Westminster Student Receives Drinko Research Grant

April Sobieralski, a Westminster College senior psychology major from Clairton, was recently awarded a Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Undergraduate Research Travel/Presentation Grant.

"The research grants for projects and creative activities must be conducted under the mentorship of Westminster College faculty," said Dr. Virginia Tomlinson, director of the Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Westminster College.  "Funding may include supplies, equipment, travel to libraries and data sources, and travel to make presentations.  In order to apply for research support, the student must have a research proposal completed as a degree-seeking student at Westminster College, and be in good academic standing."

Sobieralski is a daughter of Raymond and Catherine Sobieralski, Clairton, and  a graduate of Serra District Catholic High School.  The title of her research is, "A Comparison of Ocular and Electroencephalographic Activity between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder-Symptomatic and Nonsymptomatic Participants in Response to Disgusting Visual Stimuli," and she was advised by Dr. Kirk Lunnen, assistant professor of psychology.

"Obsessive-compulsive disorder has been linked to disruptions in brain activity and to variations in eye movements unlike those of non-OCD sufferers. The disgust response in those with OCD is a particular area of interest. The present study used the electroencephalogram to investigate differences in brain activation in response to disgusting imagery between 54 OCD-symptomatic and nonsymptomatic participants, and used electrooculography to investigate differences in ocular activity. OCD-symptomatic participants displayed significantly less eye movements on two disgusting images, and trends show OCD symptomatic participants had less eye movements for each disgusting image. New behavior modification treatments can center on training OCD sufferers to visually divert their attention from stimuli that are related to obsessions and compulsions," wrote Sobieralski.

 Contact Tomlinson at (724) 946-6033 or e-mail tomlinvm@westminster.edu for more information.

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