Oral Session 2 - 1:00-2:00PM PST
Abstract Volume and Quick Reference Guide
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ROOM A
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
1:00-1:20pm
Mechanism and Chemoselectivity for HOBr-Mediated Oxidation of Zinc-Bound Thiolates
Presenter(s): Alexandros Drivas
Advisor(s): Dr. Maduka Ogba
Zinc-thiolate complexes play a central role in bacterial defense against persistent “oxidative bursts” of reactive oxygen species by animal hosts, of which hypohalous (HOX) acids are one of the most potent. A multidisciplinary effort is underway to understand these bacterial redox sensing mechanisms and consequently, develop novel therapeutics for diseases of chronic inflammation. Recent quantum mechanical calculations by us reveal that the preferred mechanism and chemoselectivity for HOCl-mediated oxidation of zinc-bound thiolates is governed by minimizing geometric strain at the zinc-thiolate active site. However, the robustness of the reported reactivity and selectivity models against other biological oxidants is not known. In this project, we investigate the redox-sensing mechanism with two other biologically-relevant hypohalous acids – HOBr and HOSCN – using the identical zinc-thiolate complex and compare with that of HOCl. Our current findings on the reaction pathway for the HOBr-mediated process will be disclosed, and emerging trends with respect to general HOX-sensing by zinc-bound thiolates will be discussed.
Chemistry
1:20-1:40pm
Computational Investigation Into the Origins of Reactivity for Metal-Thiolate Complexes that Activate of H-E bonds.
Presenter(s): Joshua Oommen, Zach Nelson
Advisor(s): Dr. Maduka Ogba
Within the last decade, experimentalists have attempted to mimic the heterolytic bond cleavage of H-H bonds by [NiFe] hydrogenases by constructing synthetic metal-thiolate complexes using various transition metals for its potential applications in industrial reduction chemistry and alternative fuel sources. In their seminal work in 2008, Stradiotto and colleagues synthesized an iridium (III) and a rhodium (III) thiolate complex that was used for the successful cleavage of silane (Si-H) bonds, facilitating the hydrosilylation of ketones. Experiments reveal that stoichiometric amounts of the iridium (III) complex were needed for this transformation, while catalytic amounts were achieved for the rhodium (III) analog. The mechanism for the reactions using both metal-thiolate complexes and the origins of differing reactivity between the complexes have not been explored. Our research goal is to use quantum mechanical computations to (i) elucidate the plausible mechanism(s) for Si-H activation mediated by both metal-thiolate complexes, and (ii) uncover the factors affecting the difference in reactivity between these complexes i.e., stoichiometric for iridium(iii), catalytic for rhodium(iii). Furthermore, experimental attempts to heterolytically cleave dihydrogen (H-H) using these complexes failed, and results from our work will serve as a launch point for designing metal-thiolate variants for this important transformation. In this presentation, we will present the computed ground state complexes along the reaction pathway toward the hydrosilylation of acetophenone using both iridium (III), rhodium (III), and cobalt (III) metal thiolate complexes, and present our validation analysis with existing crystal structures. Our current hypothesis for the differing reactivity based on the ground state complexes will be discussed.
1:40-2:00pm
Computational Investigation of Ca(NTf2)2 Mediated Sulfur (VI) Fluoride Activation and Factors Precluding Catalytic Turnover
Presenter(s): Brian Han
Advisor(s): Dr. Maduka Ogba
Nitrogen-containing sulfur(VI) compounds are commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry to combat bacterial infections. Synthesis of these compounds is typically facilitated by nucleophilic attack of a sulfur(VI) chloride pre-cursor by an amine nucleophile. However, the relative instability of sulfur(VI) chlorides makes selective synthesis challenging in the presence of competing nucleophiles, and hence precludes late-stage functionalization of complex natural products. Sulfur(VI) fluorides have become an attractive alternative to the chloride analogs given the increased selectivity that can be achieved with these precursors. Our collaborators succeeded in synthesizing nitrogen-containing sulfur(VI) compounds under mild condition using a myriad of sulfur(VI) fluorides in the presence of amine nucleophile, mediated by calcium triflimide – Ca(NTf2)2. This contrasts conventional methods where strong base/nucleophiles with elongated heating process were required. However, the mechanism for sulfur(VI)-fluoride activation using Ca(NTf2)2 is not known, and in most cases, stoichiometric calcium triflimide is required for the transformation. Furthermore, the duration of reaction and yields of sulfonamide vary depending on the solvent. In my research project, we used quantum mechanical approach to shed light on the reaction mechanism for Ca(NTf2)2-mediated sulfonyl-fluoride activation and elucidate the factors preventing catalytic turnover of Ca(NTf2)2, specifically, in both polar protic and aprotic solvent. We present (i) the minimum energy structures at each state of the reaction and (ii) data supporting our current product-inhibition hypothesis precluding the regeneration the pre-activation Ca2+ complexes required for catalytic turnover.
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ROOM B
Political Science
1:00-1:20pm
The Fear Factor: News Media Consumption on the Fear of Being a Victim to a Racial or Hate Crime
Presenter(s): Lieu Madayag
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
This paper will explore the correlation between news media consumption and the fear of becoming a victim of a racial or hate crime. Dramatizing the contextualization behind violent crimes has become extremely prominent within the daily news media. This topic is important when studying American politics because although there have been several statistics that have reported a decrease in violent crime, the amount of news sources and channels centralizing their broadcasts and publications around violent crimes has been steadily increasing throughout the United States. This paper seeks to explore the role that the media has in shaping viewers’ fear of being a victim to a racial or hate crime by hypothesizing that the more time a respondent consumes news media on a daily basis, the more likely that respondent will have a fear of being a victim to a racial or hate crime. It has also been important to consider the effects of the news media on the fear of crime victimization based on the different types of media platforms a respondent consumes. Social media and traditional forms of news media have different objectives when disseminating information to audience members, and this paper will also explore the relationship between social media platforms versus traditional media sources in influencing the fear of being a victim of a racial or hate crime. Other works of literature have argued that the geographic location and the conditions within a neighborhood, particularly known as neighborhood effects, have a strong influence on an individual’s fear of crime. This paper extends its study by hypothesizing that the media’s role in cultivating racial or hate crimes in the southern region of the United States has influenced a stronger fear of being racially or hatefully victimized within that particular region of the nation.
1:20-1:40pm
Changes in Public Opinion on Queer Issues
Presenter(s): Hunter Jowell
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Since President Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election, political polarization as grown within the United States, especially related to LGBTQ+ rights. Simultaneously, LGBTQ+ rights have continued to be a priority for many left-leaning voters. According to contact theory, personal relationships with LGTBQ+ people results in greater acceptance of these individuals, thus in a post-Obergefell v Hodges era, the outness of queer individuals has continued to increase and it is more likely that voters know someone who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. This paper analyzes the shift in public opinion related to LGBTQ+ issues, with emphasis on transgender issues, between 2016 and 2020. Using the ANES 2016, 2018, and 2020 data sets, this research analyzes demographic relationships, such as party identity, age, geographic location, and relationship to LGBTQ+ individuals, to opinions on transgender people, their rights, and other LGBTQ+ issues to determine how shifts in opinion have manifested in the electorate throughout a politically polarizing timespan. One interesting finding suggests age does not play a significant role in determining whether a respondent feeling warmly about trans people, instead, a respondent’s willingness to harm a democrat is more informative. That is, respondents who are more willing to commit violence against democrats are more likely to view trans people as unfavorable. This research provides an important contribution to the body of literature by emphasizing trans issues in public opinion over a course of four years which may permit for future research to explore the president's personal influence on this subject.
