Westminster College: leading liberal arts college, New Wilmington, PA

Westminster College to Host Colloquium on Manipulating Memories to Prevent Drug Addiction

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:00 EST

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster College Department of Psychology will host Dr. Mary Torregrossa for a presentation on drug addiction Thursday, April 4, at 12:40 p.m. in the Phillips Lecture Hall in the Hoyt Science Resources Center.� The event is free to the public.

Westminster College Students Nominated for Barry Goldwater Scholarships

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 EST

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Two Westminster College students were recently nominated for the Barry Goldwater Scholarship for their research in natural sciences.

Westminster College Psychology Majors Presented Capstone Projects

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 EST

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Twenty-eight Westminster College psychology and neuroscience majors, including three research scholars, presented their capstone projects Dec. 13 in the Hoyt Science Resource Center.�

Westminster College Assistant Professor and Alumna Present Research at Neuroscience Conference, Professor Published

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 EST

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Dr. Robin McGovern, assistant professor of behavioral neuroscience, and Westminster College alumna Kristina Scanlan `12 presented research at the Society for Neuroscience Annual Conference Oct. 13-17 in New Orleans.

Westminster College Alumnus Published in Journal of Student Research

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:00:00 EST

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Aaron Walters, a neuroscience major who graduated from Westminster College in May, published his senior thesis project in the Journal of Student Research.

Westminster College Students Attend Zeta Tau Alpha Convention, Local Chapter Receives Awards

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EST

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Two Westminster College students attended the Zeta Tau Alpha's 51st National and 40th International Convention and accepted awards on the college's behalf June 27-July 1 in Louisville, Ky.

Neuroscience Majors Published in Undergraduate Journal

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EST

Senior capstone research projects by Westminster College neuroscience majors Kristina Scanlan and Tiffany Wilkins were published in the Journal of Student Research, a multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed electronic undergraduate journal.

Seniors Presented Research at Regional Conference

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EST

Six Westminster College seniors and Dr. Sandra Webster, Westminster professor of psychology, presented their research at the annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association March 1-3 in Pittsburgh.

Psychology Majors to Present Senior Studies Dec. 16

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Thirty-eight Westminster College psychology majors will present their senior studies research Friday, Dec. 16, from 5-8:40 p.m. in the Hoyt Science Resources Center.� The presentations are free and open to the public.

Senior Neuroscience Majors Presented at National Conference

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Three Westminster College senior neuroscience majors presented posters on their research at the Society for Neuroscience conference Nov. 12-15 in Washington, D.C.

College Adds Nine New Full-Time Faculty

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

Westminster College recently added nine new full-time faculty members.

Psychology Department Article Published in Undergraduate Research Journal

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST

An article authored by Westminster College's Department of Psychology faculty was published in the September edition of the Council on Undergraduate Research's online quarterly.

College Confers Degrees to Over 230 Graduates

Sat, 21 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

More than 230 students earned diplomas during the 157th annual Westminster College commencement ceremonies Saturday.

Audio Visual Award Winner Announced

Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

Rachael Hoffman, a senior psychology major, received the Westminster College 2011 Audio Visual Award.

College Hosted Brain Awareness Event for Local High School Students

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

Westminster College hosted its third Brain Awareness event April 14 for 112 students from five local high schools.

Psychology Professor to Share 'The Brain's Love Potion' at Faculty Forum

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

Dr. Alan Gittis, Westminster College professor of psychology, will speak on 'The Brain's Love Potion' at Faires Faculty Forum Wednesday, April 20, at 11:40 a.m. in the Sebastian Mueller Theater of the McKelvey Campus Center.

Senior Biology Majors Presented Posters at Neuroscience Meeting

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Westminster College senior biology majors Brielle Kelly and Debra King presented posters at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting Nov. 11-17 in San Diego.

College to Host Neuroscientists Oct. 11

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

Neuroscientists Dr. Daniel Brasier and Dr. Aryn Gittis will speak at Westminster College Monday, Oct. 11.

AV Services to Conduct E-Recycling Event April 24

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EST

Westminster College's Audio Visual Services will conduct an electronics recycling drive Saturday, April 24, from 9 a.m.-noon at the Hoyt Science Resources Center loading dock.

College to Host Brain Awareness Event for Local High School Students

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EST

Westminster College will host Brain Awareness activities Wednesday and Thursday, April 14-15, from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Witherspoon Rooms of the McKelvey Campus Center for students from four local high schools.

