influence of conformity on punishment decisions for moral breaches, taking into account the role of authenticity and free will. More specifically, the study explores if individuals conforming when committing a crime are perceived as deserving a lesser punishment than those acting on their own free will. The study, involving 67 participants who evaluated fictional scenarios of criminal behavior, revealed that participants in the conformity condition recommended harsher punishments, specifically in terms of imprisonment. However, conformity did not significantly impact other punishment measures. Ultimately, the study challenges prior assumptions, providing insights into social influence dynamics and moral judgment complexities.
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Identity development and cultural expectations: exploring the identities of LGBTQ+ individuals through the lens of master narrativesThe purpose of this study is to better understand how LGBTQ+ individuals understand and make meaning out of their identities in relation to societal expectations that are prevalent in the United States. In my research, I employed the master narrative framework (McLean & Syed, 2015b), which shifts focus in the study of identity from the individual to the intersection of self and society, highlighting the role of culture within the identity development process (McLean et al., 2017). This framework involves master narratives, culturally shared stories that provide a foundation within which individuals can organize and story their own experiences, beliefs, and values (McLean & Syed, 2015b; Syed & McLean, 2023). In my study, I had participants (N = 21) complete in-depth, semi-structured interviews in which they reflected upon their life experiences and how they came to understand themselves as LGBTQ+ identifying individuals. My research was guided by two research questions surrounding (1) the construction of master narratives and (2) how LGBTQ+ individuals align with and deviate from it. Upon conducting a thematic analysis of the data, I was able to reveal how LGBTQ+ individuals are aware of different cultural expectations that have been imposed on them. Analysis of the data revealed the existence of distinct master narratives of a good life for straight individuals and a good life for LGBTQ+ individuals, each encompassing unique cultural expectations. In a case study, I was also able to highlight the complexity of alignment and deviation within these narratives, emphasizing the need for further research to explore the nuanced ways individuals navigate master narratives. Key Words: identity, LGBTQ+, master narratives, narrative identity, cultural expectations
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Violence and power in Ukraine and Russia: how geography, history, and identity define the conflictRussia's actions against Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 are intricately linked to Russian (triune) identity, historical and narratives, as well as to its rejection of Ukrainian sovereignty and borders. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russian state actors and population believed the country remained a great power, like its main rival, the U.S.A., due to its intrinsic quality within the Russian national identity. Without great power status, Russia cannot legitimate its existence or actions domestically and internationally. The domination of Ukraine is required by Russia’s view of its ethnic identity and international status. The loss of Ukraine to Western powers like the U.S. illustrates a fissure within the Russian identity and state. By looking at the actions and rhetoric of Russian institutions and elites, we can see the war against Ukraine as rooted in the great power narratives, ontological security, as well as imperial irredentist claims. Keywords: history, geography, political science, Ukraine, Russia, conflict, identity.
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Carotid dissection: a stroke of insight into safer work conditionsA 51-year-old man was admitted to hospital on the basis of dysarthria, left-side facial paralysis, pharyngitis, proximal loss of vision, left-arm paresis, and asphyxiation. Through various neurological testing, the patient was confirmed to have an ischemic stroke caused by an arterial dissection with a subintimal hematoma in the area of the carotid artery (carotid dissection). The patient was released from the hospital 3 days after being admitted with post-incident treatment instructions to ensure recovery. In this case study, detailed clinical assessments, radiological findings, and therapeutic interventions will be reviewed to provide a holistic understanding of the patient's journey from injury to recovery. Through a meticulous analysis of real-life patient care, this thesis aims to help highlight the early symptoms of strokes and their impact on individuals, particularly those in physically demanding and dangerous work conditions, such as the patient, who worked as a roofer. By shedding light on the unique challenges faced by individuals in such occupations, I seek to contribute to the growing body of knowledge in stroke medicine. Ultimately, the goal is to improve clinical management and outcomes for individuals affected by carotid dissection while advocating for safer working conditions for those at risk. Keywords: Psychology, Psychobiology, Evolutionary Studies, Honors, Neuroscience, Neurology, Carotid Dissection, Stroke, Medicine, Work Conditions
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Fear and masculinity in the private expressions of soldiers during World War OneWorld War One catapulted the world into modern warfare. Hand-to-hand combat was replaced by trenches, heavy artillery fire, and chemical warfare. Consequently, soldiers entered combat unprepared and left experiencing combat-induced traumas including shell shock. These traumas caused men to physically and emotionally break down which was a stark contrast to the brave and stoic male gender ideal at the time. Most historians argue that shifts in gender ideals didn’t occur until after the First World War. However, by analyzing the personal expressions of male soldiers at the front it is apparent that gender ideals were shifting in the trenches during the war.
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Assessing the accuracy of telluric correctionsObserving transiting exoplanets with ground-based telescopes and high-resolution spectrographs enables the resolution of individual absorption lines in the exoplanet transmission spectra. However, observing from the ground inherently introduces telluric contamination: spectral contamination from absorption due to molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere. We take high-resolution observations of a transiting exoplanet around a bright A-type star as a case study and use synthetic telluric molecfit models to remove contamination from water and oxygen molecules in Earth’s atmosphere. The quality of the telluric corrections was statistically assessed for several different telluric regions based on absorption depth and molecular absorption species. We find that corrections for shallow telluric lines are more robust than deeper telluric lines, though both depend similarly on airmass. Corrections for different molecular bands varied by region. Some regions demonstrate a higher dependency on airmass, potentially due to the wavelength, depth, or quantity of telluric lines. Finally, we determine that the most accurate corrections are performed at observations with airmass under 1.07 corresponding to a zenith angle of approximately 20.84 degrees. Whilst this is a somewhat limited airmass range, these results highlight the need for improving telluric models for future searches of water and oxygen features in Earth-like exoplanet transmission spectra with 30m-class telescopes. These results may assist in optimizing observations for retrieving and preserving more data in an exoplanet transmission spectrum, especially when absorption features from the same molecules–and potential biosignatures–in Earth-like atmospheres fall in these highly contaminated regions. Key Words: astronomy; astrobiology; exoplanets; atmosphere; spectroscopy; telluric contamination; telluric corrections
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Kensington’s drug and opioid epidemic: evaluating influences, policy, and community based responsesThis thesis explores the complex landscape of Kensington's opioid crisis, examining its history, and governmental aspects along with community-led initiatives. By examining the socioeconomic environment of the neighborhood, the influence of urban planning, and the significant effects on education, child welfare, health, and mental well-being, this study highlights the critical importance of holistic strategies in tackling the crisis. Using insights from the community and input from local organizations and law enforcement, this research promotes cooperative, evidence-based policies that focus on equity in health and social equality. This thesis contributes to drug policy, health equity, and psychological research by synthesizing important findings and providing insights on future research directions. It highlights the importance of collective action in addressing the opioid epidemic in Kensington and beyond.