1:40-2:00pm
Conspiracy Theories in the Age of Social Media
Presenter(s): Annalysse Santos
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
As social media has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, it has led to an increased accessibility to news. Social media acts as a means for individuals to emerge themselves in an echo chamber and discover conspiracy theories that fit their current beliefs. My findings indicate that a conspiratorial mindset is linked to mistrust in government and lower participation in the political process due to a feeling of powerlessness and anxiety. In addition, the increased use of social media as a news source is attributed to the declining trust in traditional news media. Social media enables individuals to comprehend complex political and social events, such as an assassination, and rid oneself of such powerlessness. By utilizing the Chapman University Survey of American Fears, Wave V, I will be analyzing the effects of gathering one’s news from social media, education, and race on the government concealment of conspiracy theories, regarding the 9/11 attacks, the JFK assassination, and the Illuminati. As current research focuses on more recent conspiracy theories, such as 5G and COVID-19, and their origin on social media platforms, I will focus on older conspiracy theories, whereas research is outdated, that have gained traction on social media. I will be examining the factors that exist in deciding to believe in conspiracy theories that may have been disproven in the midst of increased access to information. Thus, I will be testing three hypotheses. Hypothesis one states that the greater the usage of social media then the greater the belief in conspiracy theories, specifically ones regarding 9/11, The Illuminati, and the JFK assassination and hypothesis two states that the less the level of educational attainment, then the greater belief in conspiracy theories, and hypothesis three states that if one belongs to a racial minority, then the greater the belief in conspiracy theories. This study sheds light on the conspiratorial mindset of the American people that has infiltrated the minds of politicians and citizens alike and threatens the safety of our society.
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ROOM C
Political Science
1:00-1:20pm
Growing Prevalence of Political Conspiracies
Presenter(s): Tucker DelPonti
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Throughout the course of the 21st century, politicians have become less concerned about facts and rather focus on spewing misinformation to unite their supporters against the political opposition. The ultimate goal of this paper is to analyze how an individual’s party identification leads that individual to be more likely to believe conspiracy theories, and subsequently how the voting block’s belief in conspiracy theories can affect political processes. With the growing prevalence of conspiracy theories in the political realm, the electorate is having a difficult time differentiating between fact and fiction. This paper will further examine and analyze why political conspiracy theories became more prevalent in the 21st century in addition to the affect these conspiracies have on the voting population. The ANES 2020 survey data will be used to collect data about the party identification and belief in conspiracy theories between Democrats and Republicans. Additionally, this paper will examine the possible relationship between an individual’s lack of belief in science and a higher prevalence to believe conspiracy theories to further understand how misinformation can substantially impact partisan values and beliefs. Using the psychological concept of the “in/out” theory I expect to find a higher prevalence of Republicans believing in conspiracy theories because President Trump has propagated a plethora of conspiracy theories as part of the “in” political group. My research has already yielded interesting findings regarding the frequency of belief in conspiracy theories within Republican Party identifiers, which will help fill out the existing literature on the impact of conspiracy theories in American politics.
1:20-1:40pm
Increasing Turn-Out of Young Voters
Presenter(s): Katie Agrela
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
One of the chief issues facing democratic elections in the United States is voter turnout. Young people are considered to be apathetic to political issues and avoid participating in elections. This paper will examine tactics to increase turnout amongst the younger generation. There is a belief that voters age into caring about politics, but a large part of the voting population is in the eighteen to twenty-four age bracket. Young voters are faced with voter suppression tactics that make it difficult to register to vote. In order to devise the best tactics to encourage mobilization, voter turnout trends must be examined. The elections of 2016 and 2018 are the most recent sample and will help illuminate the most recent voting trends. It is important to examine election years with record-high years of turnout, as well as low. Pinpointing the concerns of young people will also be necessary to increase their political participation. Young people also have unique modes of communication that are imperative to reaching the largest number. This paper will utilize the American National Election Survey from 2016, 2018, and 2020. It is necessary to examine the variables that could contribute to voter turnout, especially among the eighteen to twenty-four-year-old demographic.
1:40-2:00pm
Increasing Political Polarization and its Causes
Presenter(s): Cameron Lockard
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
My current hypothesis is simply that as someone gets older, they become increasingly more politically polarized. By this, I mean that an individual will become more strongly aligned with their political affiliation the older that individual gets. This could be caused by numerous factors, many of which I wish to identify in this study. In attempting to find these additional independent variables, I will be using the life cycle effects theoretical framework, and I will utilize data from the 2016 National Election Study. The goal of my study is to determine what causes someone to vote one way or another during an election. With political polarization seemingly at an all time high, it seems appropriate to determine the factors impacting political affiliation during the 2016 presidential election. My dependent variable would be how the respondent rates themselves on a scale from “extremely liberal” all the way to the other side of “extremely conservative”. One independent variable that I am using is the respondent’s age group. By adding additional variables, I hope to not only find what causes someone to be more strongly right or left leaning, but what single variable is the most significant in determining one’s strength of political affiliation. Among the interesting findings so far in my research, I have found that age does seem to have a correlation with how strongly an individual identifies as conservative, but the same cannot be said for liberals. This paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the study for other factors that could cause people to be more strongly affiliated to a political ideology and how the information could be used for future elections.
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ROOM D
Political Science
1:00-1:20pm
Vulnerable to Murder
Presenter(s): Madi Rosenson
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
In this research I will be acknowledging the fear of falling victim to murder in the United States of America. To go even more in depth, I will be comparing the fear of being murdered by a stranger and the fear of being murdered by someone you know. I will be discussing which is more likely to happen – being murdered by a stranger or someone you know – and the possible independent variables that make an individual feel vulnerable to this situation. For example, data from the FEAR survey found that female respondents recorded fearing being murdered by someone they know and being murdered by a stranger more than the male respondents. Using the vulnerability theory will help determine whether people more vulnerable to victimization have higher levels of fear recorded by the FEAR survey. To determine who is vulnerable, I will be looking at statistics reported by the FBI and other sources to conclude which gender, race, and age are more likely to be victimized to compare to patterns of fear in order to determine if the fears are realistic based on the risks. After comparing statistics from the FBI and other sources to the data found in the FEAR survey, the categories of gender, race, and age will be further broken down to see if reading a local newspaper, reading a national newspaper, watching the national nightly news, or getting news from social media influence fear. I expect this paper to make the scholarly contribution of addressing the risk factors and demographics of murder victimization as compared to the levels of fear. I also expect for this paper to outline the statistics for murder victimization by someone you know and murder victimization by a stranger and to dispel some of the misinformation that may increase fear and vulnerability perception.
1:20-1:40pm
The Lasting Effects Police Brutality has Left on Black Americans
Presenter(s): Gabriella Corsino
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Black Americans have been marginalized for as long as our country has been established. Systemic racism has engendered a Police Brutality Crisis in our broken nation. Innocent black Americans are being slaughtered for no reason other than the color of their skin. Police Brutality has left long-lasting negative effects on black Americans, including the lost lives of loved ones, fear, anger, PTSD, anxiety and depression. No matter if you are a man, a woman, a transgender individual, a child, if you grew up in the north or the south, east or the west, a city or a suburb, all black Americans endure the same systemic racism which puts them at risk for experiencing these harmful effects. In this study, the Survey of American Fears will be used to compare the dependent variable (How afraid are you of being the victim of the following crimes? Police brutality) to the independent variable (Black Non-Hispanics and Black Hispanics) across all ages, genders and geographical locations.
1:40-2:00pm
Blues Versus Reds: A Better Measure of What Keeps Us Apart in Order to Understand How to Bring Us Together.
Presenter(s): Marit Aurin
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Media is at the center of politics, culture, and even the formation of identity. The media and its massive influence, however, poses risks when its sources and perspectives lose diversity. In our current era of polarization and contrasting information, many accuse media outlets and their massive influence of being perpetrators of selective narratives, which lead to national fragmentation. In fact, results can inform that the proliferation of media choices may play a large part in the polarization of the news audience (Iyengar and Hahn, 2009). The relationship between media consumption and people’s attitudes towards polarizing topics will be analyzed to determine whether or not the media stereotypes associated with partisanship hold any truth. In particular, we study two groups based on FOX News and CNN consumption. These two groups are then compared on stereotypically partisan topics such as illegal immigration and climate change using data from the 2018 Chapman University Survey on American Fears. Expected results are that an increased consumption of CNN is related to predicted liberal stereotype values and an increased consumption of FOX News is related to predicted conservative stereotype values, thus leading to further polarization. For instance, this paper finds that those who watch FOX News daily are almost 3 times more likely to strongly agree that police should be allowed to raid businesses and homes in order to find undocumented workers than those who watch CNN daily. This tendency to select news based on values can be explained through the phenomenon of confirmation bias, as well as echo chambers and epistemic bubbles. The results supporting partisan belief by choice of media further confirms the difficult problem that lies ahead to unify the country under shared values.
