The Effect of Turn Angle on the Energetic Cost of Running

College of Professional Studies

Unlike other activities, running paths do not have easily measured difficulties (ie., ski slopes, climbing level). Turn characteristics (tortuousness) are one strong contributor to path difficulty, therefore the purpose of this study is to determine if turn angle will alter the energetic cost of running.

The Effect of Workload on Exercise Volume during Exhaustive Anaerobic Treadmill Running

College of Professional Studies

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of three different workload protocols on exercise volume completed during multiple sets of exhaustive anaerobic running on a treadmill. The longer times per set and greater volume achieved during the descending speed (DS) protocol, in comparison to the descending grade (DG) and constant set (CS) protocols, suggests the potential for a greater training effect. Total exercise volume achieved during the four sets of the DS protocol was significantly higher than both the CS and DG protocols. Differences in cadence values among the protocols could help explain differences in performance implicating muscle fiber type recruitment and fatigue.

The Effectiveness of A Matter of Balance on Rural Community Dwelling Veterans and Non Veterans

College of Professional Studies

In the aging population, falls are a leading public health concern. Evidence-based community programs such as A Matter of Balance (AMOB) have shown a reduction in medical costs and an increase in falls efficacy. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of AMOB on fall risk factors among rural community dwelling veterans and non-veterans.

The effects of combined oral contraceptives on mood and affect: A meta-analysis

Povheng Yam, Psychology Undergraduate Student

College of Professional Studies

Combined oral contraceptive (COC) pills are used more commonly than any other method of contraception, with over 22 million users worldwide. Although many studies have investigated the potential health-related side effects of hormonal contraceptive use, relatively less research has investigated the potential psychological side effects of COCs despite the fact that many women anecdotally report such side effects. The current meta-analysis analyzes mood outcomes in the literature and finds a small but significant mood improvement following initiation of COCs.

The Effects of Combined Oral Contraceptives on Mood and Affect: A Meta-Analysis

Camille Burns, Psychology Graduate Student

College of Professional Studies

Combined oral contraceptive (COC) pills are widely used by women of reproductive age, but there is still little conclusive evidence about their mood-related side effects. This meta-analysis examined the relationship between oral contraceptive use and mood effects such as depression and anxiety. The results of the meta-analysis suggest that COCs contribute to a small but significant improvement in women’s overall moods. However, methodological challenges and inconsistencies make it difficult for researchers to establish any firm conclusions about the role COCs play in mood changes.

The Effects of Phonetic Convergence and Auditory Imagery on Reading

College of Professional Studies

This study aimed to address whether phonetic convergence (i.e., speech imitation) and auditory imagery with respect to reading (i.e., "hearing" the voice of a text's author) are fundamentally governed by the same process — episodic encoding (c.f., Goldinger, 1998). This would provide an explanation for why we shift the way we speak when reading text written by a familiar author. The results of this study suggest that these two phenomena may actually be governed by differing processes. However, further research is needed to provide support for a more definitive conclusion.

The Effects of Positive and Negative Reinforcement From Coaches in Collegiate Student-Athletes

Ciera Pyle, School of Applied Health Undergraduate Student

College of Professional Studies

Research on the effects of positive and negative reinforcement from coaches in collegiate student-athletes and how it effects performance and an individuals sense of autonomy. Coaching has been found to influence not only the individual internally and externally, but the environment around them aiding in the development of the athlete, student, and individual as a whole.

The Effects of Secondary Cognitive Tasks on Performance of the 3-Meter Tandem Gait in Concussed and Non-Concussed Individuals

College of Professional Studies

Identifying sport-related concussions occurs on the sidelines with tests utilized by athletic trainers and other field-side professionals. The Tandem Gait (TG) is a commonly used side line dynamic balance test that has only moderate sensitivity when used alone. Research has demonstrated that incorporating a secondary simultaneous task (i.e. dual-task) to amplify differences in TG performance following injury may amplify the difference due to a concussion. However, a dual-task TG has yet to be established as a clinical assessment of concussion. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of secondary cognitive tasks on performance of the TG in concussed and non-concussed individuals.

The Effects of Sleep Loss on Collegiate Athletic Performance

Grace Rosebrook, School of Applied Health Undergraduate Student

College of Professional Studies

This project is on the effects of sleep loss on collegiate athletic performance. Specifically, I assess research on the influence of sleep deprivation and sleep restriction surrounding aerobic and anaerobic capacities, and cognitive and psychological function. Additionally, I synthesize research behind the reasoning of college athletes experiencing sleep loss disproportionately when compared to non-athletic counterparts. I also suggest further research, specifically, variables that may affect sleep loss in college athletes, and the possible effect of sleep extension on athletic performance.

The emotional response to social gaze is a domain specific cognitive mechanism

College of Professional Studies

Eye contact with another person (social gaze) produces a reflexive emotional responses measurable using skin conductance (SCR). A ‘domain specificity’ model of the social gaze response mechanism was tested by comparing SCRs during social and 'self-gaze' (gazing at one’s own eyes in a mirror). Domain specificity (versus generality) predicts responses only during social gaze and has theoretical implications for how this reflex evolved. Participants (N=76) completed ten, 20 second, social or self-gaze trials. Social gaze produced significantly greater mean SCR’s and showed more habituation across trials. There were no effects of sex or sex match on gaze-evoked SCRs. Results support domain speci