Faculty, Students, and Alumna to Perform with Seraphim Community Chorus

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Seraphim Community Chorus, under the direction of Westminster College adjunct music faculty Mr. Kris Harper, will present Mendelssohn's 'Elijah, Op. 70' Sunday, April 11, at 2 p.m. at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Canfield, Ohio. The concert is open to the public and a freewill offering will be collected.

Neuroscience Major Presented at Student Technology Forum

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

Westminster College sophomore neuroscience major Justin King presented his psychology research project at the Consortium for Computing in Undergraduate Education (C-CUE) Student Technology Forum March 19 at Waynesburg University.

Psychology Major Published Online

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

Westminster College junior psychology major Matthew Facciani wrote 'The Clinical Neuropsychological Experience' published in the spring issue of Undergraduate Update, an online publication of the Association for Psychological Science.

Professors Published in International Journal

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST
The works of two Westminster College professors were published in a special issue of the international peer-reviewed journal Religion.

AV Services E-Recycling Event a Success

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST
Westminster College's Audio Visual Services wrapped up its AV Week activities with an e-recycling drive Oct. 24 at Hoyt Science Resources Center.

Professor and Students Attended International Neuroscience Conference

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST
Seven Westminster College students and their adviser attended the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience Oct. 16-22 in Chicago. Westminster students presented research and participated in a variety of activities that included major addresses by renowned scientists and poster presentations.

College Adds 10 New Full-Time Faculty

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST
Westminster College recently added 10 new full-time faculty members.

Westminster College Confers Degrees to Over 300 Graduates

Sat, 16 May 2009 00:00:00 EST
More than 330 students earned diplomas during the 155th annual Westminster College commencement ceremonies Saturday.

Neuroscience Students to Attend Conference

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST
Three Westminster College neuroscience students will present their senior thesis research and three additional students will attend the Northeast Undergraduate Research Organization for Neuroscience (NEURON) conference April 3-5 at Hunter College in New York.

Psychology Department Receives National Science Foundation Grant

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST
Westminster College's Department of Psychology received a $125,000 grant from the National Science Foundation Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement program.

Chemical Analysis Students Develop Potentially Patentable Product

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST
Westminster College students in a chemical analysis class have developed a 'Mole Balance,' a potentially patentable product, under the supervision of Dr. Helen Boylan, associate professor of chemistry and a 1995 Westminster graduate.

Alumna Accepted to Cambridge Graduate Program

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST
Winifred Limmer, a 2006 Westminster College graduate in psychology, was accepted as a graduate student in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge School of Biological Sciences.

Students to Present Senior Studies

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST
Fourteen Westminster College seniors will present their year-long research projects in psychology, occupational therapy, and neuroscience Thursday, Dec. 11, at 5:30 p.m. in Phillips Lecture Hall of the Hoyt Science Resources Center.

Psychology Professor Earns Educator of the Year Award

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST
Dr. Alan Gittis, Westminster College professor and chair of the Department of Psychology, was selected Educator of the Year by the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN).

Professor Selected for Neuroscience Society Committee

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST
Dr. Alan Gittis, professor and chair of Westminster College's Department of Psychology, attended the Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego and began a three-year term on the Public Education and Communication Committee.

Student Receives Grant to Further Depression Research

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:00:00 EST
Kristin Tarzia, a 2007 Westminster College neuroscience graduate, was awarded a Drinko Center Grant. Her research, 'The Behavioral Model of Depression,' was presented at the NEURON Conference hosted by Hunter College.

Students Participate in Psychology Convention

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:00:00 EST
Westminster College psychology students will attend and present their research at the 35th annual Hunter College Psychology Convention/11th annual North East Undergraduate Research Organization for Neuroscience (NEURON) conference in New York City April 28.

Professors Attend Neuroscience Conference

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 00:00:00 EST
Dr. Alan Gittis, Westminster College professor of psychology, and Dr. David Goldberg, Westminster College assistant professor of philosophy, recently attended the Society for Neuroscience conference in Atlanta.

Students Attend Neuroscience Conference

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 00:00:00 EST
Two Westminster College professors and six students recently attended the Society for Neuroscience Conference in Atlanta.