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ROOM E
Political Science
1:00-1:20pm
Gender and Voting Behavior
Presenter(s): Emma Charles
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
The topic of my research paper will be researching women and voting behavior. In the survey on voting behavior I will look at how gender affects voting behavior and if women will vote. I will also try to identify how race, class, socioeconomic status, location and other factors affect how women vote and look at the “gender gap” and if it affects elections. The gender gap is widely reported in certain elections and not as much in others so in my research of looking at women’s voting behavior and how likely they are to vote, I will examine to see if the gender gap is a myth made up by the media. In my articles so far, I have looked at how the women’s right to vote has changed the economy, if there is a gender gap and how the media plays it up, and how black women have more distrust of the government than black men but are still more likely to vote. The majority of my research will look at women and their tendencies in voting in United States elections. In order to accomplish my research, I will look at each factor that could play an impact in a woman's choice to vote and how she votes. I will see if women tend to vote together or if it is split. My work will contribute to the literature because it provides key information on why women vote differently from men. These findings will be important because they help us understand how and why people vote the way they do.
1:20-1:40pm
Age, Politicization, and Climate Change
Presenter(s): Kealani Tanizaki-Hudson
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Climate change is taking a strategic position in international and national politics worldwide. The current emergence of climate change effects has reached an international high within the last two decades. This paper will explore the relationship between beliefs on climate change, partisanship, and age. This paper will also investigate the role of partisan group identity influencing the science behind climate change's politicization. Relying on the Chapman University Survey of American Fears, a nationally representative sample, this study will explore the correlation between the fear of climate and both demographic and social-psychological variables. Two themes identified include: (1) the demand for unbiased political and social change focusing on the climate emergency, and (2) identifying defensive resistance including political leaders, older generations, and capitalist ideologies. The paper will conclude with a discussion of how party identification affects how climate change is perceived and why scientific information is understood differently, from person to person.
1:40-2:00pm
The Vote-by-Mail Dilemma
Presenter(s): Hawk Ohannessian
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Mail-in ballots and voting-by-mail ballots have been a significant topic of discussion for many years. The Covid-19 pandemic and the current situation of the United States has exacerbated and intensified this argument for and against the vote-by-mail system from Democrats and Republicans alike. Liberals have argued saying the lack of a national vote-by mail system is voter suppression and does not let many people, that do not have an opportunity to vote on election day, especially with the Coronavirus, have an alternate way of voting, and they also argue that it is safe and convenient. Conservatives have argued against voting-by-mail stating that it is fraudulent and does not authentically reflect the voices of the American people. Can a good vote-by-mail system exist to allow for more convenient voting schedules for Americans while having fair elections with authentic and verified ballots that correctly associate with an eligible American voter? Does the independent American voter, observing from an objective point of view, care about these arguments, however? If all Americans were universally offered the option to vote by mail would they vote-by-mail over voting in person? It is possible the issue is a verification processing issue and if a proper verification system is implemented, vote-by-mail can better serve the American people. Data regarding party affiliation and frequency of voting-by-mail, voter turnout, arguments of voter fraud, and arguments of the benefits of voting-by-mail, public statements made by major party officials and other bureaucratic and government officials as well, and documented successes of using voting-by-mail in previous elections will all be examined. When offered the option of voting by mail, the independent American, will take advantage of the opportunity because of the benefits offered.
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ROOM F
Political Science
1:00-1:20pm
Examining The Relationship Between American’s Voting Behaviors And The Fear Of Being Fooled By “Fake” News On Social Media
Presenter(s): Hannah Slagle
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
The age of evolving technology and media has created a new way for news to be shared regarding political issues or presidential election candidates. With this evolution, the appearance of false or “fake” news and media has emerged and it has only gotten more difficult over the years to spot these discrepancies. According to Chapman University’s Survey of American Fears Wave 5, 17.1% of Americans reported that they were fearful of being fooled by “fake news”. Though this statistic is not drastically high, it will rise in the coming years as the media continues to evolve. Americans have access to information regarding the election at their fingertips, but the difference in media sources can cause inconsistency among news sources. Television, radio, podcast and social media are all examples of media sources from where voters can access news and information regarding the election, however Americans have their pick of media in which they trust the most. The following research will examine how media consumption patterns and other variables impact how likely Americans are to believe in fake news. There is no clear relationship between American voter’s political beliefs and the various levels that one might fear “fake” news, which is why this research will reach far beyond to identify any relationships that might be held between these variables. It will look at political party loyalty, political social issues, and more.
1:20-1:40pm
Social Media and Partisan Polarization
Presenter(s): Aarushi Bhaskaran
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Social media is a key factor that contributes to growing political polarization, particularly in the United States. The objective of this study is to understand how platforms of social media reinforce political ideology and effect political polarization of the general public. The phenomenon of changing one’s political beliefs to fit partisan division is also a potential factor in the effect of media exposure on “obstinate partisanship,” a term identified in previous research to describe unwavering loyalty to a party regardless of its performance. Previous research has been conducted discussing certain aspects of the effect of media on partisanship and political polarization. Other literature on the subject adopt the “echo chamber” lens to social media discourse, finding it to be conducive to partisan polarization. This paper aims to add to the existing discourse on the matter of media effects on political polarization, with an emphasis on social media, employing data from the 2020 American National Election Studies survey to gauge to what extent the trend of obstinate partisanship has continued or accelerated. The study addresses the social media habits of Facebook and Twitter users in conjunction to their strength of partisanship. Across both, this study finds a positive correlation between the frequency of Facebook or Twitter usage and the strength of partisanship. However, this study also aims to identify which social media platforms, not limited to the two mentioned above, are linked to strong or weak partisanship. As there is little available information on newer social media platforms such as Tik Tok and SnapChat, this study addresses these platforms’ roles in fostering partisan polarization, as well as partisans’ preferences of platforms. The study will use new data to better understand the existing trends in social media’s impact on partisanship and to include newer social media platforms in discourse around the topic.
1:40-2:00pm
Voter Opinion on the Expansion of Government-Funded Healthcare
Presenter(s): Jacob Harris
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created in 2010, was enacted to lower healthcare costs and help improve the quality of life for those who were unable to otherwise receive medical insurance. The ACA has created a variety of political opinions about expanding, replacing, or repealing the policy that was signed into law in 2010. Public opinion about government health care policy is subjective to personal values, ideologies, worries, and connections to political party affiliation. Traditionally, democrats are more likely to support a government-funded healthcare option than republicans. Additionally, people who are committed to societal equality and/or the rational economic approach are more likely to be in favor of a fully government-funded healthcare system. This paper will explore and identify the root causes of voter opinion by looking at public support of, or the opposition of a government-funded health care system. It will also examine the induvial emotions towards medical conditions and healthcare, health patterns, and age of voters, to assess their tolerance for government-funded healthcare. The data for this research was obtained from the American National Election Service (ANES) 2019 and 2020 questionnaire. Data was also obtained from the Chapman University Survey on American fears.
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ROOM G
Political Science
1:00-1:20pm
Fear of Immigration
Presenter(s): Joselyn Rivera
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
The topic of immigration has been brought multiple times within the last year. This research seeks to answer what influences someone’s fear of immigration. Specifically, the research looks at how someone’s age, sex, education level, income, state of residency and zip code, religion, and political identification influences how they view immigration. The research will utilize data from the American National Election Studies Survey and the American Fears Survey to conduct the research. In order to prove the hypothesis, the surveys and variables are being cross-examined. My literature review helped me form the hypothesis, which is what will be proved with this research. I hope to prove that younger people are less likely to fear immigration than those who are older. Additionally, if someone is a female, they are least likely to fear immigration than those who identify as males. Also, if someone is religious, then they are approving of immigration. When it comes to the income variable, the hypothesis is: If someone has a lower income, they are more likely to oppose immigration. If someone lives in a rural area, they are most likely not in favor of immigration. The last hypothesis is that if someone has pursued higher education, they are more likely to approve of immigration.
