Self-Determination Theory in Individuals with Disabilities

Tylor Davis, School of Applied Health Graduate Student

College of Professional Studies

This research aims to explore the efficacy of using Social Determination Theory (SDT) principles with an exercise program for individuals with disabilities. The SDT theoretical framework highlights the importance of social environments to support individuals' basic psychological needs such as autonomy, relatedness, and competence as it relates to exercise motivation. In the study, the researcher measured the exercise performance of an adult with a disability during a 6-week program hosted right here at Cal Poly Humboldt! The independent variables measured included walking, modified push-ups, and curl-ups. Special thanks to everyone who contributed to this programs success.

Self-Harming Practices from the Perspective of Forensics: An Interdisciplinary Approach for Anthropologists.

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This paper explores the ways in which forensic anthropology can utilize other forensic disciplines (psychiatry and medicine) when analyzing remains for medico-legal purposes, specifically when determining manner of death. Forensic anthropologists need not just extensive knowledge on the trauma’s morphological differences, but also the reasons behind the actions that lead to suicide or homicide. Death prevalence, the physical differences between suicide and homicide, and the psychology of those actions is extensively looked at. The author finds that there are distinct patterns in the physical remains that can be corroborated with psychological evaluations and documented prior behavior.

Self-uncertainty and Systematic Processing of self-relevant information: Understanding Uncertainty Reduction

College of Professional Studies

We found that not only did participants experiencing high self-uncertainty make fewer overall errors, but more interestingly, they demonstrated greater accuracy for self-relevant word-pairings than those low in uncertainty. This in turn affected reaction times pairing self-relevant vs. self-irrelevant words. This implies that uncertainty might not lead to cognitive load or distracted and heuristic processing. Instead, we suggest that uncertainty can create a motivated process with respect to self-relevant information, leading to more accurate judgments about the self, perhaps in an attempt to reduce uncertainty.

Senior Speed Mixer

Charlie Gittings, School of Applied Health Undergraduate Student

College of Professional Studies

Our creative project, the Senior Speed-Mixer, fights social isolation among older individuals while fostering community bonds. Inspired by past events, we've crafted a welcoming program promoting interactions among seniors in Humboldt. With help from local organizations, we secured a venue and gathered support from businesses for raffle prizes. The event will feature one-on-one discussions to cultivate new connections. With a goal of twenty participants, we aim to bring joy and companionship to Humboldt's seniors, showcasing Cal Poly Humboldt's commitment to social responsibility.

Sequoia Park Zoo Youth Assistant Keepers

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

I have partnered with the Sequoia Park Zoo to revise their Youth Assistant Keeper Program to create a sustainable, impactful program that can be implemented with the use of a binder. Local, 11-15 year-olds will be guided through various aspects of zoos and animal husbandry while being asked to observe, critique, and explore the work of the Zoo and related work for best practices in animal care, equity, and accessibility. This unique opportunity for personal and academic development encourages autonomy and ownership over individual work, promotes leadership and diversity, cultivates a cooperative, team-centered environment, and inspires connection with and conservation of the natural world.

Service Learning at Arcata Preschool

College of Professional Studies

This poster presents the experience of working at a local preschool in the area. I have gained a lot of knowledge on what it is like to be in a preschool classroom setting. Before starting my service learning, I did not know what to expect, but now I can say that this experience has allowed me to direct myself to a future career that might be gratifying. I got to experience hands experience working with children for a couple of hours each day and see how the teachers interacted with children. I learn about some of the practices that are being used to meet the unique needs of each child. This experience has helped me improve my communication skills and confidence, explore future careers.

Service Learning at Elementary Afterschool Programs

College of Professional Studies

As a part of a service learning class, we spent 30 hours in two Elementary Afterschool programs. We had our service learning goals in terms of knowledge, skills, and values. In this poster, we present our goals, the lessons learned and the challenges faced in the service learning.

Service Learning at Humboldt State University Y.E.S. House

College of Professional Studies

The Y.E.S. House is a student run club that has multiple groups, which provide services and activities to youth and elderly alike. From tutoring to playing musical instruments, the Y.E.S. House does tremendous things for the community in Humboldt County. Two of us are at JHRP and one of us in L.E.A.P. The JHRP program works with youth, who are incarcerated. During their recreation time, we engage them in playing games and sports or talking. L.E.A.P. is a program that works with youth to build self-esteem, leadership, and teamwork skills. We propose to present a poster that consists of these two groups: JHRP and L.E.A.P. and their in depth working.

Service Learning at Little Learners

College of Professional Studies

The focus of this presentation is on the positive effects that service learning has on our Child Development experience at Humboldt State University. We start by explaining the environment that our service learning took place in and the core beliefs of the center. Next we will discuss the reasons why we chose to participate in service learning and what challenges we encountered. We also explain the strengths and knowledge that we have gained while participating in service learning. Finally, we discuss how service learning enhances the child development experience. We experienced many connections between theory and practice in the short time that we participated in service learning.

Service Learning at Ridgewood Elementary School

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This presentation provides a look into the service learning experience at Ridgewood Elementary School. This poster will discuss the responsibilities of the service learning volunteer, the experiences gained and the learning that took place. Additionally, this poster discusses the systems perspective that is used to work with students in the school.