Psychology Department Research Published

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST
The curriculum research of several Westminster College psychology professors has been published in the March issue of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) quarterly magazine and featured on the cover. 'Multi-level Integration of Student Research in a Psychology/Neuroscience Curriculum' was written by Drs. Sandra K. Webster, Mandy Medvin, Jamie McMinn, Kirk Lunnen, Sherri Pataki, and Alan Gittis. 'Westminster has had a senior research requirement for over 30 years for psychology and related interdisciplinary majors,' Webster said. 'During the past decade we did significant restructuring of the curricula to allow for earlier, more student-led and student interactive research involvement. We also restructured the senior research requirement to provide more faculty involvement. Our new structure has produced research teams, with each member having his or her own project, but the projects related through methods and/or topics. 'Having completed eight years of the revised curriculum, we are in a position to describe its outcomes in terms of student/faculty collaborative research and student outcomes. We have national comparative data for our students that supports our claims that the research rich undergraduate curriculum benefits our student learning.' Webster, who has been with Westminster College since 1983, is also the Faculty Development Officer. She earned her undergraduate, master's, and Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Contact Webster at (724) 946-7359 or e-mail websters@westminster.edu or visit www.cur.org for more information

Psychology Professor to Discuss Neuroeconomics

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST
Dr. Alan Gittis, professor and chair of psychology at Westminster College, will discuss 'The Costs/Benefits of Neuroeconomics: Theory and Reality' at Faculty Forum Wednesday, March 8, at 11:45 a.m. in the Sebastian Mueller Theater located in the McKelvey Campus Center. 'Neuroeconomics in the title is word-play,' Gittis said. 'Theory of neuroeconomics will be related to some recent thesis projects of Westminster students who analyze patterns of choice behavior in animals emerging from cost/benefit computations in the brain. 'Reality of neuroeconomics deals with the funding of neuroscience projects and the difficulty of getting federal funding agencies to invest in undergraduate science education. I will discuss both topics in my presentation.' Faculty Forum, established in 1990, serves as a venue for the exchange of ideas and information among Westminster College faculty. Speakers present their research, teaching ideas, lectures, performances, special programs, and uses of technology to keep faculty informed about the work of colleagues from many disciplines. Gittis, who has been with Westminster College since 1976, earned his undergraduate degree from Temple University, and his master's and Ph.D. from Ohio State University. The event is free and open to the public. Contact Gittis at (724) 946-7358 or e-mail gittisa@westminster.edu for more information.

Colloquium to Explore Software that Knows 'You'

Tue, 29 Nov 2005 00:00:00 EST
'Personal Encyclopedias and the 'Baptism of Russia:' Experiments in Interactive Learning Software' will explore new possibilities in software Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 4 p.m. in the Hoyt Science Resources Center room 152. 'If you were to visit the Bose store in Grove City you might hear about some very cool software that actually listens to your music and 'learns' your preferences so that, over time, it can automatically select tracks based on what you like,' said Tim Smith, a software/psychology expert who is pursuing a degree through Westminster College's Lifelong Learning Program. 'Similarly, if you visit Amazon.com and buy a few books, you would notice that Amazon's software agent would automatically begin to recommend titles which match and even extend your topics of interest. 'Whether you find this trend scary or cool, it might lead you to think about ways to apply intelligent knowledge systems to the things you decided are useful,' Smith said. 'What if we could build software which applied similar techniques to things you wanted to learn or remember, in a way you wanted to learn them?' Smith's presentation will explore questions like: What if this software could automatically find and explore knowledge that is important to you from the class notes that are entered or ideas in a journal? What if the software could quiz on the class notes entered or comments from a book or article read online? What if the software could help you find more information on the topics the user was interested in? What if it could integrate and cross reference new knowledge with the old and help create connections? Since 1996 Smith has worked at the Learning Research and Development Center of the University of Pittsburgh in the fields of psychology, cognitive psychology, neuroscience and computer science. In industry he was a project manager for software development at Psychology Software Tools Inc., a Pittsburgh based research company.

Smith recently moved to New Wilmington with his wife Kathy Robertson, an assistant professor of biology at Westminster College. He continues to be the research development manager for Psychology Software Tools, while attending classes at Westminster College. Contact Smith at (412) 215-2690 or e-mail smithtw@westminster.edu for more information.

