RSS 1.0Brockport Senior Honors Theses
Recent Submissions
-
What is the Current State of New York State’s Indigent Defense System and How Can the Criminal Justice System Better Protect the Right to Counsel?This Senior Honors Thesis examines the current state of indigent defense and how the criminal justice system can better protect the right to counsel for indigent defendants. The paper begins by analyzing factors that may impact indigent defense systems throughout the United States as a whole and how these factors may impact outcomes for defendants. Then, the paper's focus shifts to New York State specifically and discusses issues specific to the state. Qualitative research from interviews with public defenders and assigned counsel attorneys from various New York State counties is analyzed alongside quantitative data from each county. The end of the thesis provides an answer to the question "how can the criminal justice system better protect the right to counsel?" based on the research presented throughout the paper.
-
College Students' Alcohol Consumption, Perceived Stress, Metacognition, and Mind WanderingCollege student typically experience being on their own for the first time as they enter adulthood, as well as beginning to experiment with drugs, specifically alcohol. The current study investigates the relationship between levels of alcohol consumption, perceived stress, metacognitive awareness, and mind-wandering in college students. These relationships have been demonstrated in previous studies but have not been studied simultaneously. Participants were recruited from Principles of Psychology and filled out a self-report survey that included 6 scales asking about their alcohol usage, metacognitive awareness, and mind wandering. The results indicated that there was a positive relationship between metacognitive awareness and alcohol usage, alcohol use and mind-wandering, as well as replicate the findings from a previous study, indicating a positive relationship between perceived stress, metacognitive awareness, and mind wandering.
-
Image Narration using APIs and NLPThe project aims to develop an interactive storytelling chatbot by integrating Google Vision API and OpenAI API, using natural language processing and deep learning algorithms. Google Vision API extracts diverse features from images, including landmarks, objects, colors, text, and logos, while OpenAI API processes this information to generate concise image descriptions. This collaboration seamlessly fuses visual understanding and language generation, creating a compelling storytelling chatbot that offers users an immersive narrative experience. The goal is to explore methods for synchronizing image analysis and natural language processing, enhancing education, entertainment, creativity, and accessibility. The project showcases the potential of cutting-edge API technologies in meaningful ways, demonstrating the continuous growth in AI advancements. The presentation will overview the process of how this has been done but also emphasize the potential of its impact and purpose to help improve education systems.
-
External Perspectives of Intellectually Inter-Abled Romantic RelationshipsThis study qualitatively explored participant’s thoughts, opinions, and attitudes regarding intellectually inter-abled romantic relationships. An intellectually inter-abled romantic relationship is a romantic relationship where one partner has an intellectual disability, and the other partner does not. Eleven participants individually participated in one in-person interview with a median length of 37 minutes. These interviews consisted of open-ended questions based on an interview guide created by the researcher which sought out the participant’s thoughts, opinions, and attitudes regarding intellectually inter-abled relationships. This guide can be found in Appendix A. This data was analyzed using grounded theory analysis, which is an inductive approach with a goal of categorizing the data into themes and creating a substantive theory based on the data set. The themes that emerged were societal judgment, taking advantage, amplified struggles and solutions, put like and like together, and who am I to judge; love is love. The substantive theory that arose from the data is as follows: Generation Z college students are generally accepting of intellectually inter-abled romantic relationships as long as the person with the intellectual disability can undoubtedly give true informed consent and is not being taken advantage of.
-
Wrongful Convictions in the American Criminal Justice System: The Impact of Deceptive Psychological Tactics Used by Law Enforcement, Memory-reliant Evidence, and Socially Conditioned AssociationsWithin the United States, wrongful convictions pose massive moral and ethical dilemmas, while also threatening the integrity and reliability of our criminal justice system's framework. When analyzing each of these instances of injustice, it is generally apparent to see an array of ways in which the American criminal justice system has failed. Whether these flaws stem from law enforcement agencies, the judicial system's main players (such as judges or attorneys), or even the general American population ( such as jurors, witnesses, or the average laypeople), one thing is clear: preventative measures can be taken in order to minimize these errors, potentially leading to less incarcerations of innocent individuals. This paper uses historical context, research, direct testimonials from experts, and the experiences of wrongfully accused individuals in order to demonstrate common, risk-inducing contributing factors to wrongful convictions. Additionally, this paper suggests potentially powerful changes which may have the ability to lessen the statistically significant amount of injustices within the American criminal justice system.