Environmental Science and Policy
1:20-1:40pm
Assessing Impacts on Natural Disaster Preparedness
Presenter(s): Angie Wong
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
This paper explores the study of whether income level influences one’s fear of natural disasters, and the impact it has on the person’s preparedness for natural disasters. It will also look at whether income level or fear will influence a person’s preparedness for a natural disaster more. This study has two independent variables, income level and fear of natural disasters. For this study, I will be using the American Fears Survey to conduct my research. Natural disasters cannot be prevented but this study will show how people will react to their fear of natural disasters, do they push it away or do they take it in and prepare themselves? I hypothesize that those with a lower income will fear natural disasters more than the other. I also hypothesize that those with a lower income will be more prepared for a natural disaster. Furthermore, I hypothesize that those who fear natural disasters more will be more prepared for a natural disaster. Among my findings, the Extended Parallel Model (EPPM) is a key theme in whether people are usually prepared for a natural disaster. By looking at the EPPM, I will interpret how people react when confronted with their fear, whether they will confront their fear by preparing for it or by pushing it away.
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ROOM H
English
1:00-1:20pm
Nailbeds as a Text for Revised Masculinity
Presenter(s): Natalie Green
Advisor(s): Dr. Jan Osborn
Discourse regarding concepts of the feminine and the masculine plays an important role in ideologies of gender. Using Bordo’s theory of the body as inscribed with ideological constructions, I analyze the ideological framework of masculine/feminine Discourse. This study focuses, particularly, on the discourse regarding heterosexual men painting their nails. The artifacts for analysis include photographs and articles from contemporary fashion sites, such a Vogue and CR Fashion Book. The analysis demonstrates that what has traditionally been a marker of femininity is being accepted by heterosexual men, resulting in a rhetoric stemming from the act of straight men painting their nails, one that breaks from the long-held standards of what it ‘means to be a man.’ A transformation is taking place, one changing the current societal ideologies and allowing the masculine to accept the feminine.
1:20-1:40pm
Electoral Literature as Examination of Overarching Rhetorical Exigency
Presenter(s): Saif Khan
Advisor(s): Dr. Jan Osborn
I would first like to disclaim that this study offers no support or otherwise toward particular political stances or ideologies. [Rather, it is an exploration of whether any stances and the actionable privileges of citizens to champion them are derived from an ethical and sound application of rhetoric; and further, to determine if such an application is at all possible within a political context and beyond.] Rhetorical theorist Lloyd Bitzer was the first to examine what he labeled as the “rhetorical situation” in its entirety. Bitzer’s framework, which I will use as the primary methodology for this project, defined an explicit rhetorical purpose and the components that comprise a rhetorical situation. Using these definitions as standard, rhetorical practices that fail to fulfill them will be labeled as unethical. The rhetorical artifact I have selected to ground my investigation is the local Voter Information Guide and Ballot of my county. These texts will be used to illustrate how political rhetoric, in the form of electoral literature, fails to lend itself to rhetorical goals and function in a rhetorical situation, thereby becoming unethical. The guide and ballot will reveal this through inadequacies such as pre-discourse alteration of reality and ignorance toward the multiplicity of complex contemporary rhetorical situations. My expected findings are not solely based on the negation of political rhetoric as ethical, but hopefully on reaching conclusions of how to alleviate self-contradiction, selective application of ethics, and issues of multiplicity in the entire field. I aim to offer a new lens that encourages analysis of the rhetorical situation of rhetoric and to question why the endemic exigency has been overlooked and not offered definitional urgency. Bitzer himself claimed that the rhetorical situation is the source of not only rhetorical activity but criticism.
Writing And Production
1:40-2:00pm
“No Punch Girl” Graphic Novel Project: Satirically Exploring Themes of Non-Violence in the Action Genre
Presenter(s): Isabella Miller
Advisor(s): Tom McLoughlin
I created my satirical graphic novel No Punch Girl in order to explore my questions about how non-violent themes and messages are so often advocated in the action genre despite the fact that this media exists to glorify and showcase fighting for audience entertainment. This seeming paradox is at the core of the action genre universally, appearing internationally in both eastern and western media from superhero movies and spy thrillers to martial arts films and anime. By first filling over 100 notebook pages with comic-style paneling and then digitally sharing them over the internet for my small pool of readers, I was able to generate my own original story over the past three months. No Punch Girl is the story of Jen, a young girl fixated on the glory of street fights and martial arts. Her extremely-pacifist family disapproves of this interest and refuses to let her learn, so she takes finding a mentor into her own hands. My oral presentation encompasses a reflection on my graphic novel project and invites the audience to ask deeper questions about trends in the action genre as a whole.
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ROOM J
Communication Studies
1:00-1:20pm
Exploring Sexual, Romantic, and Platonic Functions of the Imagined Interactions Framework
Presenter(s): Steele Viverette
Advisor(s): Dr. Megan Vendemia
Imagined interactions (IIs) involve interpersonal contact with another individual within one’s mind (Honeycutt, 2003, 2015, 2020). Although primary functions and features of IIs are well-established in the communication literature (Honeycutt, 1989, Vickery, 2019), the present study sought to uncover additional functions related to sexual encounters, particularly with ostensible strangers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The world is becoming increasingly digitized, resulting in an augmentation in the amount of our social interactions that are conducted online; this trend toward digitization is especially apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic with recommendations for physical distance from others. It should follow that these online interactions, too, should have implications for the interactions that play out in our minds. The increasing popularity of online dating websites and applications (apps), such as Tinder and Bumble, shifts even the most intimate interactions into an online setting and possibly introduces understudied features of IIs. Expanding upon prior research, the present study explores the role that IIs may play in this digital shift, particularly in the context of online dating and the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of a larger study investigating online dating during the COVID-19 pandemic, we asked 315 online daters in the United States to describe their recent IIs with someone they recently matched with on an online dating platform. Through a qualitative coding process, six key themes emerged from their responses: imagined interactions as sexual pleasure and sexual release; imagining plans that lead to sexual interaction; planning for future cybersex; imagining first date scenarios; compensation for in-person platonic interaction; and the inability to have IIs. Implications for online partners who have not met offline, online dating experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the literature on IIs are addressed in this research.
Interdisciplinary
*ABSTRACT WITHDRAWN
Comparative Education and “Nordic Exceptionalism”: Correlation between the Happiest Countries and Top-Scoring Students
Presenter(s): Sophia Crawford
Advisor(s): Kendra Day
The 2020 World Happiness Report ranked all the Nordic countries (Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland) in the top 7 spots for average citizen happiness. The US is 19th. The report’s chapter titled “The Nordic Exceptionalism” explains how they use factors such as political rights, degree of corruption, trust among citizens, income distribution, crime rate, social cohesion, gender equality, and others to determine international rankings. Now, the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) examinations evaluate the academic performance of 15-year-olds across 156 countries every 3 years. Every PISA study reveals that Nordic countries generally perform better than the US, and specifically Finland consistently outranks the US. There’s plenty of resources that discuss the topic of Swedish education, Finnish cultural happiness, and the prosperous Norwegian economy prioritizing its citizens, but few academic articles have discussed this topic in depth. Academic research thoroughly exploring how the education systems compare is very difficult to come across and are vague in their conclusions. Using fields such as Economics, Psychology, and Educational studies, this paper will attempt to discover how and whether the US should adopt and the Nordic education system, and possibly their social welfare as well for the betterment of education.