Westminster Students Present Research at Psychology Conference

Mon, 02 May 2005 00:00:00 EST
Eleven Westminster College students recently presented their research at the Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Psychology Conference held at Chatham College. Beaver Falls, PA
�Gregory Steines is a son of Gerald and Kathy Steines.� Steines, a senior biology and neuroscience major, is a graduate of Blackhawk High School.� The title of his research is 'The Consequences of Prenatal and Postnatal Choline Supplements on Spatial Memory Task Performance After Fornix Lesions in the Long-Evans Hooded Rat' and his advisor is Dr. Alan Gittis, professor of psychology at Westminster College.
The effects of choline supplementation on Morris water maze and Y-maze spatial memory task performance in the Long-Evans hooded rat were studied.� Half of the pups received pre and postnatal dietary choline supplementation.�� The other half received no supplemental choline.� Half of the choline and non-choline pups underwent fornix lesioning, while half received a sham surgery.� Time to escape, swim speed, and path length were measured on the water maze, while number of alternations was measured on the Y-maze.� It was predicted that the choline supplemented rats would have lower escape times in the water maze and more consecutive correct arm choices in the Y-maze pre-surgically and post-surgically than the control rats.� Supplemented rats showed an increased learning rate in the Y-maze pre-surgically over all trials as well as on critical days in the water maze before population numbers dropped.� Spatial task performance did not improve post-surgically on either task due to supplementation.� Moon Township, PA
�David Eberle is a son of David and Georgia Eberle.� Eberle, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of Moon High School.� The title of his research is 'A Comparison of Ocular Activity Between OCD-Symptomatic and Non-Symptomatic Subjects in Response to Disgusting Visual Stimuli' and his advisor is Dr. Kirk Lunnen, assistant professor of psychology at Westminster College..
One line of research in the neurological pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has focused on how OCD patients differ from non-symptomatic controls in responses to disgusting stimuli.� The present investigation used electrooculography (EOG) to examine differences in ocular activity in response to disgusting stimuli between OCD-symptomatic and non-symptomatic individuals.� The researchers predicted that OCD-symptomatic undergraduates would exhibit differences in the form of more or less vertical/horizontal eye movement than non-symptomatics while viewing disgusting photographs, while no differences would be noted for non-disgusting photographs.� A second hypothesis predicted that participants would exhibit eye blink avoidance responses consistent with those reported in previous research (Shapira, Liu, He, Bradley, Lessig, James, Stein, Lang, & Goodman, 2003).� Significant differences in eye movement were found for several disgusting photographs and across non-disgusting photographs.� No significant differences were found for eye blinking behavior.
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McMurray, PA
�Jason Makrinos is a son of Stephan and Beverly Makrinos.� Makrinos, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of Peters Township High School.� The title of his research is 'The Relationship Among Transformational Leadership, Trust, and Team Sports Performance in NCAA Football and Soccer Teams' and his advisor is Dr. Mandy Medvin, associate professor of psychology and Gibson-Drinko Distinguished Chair of Psychology at Westminster College.
This study looked at the relationship among transformational leadership, trust, and team sports performance.� In addition, we examined how certain dimensions of transformational leadership influence trust and team sports performance differently.� Sixteen head coaches and 158 players from NCAA Division IAA, II, and III football and men's soccer teams were surveyed for this study.� It was predicted that transformational leadership would have a positive relationship with team sports performance via trust in the coach.� It was also hypothesized that intellectual stimulation would have a negative relationship with trust in the coach and team sports performance, while the other dimensions of transformational leadership would have a positive relationship.� Findings partially supported the hypotheses.� This study can be used to understand why some teams perform better than other teams of equal talent.
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Butler, PA
�Autumn Tack is a daughter of Janet and Martin Tack. Tack, a senior psychology/human resources major, is a graduate of Butler Area High School.� The title of her research is 'The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Perceived Social Integration' and her advisor is Dr. Jamie McMinn, assistant professor of psychology at Westminster College.