-
Coltan and Conflict in the Democratic Republic of CongoColtan is a vital mineral found in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and its substrate, tantalum, is used for its rechargeable qualities in cell phones and electric batteries. It is important to stress the crucial role coltan plays in manufacturing cell phones, electric vehicles, and batteries. Such attention to coltan's importance emphasizes how much this valuable mineral shapes the future. Although the value and demand for coltan have increased at an insurmountable rate in the past decade, the Congo remains one of the poorest nations in the world. By examining the costs of coltan mining in the Congo and comparing it to the vast wealth coltan makes for multinational corporations, we can see how corporate greed and government corruption prevent the Congo from thriving economically. This paper seeks to open the public's eyes to labor issues and conflict caused by coltan mining in eastern DRC. A country's vast amount of natural resources implies revenue and wealth, but that is not the case for DRC. Some nations with rich natural resources, such as coltan and diamonds, are among the poorest. These countries are so profoundly impoverished because of conflicts, wars, government mismanagement and corruption, corporate greed, and unethical choices. I will examine the paradox of impoverishment in nations with abundant resources and potential wealth, focusing on the role of large Western corporations in the exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
-
Patient Centered Communication - What is it? Why is it important? Is it occurring on a college campus?Communication within the medical setting is key to patient satisfaction, and overall effectiveness. Patient-centered communication is a type of communication style in which the medical provider allows the patient to express their concerns and take an active part in their healthcare plans. There are several characteristics of medical providers which are demonstrated when patient-centered communication is the preferred communication style. For example, a few characteristics and behaviors are taking into consideration the patients' feelings, sharing a plentiful amount information, speaking clearly, listening actively, and displaying respect, friendliness, and empathy. There is little research on whether patient-centered communication is happening in college campus health centers. I conducted my own research on the topic, at SUNY Brockport's on campus health center, the Hazen Center for Integrated Care, through a 14-question Qualtrics survey. From the survey and its statistics, the Hazen Center for Integrated Care and its medical providers can be concluded as to demonstrating effective communication and patient-centered communication.
-
The Effects on Children Exposed to Domestic ViolenceDomestic violence (DV) is a prominent issue in the United States. One in four women and one in nine men have experienced severe physical violence, sexual violence and/or stalking in the U.S alone.(Office of Violence Against Women, 2023). Children can be exposed to this violence in their daily lives, and it can have detrimental effects on their physical, mental, and behavioral health, and their futures. Effects can include higher risks of self-harm, bullying or being bullied, violent or aggressive behaviors in childhood, teen pregnancy, dropping out of school, less secure attachments, post-traumatic stress symptoms, asthma diagnoses, cortisol dysregulation, anxiety, depression, antisocial behaviors, and a higher risk of being in a violent relationship themselves.(Howell, 2016, Horner 2023, Oguzturk et al., 2019, Clarke et al., 2020, Adhia et al., 2019, Nicholson et al., 2018). It is critical that healthcare teams and nurses specifically are taught signs and symptoms of exposure to violence to prevent these harmful effects and are trained to screen pediatric patients for exposure. It is also recommended nurses know the most up to date information on mandated reporting and their individual state laws. Recommendations include more longitudinal studies to be developed to study how exposure to violence can impact a child for the rest of their adult lives, and development of training programs for healthcare teams.
-
Promoting Positive Cognitive and Intellectual Maintenance Across the LifespanNeuropsychological development is vital to the field of psychology and neuroscience. The study of neuropsychological development provides a unique lens through which we can decipher the neural underpinnings of human behavior and cognitive functions.
