Arts - Buffalo State College

esponding in rats; however, different potency levels of cat scent have
not been investigated. The current study will determine if defensive
responding varies with the potency level of cat scent administered
via the cloth. The potency level will be a function of the number
of days (3, 7, or 10) that the cloth is exposed to a live cat. Forty
Long-Evans (hooded) adult male rats will be used as subjects. Rats
will be habituated to all testing procedures for 3 consecutive days
prior to testing. Rats will be gently hand-held by each experimenter
for 7 consecutive days prior to testing. During testing, rats will be
exposed to a cat-scented or rat-scented cloth (control) in an open
field apparatus. We hypothesize that rats exposed to greater potency
levels of cat scent will exhibit greater defensive responding than
will rats exposed to lower potency levels. The results should provide
important information about predator-scent exposure as an effective
animal model of “anxiety”. A good animal model of anxiety can be
used to further investigate human anxiety states/disorders such as
posttraumatic stress disorder, which plague approximately 40 million
people per year and for which no effective biological treatment
currently exists.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster V
The Effects of Driving Personal Space and
Personality On Tailgating Behavior
Rebekah Whited, Psychology and Paul Incorvaia, Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Professor Dwight Hennessy, Psychology
The purpose of this study was to investigate how personality
traits influence driver space preference and tailgating. Personal
space has been defined as the amount of space an individual
established between oneself and another person (Sommer, 1969).
Hennessy (2010) argued that personal space can be extended to
one’s possessions. For example, personal space is extended beyond
the body to include the vehicle while driving. It has also been found
that we develop a general “psychological” preference for such space,
which can be reflected in our driving tendencies (Hennessy, 2010).
In the present study, participants viewed two video clips: 1) through
the windshield of a car approaching another car and 2) through
a rearview mirror of the car being approached from behind. They
used a “stop method” to indicate space preference where they were
asked to stop each video indicating the spacing between vehicles
they generally prefer when they drive. The distance in the front was
measured as “active space” (space they can control in real driving
through their actions) and in the rear as “passive space” (space
controlled by others in real driving). Overall the study found that
personal factors do impact both active and passive driving space
preference. Specifically, a conscientiousness X driver aggression
interaction was found where lower conscientiousness was associated
with closer space preference at low levels of driver aggression,
but at high levels of levels of aggression, low, moderate, and high
conscientiousness groups displayed similarly far distance preference.
These findings were consistent across both active and passive space,
Psychology and Social Sciences
although more prominent for active space preferences. This suggests
that low conscientious drivers may tailgate more often, but that other
personality factors, such as aggression that motivates drivers to avoid
other drivers who are the source of frustration and irritation, may
temper its impact.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster III
The Effects of Intimate Partner Violence
On Young Adults: Academic Achievement,
Sleep Quality and Socialization
Chanele Haynes, Criminal Justice
Faculty Mentor: Professor Peter Carey, Criminal Justice and Dr.
Mary Carey (SUNY Buffalo)
College students experience high levels of violence among
intimate partners during their college years, with wide prevalence
rates ranging between 20% and 50%. Yet the effects of intimate
partner violence on young adults attending urban colleges are not
well understood. It is hypothesized that intimate partner violence
(IPV) will have a negative association with academic achievement,
social interaction and sleep quality. A paper and pencil anonymous
questionnaire was distributed to students during the Fall 2011 and
Spring 2012 semesters. At the beginning of class of at least secondsemester
freshmen, informed voluntary consent was obtained and
the 15-minute surveys were distributed to students. In case the
survey upset the students, contact information for local emergency
counseling was given to all students. Among five classes approached,
202 surveys were distributed resulting in 196 valid surveys. More
than half of the students were white (52%), female (60%) and on
average 21 years old (range 18-28 years). The students included all
levels from freshman to seniors. Over 40% of the students reported
being exposed to IPV; however in regards to exposure, there was
no difference among race, sex, age or class. This is among the first
studies to quantify the prevalence of IPV among college students
and the effect of IPV on college students. The results from this study
will help colleges understand students’ experiences with IPV and to
implement efforts to mitigate their deleterious effects on grades, sleep
quality and socialization.
Presentation Type and Session: Oral – Social Sciences
The Effects of Judge Gender On Jurors’
Decisions To Follow Directions
Leticia Tellez, Psychology and Women and Gender Studies
Faculty Mentor: Professor Jennifer Hunt, Psychology and Women
and Gender Studies
Does the gender of a judge and his/her communication style
have an impact on jurors’ decisions to follow the legal instructions
s/he provides? Gender roles are generally accepted beliefs about
how men and women should behave. Role Congruity Theory (Eagly
and Karau, 2002) suggests that individuals are evaluated by how
closely they follow their gender roles. When people do not follow
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