This study investigated the relationships among emotional intelligence (EI), self-monitoring (SM), and perceived social integration (PSI), to address whether EI predicts PSI over and above SM.� Since the causal relationships were also of interest, a cross-lagged design was used.� Seventy-seven undergraduates rated their own EI, SM, and PSI initially regarding their first-year orientation groups, and again later in the semester when these groups had a class together.� I predicted that EI and SM would significantly and uniquely predict PSI, with higher levels of EI leading to higher levels of PSI.� The findings were in the right direction, however only one factor of EI was positively correlated with PSI.� College orientation programs (as well as other groups) could use this study's results to help students (or employees) feel more integrated with their peers.
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New Castle, PA
�Billie Nicholson is a daughter of Billy and Charlene Nicholson.� Nicholson is a senior psychology/human resources major.� The title of her research is 'The Effects of Group Goals, Collective Efficacy, and Composition on Social Integration and Group Performance' and her advisor is Dr. Jamie McMinn, assistant professor of psychology at Westminster College..
This study investigated the effects of group goals, collective efficacy, and gender composition on perceived social integration and creative performance.� One hundred twenty students (82 women and 38 men) participated in three-person groups that completed two brainstorming tasks.� Groups were either of heterogeneous or homogeneous gender composition.� Each group was randomly assigned to a high or low efficacy condition and to a specific or vague goal condition.� Following the tasks, each member of the group evaluated its social integration.� Results showed a significant correlation between a group's originality on the brainstorming tasks and its social integration.� Also, specific, difficult goals and high collective efficacy influenced originality in creative performance.� Lastly, specific, difficult goals were shown to increase ratings of perceived social integration.� Hypotheses for group goals were supported, indicating a significant effect of group goals on social integration and creativity. North East, PA
�Morgan Campbell is a daughter of Ralph and Michele Campbell.� Campbell, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of North East High School.� The title of her research is 'The Use of Reappraisal or Suppression and Levels of Psychological Well-Being' and her advisor is Dr. Mandy Medvin, associate professor of psychology and Gibson-Drinko Distinguished Chair of Psychology at Westminster College.
The use of emotion regulation plays a role in determining levels of psychological well-being.� Emotion regulation is thought to develop through the observation of adult role models. Two main forms of emotion regulation are used, suppression and reappraisal.� It was hypothesized that participants who reported using reappraisal as a form of emotional regulation will have a higher level of well-being.� It was also hypothesized that children's perceptions of how their parents would emotionally react, and how children emotionally react, will show similar patterns in use of emotion regulation.� This research studied 80 Westminster College students about their parents use of emotional regulation and their personal use of emotional regulation.� In addition to questioning their use of emotion regulation, they were scored on their level of psychological well-being.� Findings indicated that parental and adolescent use of regulation strategies were highly correlated.� In addition, participants who said that their parents would use reappraisal, as well as the participants who said that they had used reappraisal frequently had higher psychological well-being scores.� Therefore emotion regulation is developed through observation of adult role models and those who develop reappraisal have better psychological well-being.
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Erie, PA
�Brooke Arens is a daughter of Brent and Beverly Maguire.� Arens, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of Meadville Area High School.� The title of her research is 'A Multiperspective Examination of Desirability, Importance, and Frequency of Therapist Self-Disclosure' and her advisor is Dr. Kirk Lunnen, assistant professor of psychology at Westminster College.
Psychotherapy researchers have become increasingly interested in the effects of therapist self-disclosure in treatment.� The current study surveyed 187 licensed psychotherapists in Pennsylvania, 18 psychotherapy clients, and 63 individuals with no history of psychotherapy, regarding their attitudes towards therapist self-disclosure using a modified version of the Counselor Disclosure Scale (Hendrick, 1988).� Results revealed significant differences in attitudes within the therapist sample according to discipline, theoretical orientation, and experience level.� Therapists underestimated the amount of disclosure desired by clients and viewed disclosure as less important.� Finally, the category of 'professional issues' was viewed as most desirable by clients, most important, and most likely to be revealed by therapists.� Implications are discussed for current and future research in therapist self-disclosure. Erie, PA