Sociology
*ABSTRACT WITHDRAWN
Me Too: Gone Global
Presenter(s): Sule Murray
Advisor(s): Dr. Ian Barnard
The Me Too movement is a social movement against all forms of sexual harassment and abuse, especially at the hands of wealthy renowned influential men. According to Burke (and later Me Too activists), the purpose of Me Too is to act as a support network to empower women through empathy and solidarity, partially by publicizing allegations of sexual misconduct to visibly expose the vast amount of women who have survived sexual assault. Using a combination of images, infographics, and videos, this presentation will analyze the global impact of Me Too and the rhetoric employed by emerging Me Too female activists of color around the world. In my research, I discovered numerous screenshots of Me Too social media posts, news articles, interviews, academic papers, and images of protests around the world. In the latter, there are protest signs using layered rhetoric that prove to be worthy of analysis. Through my analysis, I hope to conclude that while these activists around the world have used language and rhetorical strategies of the Me Too movement to bring global attention to their fight, the subversion-and utilization of-their specific cultural norms, taboos, traditions, and power dynamics have made their rhetoric unique.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
1:00-1:20pm
Mechanism and Chemoselectivity for HOBr-Mediated Oxidation of Zinc-Bound Thiolates
Presenter(s): Alexandros Drivas
Advisor(s): Dr. Maduka Ogba
Zinc-thiolate complexes play a central role in bacterial defense against persistent “oxidative bursts” of reactive oxygen species by animal hosts, of which hypohalous (HOX) acids are one of the most potent. A multidisciplinary effort is underway to understand these bacterial redox sensing mechanisms and consequently, develop novel therapeutics for diseases of chronic inflammation. Recent quantum mechanical calculations by us reveal that the preferred mechanism and chemoselectivity for HOCl-mediated oxidation of zinc-bound thiolates is governed by minimizing geometric strain at the zinc-thiolate active site. However, the robustness of the reported reactivity and selectivity models against other biological oxidants is not known. In this project, we investigate the redox-sensing mechanism with two other biologically-relevant hypohalous acids – HOBr and HOSCN – using the identical zinc-thiolate complex and compare with that of HOCl. Our current findings on the reaction pathway for the HOBr-mediated process will be disclosed, and emerging trends with respect to general HOX-sensing by zinc-bound thiolates will be discussed.
Chemistry
1:20-1:40pm
Computational Investigation Into the Origins of Reactivity for Metal-Thiolate Complexes that Activate of H-E bonds.
Presenter(s): Joshua Oommen, Zach Nelson
Advisor(s): Dr. Maduka Ogba
Within the last decade, experimentalists have attempted to mimic the heterolytic bond cleavage of H-H bonds by [NiFe] hydrogenases by constructing synthetic metal-thiolate complexes using various transition metals for its potential applications in industrial reduction chemistry and alternative fuel sources. In their seminal work in 2008, Stradiotto and colleagues synthesized an iridium (III) and a rhodium (III) thiolate complex that was used for the successful cleavage of silane (Si-H) bonds, facilitating the hydrosilylation of ketones. Experiments reveal that stoichiometric amounts of the iridium (III) complex were needed for this transformation, while catalytic amounts were achieved for the rhodium (III) analog. The mechanism for the reactions using both metal-thiolate complexes and the origins of differing reactivity between the complexes have not been explored. Our research goal is to use quantum mechanical computations to (i) elucidate the plausible mechanism(s) for Si-H activation mediated by both metal-thiolate complexes, and (ii) uncover the factors affecting the difference in reactivity between these complexes i.e., stoichiometric for iridium(iii), catalytic for rhodium(iii). Furthermore, experimental attempts to heterolytically cleave dihydrogen (H-H) using these complexes failed, and results from our work will serve as a launch point for designing metal-thiolate variants for this important transformation. In this presentation, we will present the computed ground state complexes along the reaction pathway toward the hydrosilylation of acetophenone using both iridium (III), rhodium (III), and cobalt (III) metal thiolate complexes, and present our validation analysis with existing crystal structures. Our current hypothesis for the differing reactivity based on the ground state complexes will be discussed.
1:40-2:00pm
Computational Investigation of Ca(NTf2)2 Mediated Sulfur (VI) Fluoride Activation and Factors Precluding Catalytic Turnover
Presenter(s): Brian Han
Advisor(s): Dr. Maduka Ogba
Nitrogen-containing sulfur(VI) compounds are commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry to combat bacterial infections. Synthesis of these compounds is typically facilitated by nucleophilic attack of a sulfur(VI) chloride pre-cursor by an amine nucleophile. However, the relative instability of sulfur(VI) chlorides makes selective synthesis challenging in the presence of competing nucleophiles, and hence precludes late-stage functionalization of complex natural products. Sulfur(VI) fluorides have become an attractive alternative to the chloride analogs given the increased selectivity that can be achieved with these precursors. Our collaborators succeeded in synthesizing nitrogen-containing sulfur(VI) compounds under mild condition using a myriad of sulfur(VI) fluorides in the presence of amine nucleophile, mediated by calcium triflimide – Ca(NTf2)2. This contrasts conventional methods where strong base/nucleophiles with elongated heating process were required. However, the mechanism for sulfur(VI)-fluoride activation using Ca(NTf2)2 is not known, and in most cases, stoichiometric calcium triflimide is required for the transformation. Furthermore, the duration of reaction and yields of sulfonamide vary depending on the solvent. In my research project, we used quantum mechanical approach to shed light on the reaction mechanism for Ca(NTf2)2-mediated sulfonyl-fluoride activation and elucidate the factors preventing catalytic turnover of Ca(NTf2)2, specifically, in both polar protic and aprotic solvent. We present (i) the minimum energy structures at each state of the reaction and (ii) data supporting our current product-inhibition hypothesis precluding the regeneration the pre-activation Ca2+ complexes required for catalytic turnover.
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ROOM B
Political Science
1:00-1:20pm
The Fear Factor: News Media Consumption on the Fear of Being a Victim to a Racial or Hate Crime
Presenter(s): Lieu Madayag
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
This paper will explore the correlation between news media consumption and the fear of becoming a victim of a racial or hate crime. Dramatizing the contextualization behind violent crimes has become extremely prominent within the daily news media. This topic is important when studying American politics because although there have been several statistics that have reported a decrease in violent crime, the amount of news sources and channels centralizing their broadcasts and publications around violent crimes has been steadily increasing throughout the United States. This paper seeks to explore the role that the media has in shaping viewers’ fear of being a victim to a racial or hate crime by hypothesizing that the more time a respondent consumes news media on a daily basis, the more likely that respondent will have a fear of being a victim to a racial or hate crime. It has also been important to consider the effects of the news media on the fear of crime victimization based on the different types of media platforms a respondent consumes. Social media and traditional forms of news media have different objectives when disseminating information to audience members, and this paper will also explore the relationship between social media platforms versus traditional media sources in influencing the fear of being a victim of a racial or hate crime. Other works of literature have argued that the geographic location and the conditions within a neighborhood, particularly known as neighborhood effects, have a strong influence on an individual’s fear of crime. This paper extends its study by hypothesizing that the media’s role in cultivating racial or hate crimes in the southern region of the United States has influenced a stronger fear of being racially or hatefully victimized within that particular region of the nation.
1:20-1:40pm
Changes in Public Opinion on Queer Issues
Presenter(s): Hunter Jowell
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Since President Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election, political polarization as grown within the United States, especially related to LGBTQ+ rights. Simultaneously, LGBTQ+ rights have continued to be a priority for many left-leaning voters. According to contact theory, personal relationships with LGTBQ+ people results in greater acceptance of these individuals, thus in a post-Obergefell v Hodges era, the outness of queer individuals has continued to increase and it is more likely that voters know someone who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. This paper analyzes the shift in public opinion related to LGBTQ+ issues, with emphasis on transgender issues, between 2016 and 2020. Using the ANES 2016, 2018, and 2020 data sets, this research analyzes demographic relationships, such as party identity, age, geographic location, and relationship to LGBTQ+ individuals, to opinions on transgender people, their rights, and other LGBTQ+ issues to determine how shifts in opinion have manifested in the electorate throughout a politically polarizing timespan. One interesting finding suggests age does not play a significant role in determining whether a respondent feeling warmly about trans people, instead, a respondent’s willingness to harm a democrat is more informative. That is, respondents who are more willing to commit violence against democrats are more likely to view trans people as unfavorable. This research provides an important contribution to the body of literature by emphasizing trans issues in public opinion over a course of four years which may permit for future research to explore the president's personal influence on this subject.