-
Effects of vegetation characteristics and time-since mowing on nest-site selection and nest survival of Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) in Western New YorkSince the 1970s grassland bird populations have been declining. The main causes of the decline include habitat loss and degradation. This decline has led to the need for more information on what habitat characteristics are needed for grassland birds to successfully breed and how management practices impact breeding success. Our objective was to determine the nesting habitat preferences of Passercu/us sandwichensis (Savannah Sparrows) and how nest-site characteristics, along with mowing practices influence the probability that a nest will fledge young (nest survival). We conducted this study over an 8-week period at John White Wildlife Management Area in Basom, New York. We searched for Savannah Sparrow nests using behavioral cues and monitored them every 2-3 days to determine nest fate. Vegetation characteristics at each nest along with a corresponding random point were measured. We also gathered data on the history of mowing practices at each field within our study site and measured the distance each nest and random point was from both hard edges (forest) and soft edge (agricultural fields and roads). We found and monitored 21 Savannah Sparrow nests. The probability that a nest survived a single day was 0.951 (95% CI [0.911, 0.980]). We found that nest visibility index within a 1-meter radius of the nest was the only variable that significantly affected nest-site. Vertical vegetation density at 5-meters from the nest had a significant positive effect on nest survival and was the only vegetation factor that influenced nest survival. Time since mowing did impact nest survival where daily nest survival rate was greater in fields that had not been mowed since 2'.: 8 months or longer. We found that as distance from soft edge increased daily nest survival rate increased, but distance to either edge type (hard or soft) did not affect survival. The results we found could be used to help managers create high quality habitat for Savannah Sparrows in Western New York.
-
The Relationship Between Parental Influence on Childhood Dietary Patterns and Adulthood Physical HealthThe United States continues to face increasing rates of obesity, which are potentially partially influenced by childhood behaviors that may extend into adulthood habits. Previous studies have concluded that parental influence has a significant impact on children's dietary patterns and behaviors. However, such work commonly associates parental self-reports of behaviors (e.g., limiting a child's snacking) with observations of that child's behavior at the same point in time. In contrast, the current study assesses adult college students' recollections of parental influence on eating behaviors in childhood and correlates these recollections with a measure of obesity in adulthood (as measured via current body mass index [BMI]). A crosssectional survey of college-age students completed a Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) and reported their current height and weight to calculate body mass index. Three subscales of the CFPQ were significantly positively correlated with BMI: lack of encouraging balance and variety (BV), (r = 0.32, p = 0.04), restrictions used for weight control (WC), (r = 0.37,p = 0.02) and lack of teachings about nutrition (TC) (r = 0.40,p =0.01). More research with a larger sample size and/or use oflongitudinal methods may help to continue examining the issue. The current findings suggest that parents should consider the vitality of educating themselves and therefore their children on the importance of balance, variety, and nutritional values of food rather than using restriction methods to help their children maintain healthy weight throughout the lifespan.
-
Financial Literacy and Risk ToleranceIn finance, the basic assumption regarding human behavior is that of risk aversion. Humans by nature tend to avoid risk. Risk aversion, for our purposes, is defined as simply the tendency for people to avoid risk, in this case risky investments. Similarly, one's risk tolerance is how much risk individuals are willing to take on to accomplish a financial goal. The potential for a relationship between one's financial literacy and risk tolerance is tested using information gathered via a cross-sectional survey to SUNY Brockport students. The survey consists primarily of two parts, with a focus on first collecting information assessing the participants' financial literacy and second their risk tolerance. This information is analyzed through an equality of means t-Test across subsamples. Developing a deeper understanding of the topic is crucial as the primary goal of investment advisors is to assist clients in the attainment of their financial goals. That is, achieving the best combination of risk and return for the client. Our findings suggest that in the studied sample, I am unable to demonstrate a strong relationship between financial literacy and risk tolerance. The study adds to the existing literature on the relationship between financial literacy and risk tolerance.
-
Generation Z's Fight for Survival in the March for Our Lives MovementMass shootings have claimed the lives of countless Americans during the lifetime of Generation Z. This study looks at Generation Z's role in the #MarchforourLives movement and how they continue to battle the gun violence epidemic head on through political action and demonstrations. Gun violence continues to instill fear and anxiety in Generation Z as this violence has invaded public spaces such as shopping malls and concert venues and going as far as infiltrating safe spaces such as their classrooms. This research uses a qualitative content analysis to identify the motivations for activism by members of Generation Z. My analysis indicates that anxiety and fear surrounding survival are a driving force behind their work and determination to advocate for a society where there is no fear of being victimized by gun violence in the classroom or other public spaces. It further discusses that the campaign drew inspiration from various social movements, such as the Stonewall Riots, the Civil Rights Movement, and Black Lives Matter, to assemble their peers.