Jennifer Williams is a daughter of Mark and Suzanne Williams.� Williams, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of Mars Area High School.� The title of her research is 'An Evaluation of Therapist Anxiety by Discipline, Theoretical Orientation, Experience Level and Degree' and her advisor is Dr. Kirk Lunnen, assistant professor of psychology at Westminster College.
The present study evaluated therapist anxiety in regards to the therapeutic process and in relation to various therapist demographic factors (i.e. theoretical orientation, training level, client population, etc) that were assessed in response to nine clinical vignettes.� Therapists identified by the Pennsylvania State Licensure database were surveyed.� Predictor variables included the demographic/grouping variables identified by the participants, while dependent variables included their reported attitudes toward anxiety, coping strategies, and clinical vignettes.� It was found that therapists varied by degree when reporting the frequency with which they experience anxiety.� Also, there were numerous differences based on therapist variables when comparing the coping strategies utilized during and after an anxiety-provoking situation.� Lastly, catatonic schizophrenia with homicidal implications was ranked as most anxiety-producing situation from the clinical vignettes. South Euclid, OH
�Lisa Santoriella is a daughter of Michael and Bette Santoriella.� Santoriella, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of Beaumont School For Girls.� The title of her research is 'The Dynamic Relationship Between Perceived Social Integration and Social Identification in In-Groups and Out-Groups' and her advisor is Dr. Jamie McMinn, assistant professor of psychology at Westminster College.
This study examined how social integration and social identification relate to each other and to in-group and out-group perceptions over time.� Two hundred and thirty-one sorority women completed three questionnaires measuring in-group and out-group integration and in-group social identification.� Questionnaires were completed at two times, a month apart.� Social integration and identification were positively correlated over time.� They also were simultaneously correlated to one another at both Times 1 and 2.� Cross-lagged analyses revealed that social identification was responsible for changes in social integration over time in the in-group.� The dynamic quality of perceptions has many implications for groups including inter-group and intra-group relations. Columbiana, OH
�Lauren Lalama is a daughter of Frank and Paulette Lalama.�� Lalama, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of Columbiana High School.� The title of her research is 'The Relationship Among Cohesion, Mood, and Sports Performance Among Female Collegiate Athletes' and her advisor is Dr. Mandy Medvin,�associate professor of psychology and Gibson-Drinko Distinguished Chair of Psychology at Westminster College.
The relationship between cohesion, mood, and sports performance was examined among 63 volleyball players from a Division III conference.� Each participant completed the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ), the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist-Revised (MAACL-R), and the Team Perceptions Questionnaire.� Also, each team's win/loss record was calculated to evaluate objective performance.� Results revealed that GEQ scores Attraction to the Group-Task and Attraction to the Group-Social related to subjective sports performance and objective sports performance.� Also, Group Integration-Task was associated with increased levels of positive mood, and decreased levels of negative mood.� Positive mood in addition to cohesion did not enhance the overall model; thus not lending support to the main hypothesis.��
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Youngstown, OH
�Brian Ekis is a son of Pam Fuzar and Floyd Ekis.� Ekis, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of Boardman High School.� The title of his research is 'Effect of Reappraisal Training on Intra-Team Aggression' and his advisor is Dr. Mandy Medvin, associate professor of psychology and Gibson-Drinko Distinguished Chair of Psychology at Westminster College.
The purpose of this study was to attempt to teach a team of male athletes reappraisal strategies in order to reduce the amount of within team aggression.� The participants were taken from two Westminster College varsity teams.� Each team was split into two groups.� After controlling for level of aggression, participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group which received the training or the control group which did not.� The independent variable was the reappraisal training, the dependent variable was the change in the level of aggressiveness.� A 2x2 mixed factorial analysis of variance was conducted to evaluate the effect of the training on aggression.� This evaluation showed that there was no significant difference in both group's aggression scores from pre-test to post-test.� Possible reasons for the findings are discussed.
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Contact Medvin at (724) 946-7360 or e-mail medvinm@westminster.edu for more information.