1:40-2:00pm
Conspiracy Theories in the Age of Social Media
Presenter(s): Annalysse Santos
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
As social media has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, it has led to an increased accessibility to news. Social media acts as a means for individuals to emerge themselves in an echo chamber and discover conspiracy theories that fit their current beliefs. My findings indicate that a conspiratorial mindset is linked to mistrust in government and lower participation in the political process due to a feeling of powerlessness and anxiety. In addition, the increased use of social media as a news source is attributed to the declining trust in traditional news media. Social media enables individuals to comprehend complex political and social events, such as an assassination, and rid oneself of such powerlessness. By utilizing the Chapman University Survey of American Fears, Wave V, I will be analyzing the effects of gathering one’s news from social media, education, and race on the government concealment of conspiracy theories, regarding the 9/11 attacks, the JFK assassination, and the Illuminati. As current research focuses on more recent conspiracy theories, such as 5G and COVID-19, and their origin on social media platforms, I will focus on older conspiracy theories, whereas research is outdated, that have gained traction on social media. I will be examining the factors that exist in deciding to believe in conspiracy theories that may have been disproven in the midst of increased access to information. Thus, I will be testing three hypotheses. Hypothesis one states that the greater the usage of social media then the greater the belief in conspiracy theories, specifically ones regarding 9/11, The Illuminati, and the JFK assassination and hypothesis two states that the less the level of educational attainment, then the greater belief in conspiracy theories, and hypothesis three states that if one belongs to a racial minority, then the greater the belief in conspiracy theories. This study sheds light on the conspiratorial mindset of the American people that has infiltrated the minds of politicians and citizens alike and threatens the safety of our society.
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ROOM C
Political Science
1:00-1:20pm
Growing Prevalence of Political Conspiracies
Presenter(s): Tucker DelPonti
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Throughout the course of the 21st century, politicians have become less concerned about facts and rather focus on spewing misinformation to unite their supporters against the political opposition. The ultimate goal of this paper is to analyze how an individual’s party identification leads that individual to be more likely to believe conspiracy theories, and subsequently how the voting block’s belief in conspiracy theories can affect political processes. With the growing prevalence of conspiracy theories in the political realm, the electorate is having a difficult time differentiating between fact and fiction. This paper will further examine and analyze why political conspiracy theories became more prevalent in the 21st century in addition to the affect these conspiracies have on the voting population. The ANES 2020 survey data will be used to collect data about the party identification and belief in conspiracy theories between Democrats and Republicans. Additionally, this paper will examine the possible relationship between an individual’s lack of belief in science and a higher prevalence to believe conspiracy theories to further understand how misinformation can substantially impact partisan values and beliefs. Using the psychological concept of the “in/out” theory I expect to find a higher prevalence of Republicans believing in conspiracy theories because President Trump has propagated a plethora of conspiracy theories as part of the “in” political group. My research has already yielded interesting findings regarding the frequency of belief in conspiracy theories within Republican Party identifiers, which will help fill out the existing literature on the impact of conspiracy theories in American politics.
1:20-1:40pm
Increasing Turn-Out of Young Voters
Presenter(s): Katie Agrela
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
One of the chief issues facing democratic elections in the United States is voter turnout. Young people are considered to be apathetic to political issues and avoid participating in elections. This paper will examine tactics to increase turnout amongst the younger generation. There is a belief that voters age into caring about politics, but a large part of the voting population is in the eighteen to twenty-four age bracket. Young voters are faced with voter suppression tactics that make it difficult to register to vote. In order to devise the best tactics to encourage mobilization, voter turnout trends must be examined. The elections of 2016 and 2018 are the most recent sample and will help illuminate the most recent voting trends. It is important to examine election years with record-high years of turnout, as well as low. Pinpointing the concerns of young people will also be necessary to increase their political participation. Young people also have unique modes of communication that are imperative to reaching the largest number. This paper will utilize the American National Election Survey from 2016, 2018, and 2020. It is necessary to examine the variables that could contribute to voter turnout, especially among the eighteen to twenty-four-year-old demographic.
1:40-2:00pm
Increasing Political Polarization and its Causes
Presenter(s): Cameron Lockard
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
My current hypothesis is simply that as someone gets older, they become increasingly more politically polarized. By this, I mean that an individual will become more strongly aligned with their political affiliation the older that individual gets. This could be caused by numerous factors, many of which I wish to identify in this study. In attempting to find these additional independent variables, I will be using the life cycle effects theoretical framework, and I will utilize data from the 2016 National Election Study. The goal of my study is to determine what causes someone to vote one way or another during an election. With political polarization seemingly at an all time high, it seems appropriate to determine the factors impacting political affiliation during the 2016 presidential election. My dependent variable would be how the respondent rates themselves on a scale from “extremely liberal” all the way to the other side of “extremely conservative”. One independent variable that I am using is the respondent’s age group. By adding additional variables, I hope to not only find what causes someone to be more strongly right or left leaning, but what single variable is the most significant in determining one’s strength of political affiliation. Among the interesting findings so far in my research, I have found that age does seem to have a correlation with how strongly an individual identifies as conservative, but the same cannot be said for liberals. This paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the study for other factors that could cause people to be more strongly affiliated to a political ideology and how the information could be used for future elections.
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ROOM D
Political Science
1:00-1:20pm
Vulnerable to Murder
Presenter(s): Madi Rosenson
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
In this research I will be acknowledging the fear of falling victim to murder in the United States of America. To go even more in depth, I will be comparing the fear of being murdered by a stranger and the fear of being murdered by someone you know. I will be discussing which is more likely to happen – being murdered by a stranger or someone you know – and the possible independent variables that make an individual feel vulnerable to this situation. For example, data from the FEAR survey found that female respondents recorded fearing being murdered by someone they know and being murdered by a stranger more than the male respondents. Using the vulnerability theory will help determine whether people more vulnerable to victimization have higher levels of fear recorded by the FEAR survey. To determine who is vulnerable, I will be looking at statistics reported by the FBI and other sources to conclude which gender, race, and age are more likely to be victimized to compare to patterns of fear in order to determine if the fears are realistic based on the risks. After comparing statistics from the FBI and other sources to the data found in the FEAR survey, the categories of gender, race, and age will be further broken down to see if reading a local newspaper, reading a national newspaper, watching the national nightly news, or getting news from social media influence fear. I expect this paper to make the scholarly contribution of addressing the risk factors and demographics of murder victimization as compared to the levels of fear. I also expect for this paper to outline the statistics for murder victimization by someone you know and murder victimization by a stranger and to dispel some of the misinformation that may increase fear and vulnerability perception.
1:20-1:40pm
The Lasting Effects Police Brutality has Left on Black Americans
Presenter(s): Gabriella Corsino
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Black Americans have been marginalized for as long as our country has been established. Systemic racism has engendered a Police Brutality Crisis in our broken nation. Innocent black Americans are being slaughtered for no reason other than the color of their skin. Police Brutality has left long-lasting negative effects on black Americans, including the lost lives of loved ones, fear, anger, PTSD, anxiety and depression. No matter if you are a man, a woman, a transgender individual, a child, if you grew up in the north or the south, east or the west, a city or a suburb, all black Americans endure the same systemic racism which puts them at risk for experiencing these harmful effects. In this study, the Survey of American Fears will be used to compare the dependent variable (How afraid are you of being the victim of the following crimes? Police brutality) to the independent variable (Black Non-Hispanics and Black Hispanics) across all ages, genders and geographical locations.
1:40-2:00pm
Blues Versus Reds: A Better Measure of What Keeps Us Apart in Order to Understand How to Bring Us Together.
Presenter(s): Marit Aurin
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Media is at the center of politics, culture, and even the formation of identity. The media and its massive influence, however, poses risks when its sources and perspectives lose diversity. In our current era of polarization and contrasting information, many accuse media outlets and their massive influence of being perpetrators of selective narratives, which lead to national fragmentation. In fact, results can inform that the proliferation of media choices may play a large part in the polarization of the news audience (Iyengar and Hahn, 2009). The relationship between media consumption and people’s attitudes towards polarizing topics will be analyzed to determine whether or not the media stereotypes associated with partisanship hold any truth. In particular, we study two groups based on FOX News and CNN consumption. These two groups are then compared on stereotypically partisan topics such as illegal immigration and climate change using data from the 2018 Chapman University Survey on American Fears. Expected results are that an increased consumption of CNN is related to predicted liberal stereotype values and an increased consumption of FOX News is related to predicted conservative stereotype values, thus leading to further polarization. For instance, this paper finds that those who watch FOX News daily are almost 3 times more likely to strongly agree that police should be allowed to raid businesses and homes in order to find undocumented workers than those who watch CNN daily. This tendency to select news based on values can be explained through the phenomenon of confirmation bias, as well as echo chambers and epistemic bubbles. The results supporting partisan belief by choice of media further confirms the difficult problem that lies ahead to unify the country under shared values.