-
Dimensions of Eating BehaviorAccording to the Centers for Disease Control (2019), over the past two decades, the U.S has increased from 30.5% to an all-time high in 2018 of 40% obesity rate. Understanding eating behaviors may help us understand the increased obesity rates and contribute to future interventions in public health. The dimensions of eating that have received the most attention include cognitive restraint, disinhibition, susceptibility to food/ hunger cues, and subsequently, loss of control of eating. While dimensions of eating have been studied separately, the purpose of this study was to examine all these dimensions of eating together. An online participant pool recruiting program (SONA) was used with 287 SUNY Brockport undergraduate students taking an Introductory Psychology course (PSH 110). Participants completed four online questionnaires: a background questionnaire, the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ; Stunkard & Messick, 1985), the Revised Restraint Questionnaire (RRQ; Herman et al., 1978), and the Eating Loss of Control Scale (ELOCS; Blomquist et al., 2014). The hypotheses of the study were as follows: 1) RRQ and TFEQ-Restraint subscale scores were expected to be negatively correlated with ELOCS scores. 2) TFEQ-Disinhibition subscale and TFEQ-Hunger subscale scores were expected to be positively correlated with scores on the ELOCS. 3) BMI was expected to be positively correlated with TFEQ-Disinhibition subscale scores, TFEQ-Hunger subscale scores, and ELOCS scores, and negatively correlated with TFEQ-Restraint subscale scores and the RRQ. To test each hypothesis, Pearson correlations were conducted. The RRQ and TFEQ-Restraint subscale were positively correlated with the ELOCS and BMI and suggests higher restraint may lead to higher loss of control which is consistent with existing literature on binge eaters (Spoor et al., 2006). BMI was positively correlated to RRQ and TFEQ- Restraint subscale suggesting that those who are overweight may be more likely to restrict food intake for weight loss.
-
Dimensions of Eating BehaviorAccording to the Centers for Disease Control (2019), over the past two decades, the U.S has increased from 30.5% to an all-time high in 2018 of 40% obesity rate. Understanding eating behaviors may help us understand the increased obesity rates and contribute to future interventions in public health. The dimensions of eating that have received the most attention include cognitive restraint, disinhibition, susceptibility to food/ hunger cues, and subsequently, loss of control of eating. While dimensions of eating have been studied separately, the purpose of this study was to examine all these dimensions of eating together. An online participant pool recruiting program (SONA) was used with 287 SUNY Brockport undergraduate students taking an Introductory Psychology course (PSH 110). Participants completed four online questionnaires: a background questionnaire, the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ; Stunkard & Messick, 1985), the Revised Restraint Questionnaire (RRQ; Herman et al., 1978), and the Eating Loss of Control Scale (ELOCS; Blomquist et al., 2014). The hypotheses of the study were as follows: 1) RRQ and TFEQ-Restraint subscale scores were expected to be negatively correlated with ELOCS scores. 2) TFEQ-Disinhibition subscale and TFEQ-Hunger subscale scores were expected to be positively correlated with scores on the ELOCS. 3) BMI was expected to be positively correlated with TFEQ-Disinhibition subscale scores, TFEQ-Hunger subscale scores, and ELOCS scores, and negatively correlated with TFEQ-Restraint subscale scores and the RRQ. To test each hypothesis, Pearson correlations were conducted. The RRQ and TFEQ-Restraint subscale were positively correlated with the ELOCS and BMI and suggests higher restraint may lead to higher loss of control which is consistent with existing literature on binge eaters (Spoor et al., 2006). BMI was positively correlated to RRQ and TFEQ- Restraint subscale suggesting that those who are overweight may be more likely to restrict food intake for weight loss.