Westminster Senior Psychology Majors to Present Capstone Research Projects

Mon, 06 Dec 2004 00:00:00 EST
Twelve Westminster College senior psychology majors will present capstone research projects Friday, Dec. 17, at 6 p.m. in Hoyt Science Resources Center rooms 152 and 166. �'Presentations will focus on a variety of topics in psychology, ranging from cohesion and performance in athletic teams to predicting symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder with physiological measures,' said Dr. Jamie McMinn, assistant professor of psychology at Westminster.� 'This is the culmination of their year-long capstone projects.' The final component of Liberal Studies at Westminster is a senior capstone course, which is at least a four-semester-hour course within the major designed to provide an opportunity for students to evaluate and assess the strengths and limitations of their major field. Beaver Falls, PA
�Gregory Steines is a son of Gerald and Kathy Steines.� Steines, a senior biology and neuroscience major, is a graduate of Blackhawk High School.� His research is titled 'The Consequences of Prenatal and Postnatal Choline Supplements on Spatial Memory Task Performance after Fornix Lesions in the Long-Evans Hooded Rat.'� �'The fornix is a part of the brain that deals with spatial memory, and by leasioning it in surgery, I can see how post-surgical behavior is altered,' Steines said.� ' I supplemented half of the subjects with my experimental factor, choline, to see if it helps reduce trauma and alter behavior by improving spatial memory scores.' Moon Township, PA
�David Eberle is a son of David and Georgia Eberle.� Eberle, a junior psychology major, is a graduate of Moon High School.� His research is titled 'A Comparison of Ocular Activity Between OCD-Symptomatic and Non-Symptomatic Participants in Response to Disgusting Visual Stimuli.' �'My study is an examination of the relationship between eye movements and OCD-symptoms,' Eberle said.� 'Participants viewed poptographs of disgusting objects while their eye movements were recorded.� I found some differences between non-symptomatic and symptomatic participants.' West Mifflin, PA
�Charles Mullins is a son of Dedire Gladkowski.� Mullins, a junior psychology major, is a graduate of West Mifflin High School. McMurray, PA
�Jason Makrinos is a son of Stephan and Beverly Makrinos.� Makrinos, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of Peters Township High School.� His project is titled 'the Relationship Among Transformational Leadership, Trust, and Team Sports Performance in NCAA Football and Soccer Teams.' �'My study looks at whether or not leadershp style influences the performance of a sports team,' Makrinos said.� 'I also examined if trust in the coach was a mediating variable in the relationship between Transformational leadership and team sports performance.' Butler, PA
�Autumn Tack is a daughter of Janet and Martin Tack. Tack, a senior psychology and human resources major, is a graduate of Butler High School. The title of her research is 'The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Perceived Social Integration.' �'I studied small groups and looked at the relationships among individual group members' emotional intelligence, self-monitoring, and perceived social integration at two different times, as well as across time,' Tack said.� 'I was interested in whether higher emotional intelligence levels would help a person feel more socially integrated into the group over and above any effects attributable to self-monitoring.' New Castle, PA
�Billie Nicholson is a daughter of Billy and Charlene Nicholson.� Nicholson is a senior psychology and human resources major.� Her research is titled 'The Effects of Goals, Collective Efficacy, and Composition on Social Integration and Group Performance.' �'Participants in groups of three were randomly assigned to one of eight experimental conditions and asked to complete two brainstorming tasks,' Nicholson said.� 'Results were analyzed to determine how each condition affeacted the groups' social integration and performance, and if there was a relationship between the two.' North East, PA
�Morgan Campbell is a daughter of Ralph and Michele Campbell.� Campbell, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of North East High School.� Her study was titled 'The Use of Reappraisal or Suppression and Levels of Psychological Well-Being,.' �'The concept of my study is based on two different ideas,' Campbell said.� 'First that children learn emotion regulation from their parents or adult role model.� The second idea is based on the concept that the two major forms of emotional regulation are reapprasial and suppression.� Those who use reappprasial as a form of emotion regulation will have higher levels of well-being or happiness.' Erie, PA
�Jennifer Williams is a daughter of Mark and Suzanne Williams.� Williams, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of Mars High School.� Her research is titled 'An Evaluation of Therapist Anxiety by Discipline, Theoretical Orientation, Experience Level and Degree.' �'This study investigates therapist attitudes toward their own anxieties and coping strategies they employ to deal with these anxieties both during and after a therapeutic session,' Willliams said. Erie, PA
�Brooke Arens is a daughter of Brent and Beverly Maguire.� Arens, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of Meadville High School.� The title of her presentation is 'A Multiperspective Evaluation of Desirability, Importance, and Frequency of Therapist Self-Disclosure.' �'The contents of my presentation will include background research in this topic, a descritpion of my study, the results of my study, and a discussion of importance of my study in the field of psychology research,' Arens said. South Euclid, OH
�Lisa Santoriella is a daughter of Michael and Bette Santoriella.� Santoriella, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of Beaumont School for Girls.�� The title of� her research is 'The Dynamic Relationship Between Entitativity and Social Identification in In-Groups and Out-Groups.' �'This research studies how sororities' perceptions of themselves ralate to their perceptions of other sororities,' Santoriella said.� 'It was predicted that participants would rate in-groups as more entitative than outgroups, especially as in-group social identification increased over time.' Columbiana, OH
�Lauren Lalama is a daughter of Frank and Paulette Lalama.� Lalama, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of Columbiana High School.�� The title of her study is 'The Relationship Between Cohesion, Mood, and Performance Among Female Collegiate Athletes.' �'The study focused on female collegiate volleyball athletes,' said Lalama.� 'The purpose was to examine how a groups's ability to unite socially and unite around its goals and objectives, impacts team performance.' Youngstown, OH
�Brian Ekis is a son of Pam Fuzar and Ron Ekis.� Ekis, a senior psychology major, is a graduate of Boardman High School.� The title of his study was 'The Effects of Reapprasial on Within Team Aggression.' �'This presentation includes a theory on within team aggression that helped shaped my research, the methods by which I collected my data, and the results that I received from my project,' Ekis said.� 'This research will show how reappraisal training can help to reduce within team aggression.' �The event is free and open to the public.� For more information, contact McMinn at (724) 946-6240 or e-mail mcminnjp@westmisnter.edu.