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ROOM E
Political Science
1:00-1:20pm
Gender and Voting Behavior
Presenter(s): Emma Charles
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
The topic of my research paper will be researching women and voting behavior. In the survey on voting behavior I will look at how gender affects voting behavior and if women will vote. I will also try to identify how race, class, socioeconomic status, location and other factors affect how women vote and look at the “gender gap” and if it affects elections. The gender gap is widely reported in certain elections and not as much in others so in my research of looking at women’s voting behavior and how likely they are to vote, I will examine to see if the gender gap is a myth made up by the media. In my articles so far, I have looked at how the women’s right to vote has changed the economy, if there is a gender gap and how the media plays it up, and how black women have more distrust of the government than black men but are still more likely to vote. The majority of my research will look at women and their tendencies in voting in United States elections. In order to accomplish my research, I will look at each factor that could play an impact in a woman's choice to vote and how she votes. I will see if women tend to vote together or if it is split. My work will contribute to the literature because it provides key information on why women vote differently from men. These findings will be important because they help us understand how and why people vote the way they do.
1:20-1:40pm
Age, Politicization, and Climate Change
Presenter(s): Kealani Tanizaki-Hudson
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Climate change is taking a strategic position in international and national politics worldwide. The current emergence of climate change effects has reached an international high within the last two decades. This paper will explore the relationship between beliefs on climate change, partisanship, and age. This paper will also investigate the role of partisan group identity influencing the science behind climate change's politicization. Relying on the Chapman University Survey of American Fears, a nationally representative sample, this study will explore the correlation between the fear of climate and both demographic and social-psychological variables. Two themes identified include: (1) the demand for unbiased political and social change focusing on the climate emergency, and (2) identifying defensive resistance including political leaders, older generations, and capitalist ideologies. The paper will conclude with a discussion of how party identification affects how climate change is perceived and why scientific information is understood differently, from person to person.
1:40-2:00pm
The Vote-by-Mail Dilemma
Presenter(s): Hawk Ohannessian
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Mail-in ballots and voting-by-mail ballots have been a significant topic of discussion for many years. The Covid-19 pandemic and the current situation of the United States has exacerbated and intensified this argument for and against the vote-by-mail system from Democrats and Republicans alike. Liberals have argued saying the lack of a national vote-by mail system is voter suppression and does not let many people, that do not have an opportunity to vote on election day, especially with the Coronavirus, have an alternate way of voting, and they also argue that it is safe and convenient. Conservatives have argued against voting-by-mail stating that it is fraudulent and does not authentically reflect the voices of the American people. Can a good vote-by-mail system exist to allow for more convenient voting schedules for Americans while having fair elections with authentic and verified ballots that correctly associate with an eligible American voter? Does the independent American voter, observing from an objective point of view, care about these arguments, however? If all Americans were universally offered the option to vote by mail would they vote-by-mail over voting in person? It is possible the issue is a verification processing issue and if a proper verification system is implemented, vote-by-mail can better serve the American people. Data regarding party affiliation and frequency of voting-by-mail, voter turnout, arguments of voter fraud, and arguments of the benefits of voting-by-mail, public statements made by major party officials and other bureaucratic and government officials as well, and documented successes of using voting-by-mail in previous elections will all be examined. When offered the option of voting by mail, the independent American, will take advantage of the opportunity because of the benefits offered.
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ROOM F
Political Science
1:00-1:20pm
Examining The Relationship Between American’s Voting Behaviors And The Fear Of Being Fooled By “Fake” News On Social Media
Presenter(s): Hannah Slagle
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
The age of evolving technology and media has created a new way for news to be shared regarding political issues or presidential election candidates. With this evolution, the appearance of false or “fake” news and media has emerged and it has only gotten more difficult over the years to spot these discrepancies. According to Chapman University’s Survey of American Fears Wave 5, 17.1% of Americans reported that they were fearful of being fooled by “fake news”. Though this statistic is not drastically high, it will rise in the coming years as the media continues to evolve. Americans have access to information regarding the election at their fingertips, but the difference in media sources can cause inconsistency among news sources. Television, radio, podcast and social media are all examples of media sources from where voters can access news and information regarding the election, however Americans have their pick of media in which they trust the most. The following research will examine how media consumption patterns and other variables impact how likely Americans are to believe in fake news. There is no clear relationship between American voter’s political beliefs and the various levels that one might fear “fake” news, which is why this research will reach far beyond to identify any relationships that might be held between these variables. It will look at political party loyalty, political social issues, and more.
1:20-1:40pm
Social Media and Partisan Polarization
Presenter(s): Aarushi Bhaskaran
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Social media is a key factor that contributes to growing political polarization, particularly in the United States. The objective of this study is to understand how platforms of social media reinforce political ideology and effect political polarization of the general public. The phenomenon of changing one’s political beliefs to fit partisan division is also a potential factor in the effect of media exposure on “obstinate partisanship,” a term identified in previous research to describe unwavering loyalty to a party regardless of its performance. Previous research has been conducted discussing certain aspects of the effect of media on partisanship and political polarization. Other literature on the subject adopt the “echo chamber” lens to social media discourse, finding it to be conducive to partisan polarization. This paper aims to add to the existing discourse on the matter of media effects on political polarization, with an emphasis on social media, employing data from the 2020 American National Election Studies survey to gauge to what extent the trend of obstinate partisanship has continued or accelerated. The study addresses the social media habits of Facebook and Twitter users in conjunction to their strength of partisanship. Across both, this study finds a positive correlation between the frequency of Facebook or Twitter usage and the strength of partisanship. However, this study also aims to identify which social media platforms, not limited to the two mentioned above, are linked to strong or weak partisanship. As there is little available information on newer social media platforms such as Tik Tok and SnapChat, this study addresses these platforms’ roles in fostering partisan polarization, as well as partisans’ preferences of platforms. The study will use new data to better understand the existing trends in social media’s impact on partisanship and to include newer social media platforms in discourse around the topic.
1:40-2:00pm
Voter Opinion on the Expansion of Government-Funded Healthcare
Presenter(s): Jacob Harris
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created in 2010, was enacted to lower healthcare costs and help improve the quality of life for those who were unable to otherwise receive medical insurance. The ACA has created a variety of political opinions about expanding, replacing, or repealing the policy that was signed into law in 2010. Public opinion about government health care policy is subjective to personal values, ideologies, worries, and connections to political party affiliation. Traditionally, democrats are more likely to support a government-funded healthcare option than republicans. Additionally, people who are committed to societal equality and/or the rational economic approach are more likely to be in favor of a fully government-funded healthcare system. This paper will explore and identify the root causes of voter opinion by looking at public support of, or the opposition of a government-funded health care system. It will also examine the induvial emotions towards medical conditions and healthcare, health patterns, and age of voters, to assess their tolerance for government-funded healthcare. The data for this research was obtained from the American National Election Service (ANES) 2019 and 2020 questionnaire. Data was also obtained from the Chapman University Survey on American fears.
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ROOM G
Political Science
1:00-1:20pm
Fear of Immigration
Presenter(s): Joselyn Rivera
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
The topic of immigration has been brought multiple times within the last year. This research seeks to answer what influences someone’s fear of immigration. Specifically, the research looks at how someone’s age, sex, education level, income, state of residency and zip code, religion, and political identification influences how they view immigration. The research will utilize data from the American National Election Studies Survey and the American Fears Survey to conduct the research. In order to prove the hypothesis, the surveys and variables are being cross-examined. My literature review helped me form the hypothesis, which is what will be proved with this research. I hope to prove that younger people are less likely to fear immigration than those who are older. Additionally, if someone is a female, they are least likely to fear immigration than those who identify as males. Also, if someone is religious, then they are approving of immigration. When it comes to the income variable, the hypothesis is: If someone has a lower income, they are more likely to oppose immigration. If someone lives in a rural area, they are most likely not in favor of immigration. The last hypothesis is that if someone has pursued higher education, they are more likely to approve of immigration.
