University at Albany
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Item The Impact of Cognitive Executive Function on Self-Correction and Verbal Fluency in Preschoolers(2016) Lawrence, Imani; Gomez, Angelis; Andersen, Rebecca; Bancroft, Emily; O’Rourke, Elisabeth; Halpern, LeslieFew studies explore language self-corrections as a form of self-regulation in children. The current study expands on existing research by examining the relationship between executive functioning and self-corrective behaviors in narrative story-telling. Children were cued by picture stimuli to retell a previously heard story. Children’s narratives were transcribed and coded for self-corrective behaviors. Executive function was assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version and verbal tasks were measured on the Fluharty Verbal Fluency Scale. The results found that children with higher executive functioning skills self-correct more frequently than children with lower executive function.Item Homophobia in non-heterosexuals and their families(2016) Hermans, Merel Mireille; Gallup Jr., Gordon, Dr.Homophobia and the involvement of other sexual orientations other than heterosexuality remain poorly understood in evolutionary psychology. This research extends Gallup's 1995 research, in which people were found to respond more negatively towards same-sex pairs (i.e. imagining their daughter spending time with a lesbian mother, and a son spending time with a gay father), than opposite-sex pairs. 138 participants were recruited from several classes at the University at Albany, through an email list of two organizations within the University at Albany, through the Capital Pride Center in Albany, and through several online forums for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBTQ) people. The participants responded to an anonymous online survey containing several questions regarding their family's responses when they spend time with their niece(s) and/or nephew(s). Another block of 8 questions asked about the participant's responses when imagining having a lesbian or gay parent spending time with an imaginary 8 year old or 21 year old niece or nephew, measured using a 5 point Likert scale. Participants were found to respond more negatively towards same-sex pairs than to opposite-sex pairs. Due to limited sample size, a comparison between the reactions of the family toward heterosexual participants and non-heterosexual participants spending with their nieces and nephews was not possible. Thus several central predictions from Gallup's 1995 research were replicated, but further studies that focus on the family members of non-heterosexual individuals are needed.Item Documentary Poetics:The Book of the Dead and One Big Self(2016) Shin, Seunghyun; Keenaghan, EricThis research seeks the similarities between the two poems written by separate writers, who were born in separate periods and had different careers: Muriel Rukeyser and C. D. Wright. Although each poet has different techniques and poetic languages in individual works, I want to claim that there is a conversation between the two poets, Rukeyser and Wright, about socio-political issues that include class struggles, totalitarianism, racism, and gender binary, through documenting the stories of the majority of people and depicting them into poetry. This specific documentary form of poems in both works includes the poetic languages intermingled with the eye of camera, photography. Exploring how Rukeyser and Wright forms a conversation to each other through documentary poems that depicts photography in "The Book of the Dead" and "One Big Self", both writers aim at showing abomination and criticism about the socio-political issues; Rukeyser focuses on documenting the afterward of the workers who had silicosis during the Hawk's Nest tragedy in The Book of the Dead, and C. D. Wright articulates the ironic life that she discovers by visiting three prisons. In other words, both works have commonalities: they are all documentary poems that includes the eye of camera; both works tried to encourage socio-political change and voice of people through criticizing issues. Distinguishing these similarities, this research will include the expansion of ideas of Michael Thurston's literary criticism in his article, "Documentary Modernism as Popular Front Poetics: Muriel Rukeyser's "Book of the Dead"," Martha Nussbaum's "Poetic Justice: The Literary Imagination and Public Life", Richard A. Posner's "Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline," and Stephen "Burt's Lightsource, Aperture, Face: C. D. Wright and Photography."Item Autism Screening App(2016) Wiegand, Kevan; Rana, Mukhtar, Dr.The cause of Autism has been a subject of great discussion for quite some time, however, researchers have been able to identify unique genetic mutations that may result in the development of the disease. A majority of the signs and symptoms of autism occur in the early years of childhood, from the ages of 2 to 4 years old. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "more than 3.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder and the prevalence of autism in U.S. children increased by 119.4 percent from 2000 to 2010," making it the fastest-growing development disability. Under the supervision of my professor, Dr. Mukhtar S. Rana, and the guidance of my colleague, Bilal Khan, I have been able to provide research on successfully creating a mobile application to evaluate the risk of autism in toddlers. The application uses a simple graphical user interface that calculates a risk score based on a psychological questionnaire called the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers. The questionnaire includes twenty questions based on the symptoms of Autism. As part of a computer science research course at the University of Albany, State University of New York, I have been able to associate myself with interesting and demanding research that has potential to shape the way medical institutions evaluate autism in toddlers. This information can be used to provide an incentive for patients to seek professional medical evaluation and for medical practitioners to benefit from the application's flexibility. Our research and the new design of the M-CHAT is a step in the right direction to supplying a medical tool that will be used on a daily basis.