Westminster Psychology Professor Published

Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST
Dr. Alan Gittis, professor and chair of psychology at Westminster College, published an invited editorial in the Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education. �The editorial, 'Developing Graduate-Undergraduate Neuroscience Connections,' discusses the idea of providing a two-year residency at liberal arts schools for new Ph.D.'s in neuroscience. �'We have an ample supply of undergraduate sites that can provide exemplary training experiences, a substantial cohort of talented neuroscience trainees who would be interested in these experiences, and members of the graduate training faculty who recognized the need for such a program.' wrote Gittis.� 'There are a multitude of interested neuroscientists out there and they are begging for ways to find connections between neuroscience graduate professional training and neuroscience undergraduate education.' �Gittis, who has been with Westminster College since 1976, earned his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University and serves on the executive board and is a former president of the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience. �For more information, contact Gittis at (724) 946-7358 or e-mail gittisa@westminster.edu.

Nine Westminster Science Teams Compete in 'Geek Week'

Thu, 21 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EST
Nine teams representing six sciences at Westminster College recently competed in the second annual 'Geek Week.' �The teams included: The Most Awesome Physics Ever; the Lab Gnomes/Titrating Titans team represented both biology and chemistry; The Really Super Ultra Microtones and the Greek Geeks both represented biology; the Denominators, the Primes, and Heavy Duty were three teams that represented math and computer science; and Slow Reaction represented chemistry. �'Monday night was the chemistry event,' said Aaron Bruck, a junior chemistry major from Grove City and one of the coordinators of the event.� 'It was an around-the-world style of game that tested contestant's knowledge of basic chemistry.� Slow Reaction won that game.' �Tuesday's game of psychology jeopardy featured questions based on psychology and neuroscience ideas.� The Greek Geeks won that competition. �'Wednesday night was the math/computer science event,' continued Bruck.� 'The teams took part in a scavenger hunt throughout Hoyt Science Resources Center.� They were looking for people with questions to give them the next clue.� The fastest team through the set of questions was the Denominators.' �'Thursday was the physics event.� It was an egg drop with a twist.� The teams had to first take a quiz on the basics of physics that determined which materials they received to make their contraption,' Bruck said.� 'If the contraption made it to the ground without breaking the egg, the team received the full amount of points.� The Most Awesome Physics Ever won that event. �The last event was held Friday with a biology hunt. �'In this event, teams were given a compass with a set of directions.� With the directions, they were to find a person who was hiding.� This person had a question for the team to answer that gave them the clue to win the game.� The fastest team was Lab Gnomes,' Bruck said. �Following the competition, contestants were treated to pizza and drinks.� The top two teams with the most points were The Most Awesome Physics Ever and Lab Gnomes/Titrating Titans.� The students also voted Dr. Helen Boyan, assistant professor of chemistry at Westminster College, the 'Geek Professor of the Year.' �For more information, contact Boylan at (724) 946-6293 or e-mail boylanhm@westmisnter.edu.

Several Westminster Students Attend Neuroscience Conference

Tue, 18 Nov 2003 00:00:00 EST
Five Westminster College students recently attended the international Society for Neuroscience Conference in New Orleans.

Westminster Biology Student Spent Summer 'Monkeying Around'

Mon, 01 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EST
Devayani Wintrode, a senior neuroscience major at Westminster College, spent her summer studying primates at the Ometepe Biological Field Station in Nicaragua.

Westminster Presents Final Sesquicentennial Biology Seminar

Mon, 25 Nov 2002 00:00:00 EST
Dr. Ann Throckmorton, associate professor and chair of biology, will present the final Sesquicentennial Biology Seminar Thursday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. in Phillips Lecture Hall located in the Hoyt Science Resources Center.

Westminster Student Presents Research at National Conference

Mon, 18 Nov 2002 00:00:00 EST
Ericka Peterson, a senior neuroscience major at Westminster College, recently presented her undergraduate research at the annual Society for Neuroscience Conference in Orlando, FL.