Environmental Science and Policy
1:20-1:40pm
Assessing Impacts on Natural Disaster Preparedness
Presenter(s): Angie Wong
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
This paper explores the study of whether income level influences one’s fear of natural disasters, and the impact it has on the person’s preparedness for natural disasters. It will also look at whether income level or fear will influence a person’s preparedness for a natural disaster more. This study has two independent variables, income level and fear of natural disasters. For this study, I will be using the American Fears Survey to conduct my research. Natural disasters cannot be prevented but this study will show how people will react to their fear of natural disasters, do they push it away or do they take it in and prepare themselves? I hypothesize that those with a lower income will fear natural disasters more than the other. I also hypothesize that those with a lower income will be more prepared for a natural disaster. Furthermore, I hypothesize that those who fear natural disasters more will be more prepared for a natural disaster. Among my findings, the Extended Parallel Model (EPPM) is a key theme in whether people are usually prepared for a natural disaster. By looking at the EPPM, I will interpret how people react when confronted with their fear, whether they will confront their fear by preparing for it or by pushing it away.
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ROOM H
English
1:00-1:20pm
Nailbeds as a Text for Revised Masculinity
Presenter(s): Natalie Green
Advisor(s): Dr. Jan Osborn
Discourse regarding concepts of the feminine and the masculine plays an important role in ideologies of gender. Using Bordo’s theory of the body as inscribed with ideological constructions, I analyze the ideological framework of masculine/feminine Discourse. This study focuses, particularly, on the discourse regarding heterosexual men painting their nails. The artifacts for analysis include photographs and articles from contemporary fashion sites, such a Vogue and CR Fashion Book. The analysis demonstrates that what has traditionally been a marker of femininity is being accepted by heterosexual men, resulting in a rhetoric stemming from the act of straight men painting their nails, one that breaks from the long-held standards of what it ‘means to be a man.’ A transformation is taking place, one changing the current societal ideologies and allowing the masculine to accept the feminine.
1:20-1:40pm
Electoral Literature as Examination of Overarching Rhetorical Exigency
Presenter(s): Saif Khan
Advisor(s): Dr. Jan Osborn
I would first like to disclaim that this study offers no support or otherwise toward particular political stances or ideologies. [Rather, it is an exploration of whether any stances and the actionable privileges of citizens to champion them are derived from an ethical and sound application of rhetoric; and further, to determine if such an application is at all possible within a political context and beyond.] Rhetorical theorist Lloyd Bitzer was the first to examine what he labeled as the “rhetorical situation” in its entirety. Bitzer’s framework, which I will use as the primary methodology for this project, defined an explicit rhetorical purpose and the components that comprise a rhetorical situation. Using these definitions as standard, rhetorical practices that fail to fulfill them will be labeled as unethical. The rhetorical artifact I have selected to ground my investigation is the local Voter Information Guide and Ballot of my county. These texts will be used to illustrate how political rhetoric, in the form of electoral literature, fails to lend itself to rhetorical goals and function in a rhetorical situation, thereby becoming unethical. The guide and ballot will reveal this through inadequacies such as pre-discourse alteration of reality and ignorance toward the multiplicity of complex contemporary rhetorical situations. My expected findings are not solely based on the negation of political rhetoric as ethical, but hopefully on reaching conclusions of how to alleviate self-contradiction, selective application of ethics, and issues of multiplicity in the entire field. I aim to offer a new lens that encourages analysis of the rhetorical situation of rhetoric and to question why the endemic exigency has been overlooked and not offered definitional urgency. Bitzer himself claimed that the rhetorical situation is the source of not only rhetorical activity but criticism.
Writing And Production
1:40-2:00pm
“No Punch Girl” Graphic Novel Project: Satirically Exploring Themes of Non-Violence in the Action Genre
Presenter(s): Isabella Miller
Advisor(s): Tom McLoughlin
I created my satirical graphic novel No Punch Girl in order to explore my questions about how non-violent themes and messages are so often advocated in the action genre despite the fact that this media exists to glorify and showcase fighting for audience entertainment. This seeming paradox is at the core of the action genre universally, appearing internationally in both eastern and western media from superhero movies and spy thrillers to martial arts films and anime. By first filling over 100 notebook pages with comic-style paneling and then digitally sharing them over the internet for my small pool of readers, I was able to generate my own original story over the past three months. No Punch Girl is the story of Jen, a young girl fixated on the glory of street fights and martial arts. Her extremely-pacifist family disapproves of this interest and refuses to let her learn, so she takes finding a mentor into her own hands. My oral presentation encompasses a reflection on my graphic novel project and invites the audience to ask deeper questions about trends in the action genre as a whole.
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ROOM J
Communication Studies
1:00-1:20pm
Exploring Sexual, Romantic, and Platonic Functions of the Imagined Interactions Framework
Presenter(s): Steele Viverette
Advisor(s): Dr. Megan Vendemia
Imagined interactions (IIs) involve interpersonal contact with another individual within one’s mind (Honeycutt, 2003, 2015, 2020). Although primary functions and features of IIs are well-established in the communication literature (Honeycutt, 1989, Vickery, 2019), the present study sought to uncover additional functions related to sexual encounters, particularly with ostensible strangers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The world is becoming increasingly digitized, resulting in an augmentation in the amount of our social interactions that are conducted online; this trend toward digitization is especially apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic with recommendations for physical distance from others. It should follow that these online interactions, too, should have implications for the interactions that play out in our minds. The increasing popularity of online dating websites and applications (apps), such as Tinder and Bumble, shifts even the most intimate interactions into an online setting and possibly introduces understudied features of IIs. Expanding upon prior research, the present study explores the role that IIs may play in this digital shift, particularly in the context of online dating and the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of a larger study investigating online dating during the COVID-19 pandemic, we asked 315 online daters in the United States to describe their recent IIs with someone they recently matched with on an online dating platform. Through a qualitative coding process, six key themes emerged from their responses: imagined interactions as sexual pleasure and sexual release; imagining plans that lead to sexual interaction; planning for future cybersex; imagining first date scenarios; compensation for in-person platonic interaction; and the inability to have IIs. Implications for online partners who have not met offline, online dating experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the literature on IIs are addressed in this research.
Interdisciplinary
*ABSTRACT WITHDRAWN
Comparative Education and “Nordic Exceptionalism”: Correlation between the Happiest Countries and Top-Scoring Students
Presenter(s): Sophia Crawford
Advisor(s): Kendra Day
The 2020 World Happiness Report ranked all the Nordic countries (Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland) in the top 7 spots for average citizen happiness. The US is 19th. The report’s chapter titled “The Nordic Exceptionalism” explains how they use factors such as political rights, degree of corruption, trust among citizens, income distribution, crime rate, social cohesion, gender equality, and others to determine international rankings. Now, the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) examinations evaluate the academic performance of 15-year-olds across 156 countries every 3 years. Every PISA study reveals that Nordic countries generally perform better than the US, and specifically Finland consistently outranks the US. There’s plenty of resources that discuss the topic of Swedish education, Finnish cultural happiness, and the prosperous Norwegian economy prioritizing its citizens, but few academic articles have discussed this topic in depth. Academic research thoroughly exploring how the education systems compare is very difficult to come across and are vague in their conclusions. Using fields such as Economics, Psychology, and Educational studies, this paper will attempt to discover how and whether the US should adopt and the Nordic education system, and possibly their social welfare as well for the betterment of education.
Sociology
*ABSTRACT WITHDRAWN
Me Too: Gone Global
Presenter(s): Sule Murray
Advisor(s): Dr. Ian Barnard
The Me Too movement is a social movement against all forms of sexual harassment and abuse, especially at the hands of wealthy renowned influential men. According to Burke (and later Me Too activists), the purpose of Me Too is to act as a support network to empower women through empathy and solidarity, partially by publicizing allegations of sexual misconduct to visibly expose the vast amount of women who have survived sexual assault. Using a combination of images, infographics, and videos, this presentation will analyze the global impact of Me Too and the rhetoric employed by emerging Me Too female activists of color around the world. In my research, I discovered numerous screenshots of Me Too social media posts, news articles, interviews, academic papers, and images of protests around the world. In the latter, there are protest signs using layered rhetoric that prove to be worthy of analysis. Through my analysis, I hope to conclude that while these activists around the world have used language and rhetorical strategies of the Me Too movement to bring global attention to their fight, the subversion-and utilization of-their specific cultural norms, taboos, traditions, and power dynamics have made their rhetoric unique.