-
Movement Healing: Rethinking What We Know About Trauma and Trauma TreatmentThis paper is a literature analysis that explores body-based, or bottom-up processing treatments for (PTSD) and (C-PTSD) in comparison to traditional cognitive based therapies. Most people will experience a traumatic event or stressor, and some will require formal treatment from a mental health professional. Traumatic events often are experienced in the body and have biological processes rooted in the nervous system. Because trauma is prevalent and can be experienced in the body, it is important for mental health professionals to be aware of the potential treatment benefits of body-based therapies. Although more research is needed and most body-based therapies are at this time considered ancillary, there is evidence that they can be equally effective as some cognitive based therapies. Furthermore, these treatment models, and having a wide knowledge base of potential treatments, can assist more equitable service delivery to clients.
-
Experiential Learning: An Evaluation of Simulations in Health Professions EducationAbstract The landscape of health professions education, including medical and nursing schools, has witnessed a revolutionary transformation with the developments in medical simulations, which bridge theoretical knowledge and real-world clinical scenarios. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate simulations in the field of health professions education and chart how the advancements in simulations, such as the development of virtual reality, may affect students' learning outcomes. This thesis comprehensively reviews current research evaluating simulations in health professions education, ranging from basic manikin models to immersive virtual reality environments. These simulations could provide learners the opportunities to gain hands-on experience and practice clinical skills prior to engaging with actual patients, resulting in a more ethical training practice. The research hypothesis is that the more accurate and immersive the simulation is at representing the real-world situation, the more effective the tool is at teaching concepts and retaining learners' skills long-term. The complexity and accuracy of representation of 24 simulations were rated according to a rubric used by the researcher. The results suggest that while complexity and realism may have had an impact on learning outcomes, pedagogy may have the greatest influence. There was not a significant difference between virtual reality and other types of simulators. In the studies that included learner assessment of simulations, most learners reported positive feedback on the simulations. The future of healthcare professions educational simulations may become further accessible, personalized, and effective.
-
Journalism in the Age of Fake NewsAfter the rise of fake news throughout social media platforms before and during the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the journalism industry lost a profound amount of trust. As various levels of fake news found its way to spread through social media, the public's trust in journalists declined, eroding the relationship between news and the media. Because of this issue, the journalism industry has been struggling, especially in forms of journalism outside of investigational reporting, which only accounts for about one percent of journalism (Carson & Farhall, 2018). This problem has increased the need to understand why fake news persists, and how to prevent its spread by discovering effective solutions to reduce its negative and concerning effects on society.
-
Childhood Illnesses Effects on Nurses Well-BeingThroughout a nurse’s career, they go through many different struggles and hardships. Most of these lead to mental health issues like compassion fatigue, burnout, or secondary traumatic stress. The purpose of this literature review is to explore the stress that oncology health care workers who are working with children are in and how it can affect their mental health. The objective of this is to allow others to become more aware, more prepared, and ways to prevent these mental health problems from happening.
-
Concussions: Prevalence Among Student AthletesThe effects of sport-related concussions (SRC) can be dire for student-athletes. They may have an impact on their performance, health, and mental well-being. The primary focus of this thesis is to explore the diverse consequences; both short-term and long-term of SRC. 4 The study explores an acute dip in physical endurance and psychological performance after suffering one concussion, the cumulative effect when multiple concussions occur, as well as the potential oflong-term neurodegenerative diseases. It also examines the difficult recovery procedures of patients. Along with this, we examine the long-term effects that survivors deal with, and the complex ways in which brain injuries affect each individual differently. In addition to examining the effects of SRC on athletes, this study investigates these types of injuries in the field of physical education. The hope is that the information will provide coaches with the required means for making sports and other physical activities safer and more inclusive to those recovering athletes. Furthermore, accounts of athletic trainers are examined, and concussions are investigated from their perspective. Finally, the challenge in deciding when and how to safely return the athlete back to participation. This thesis, therefore, aims to carefully evaluate SRC across various dimensions and their influence on student-athletes. The means through which this thesis can contribute to deeper comprehension of the topic and, accordingly, put forward strategies for personalizing safety, optimizing recovery, and improving the well-being in the sphere of youth sports will be discussed.
