Stander Symposium abstract book - University of Dayton

9:00 AM to 10:30 AM
The Use of A Mental Rotation Task to Assess Narcissism and Gender Biases
Presenter(s): Adam Barnas, Dana S Lynch, Joshua D Moran, Cara M O’Grady
Advisor(s): Susan T Davis
Psychology - Independent Research
This study evaluates levels of overconfidence with a series of mental imagery tasks while assessing various participant characteristics such as
narcissism, or excessive self-admiration of one’s own physical or mental capabilities. Participants where assigned to an experimental condition
in which they received a bias concerning gender stereotypes, stating that men were superior to women in performing certain spatial tasks while
women were more adept than men in completing verbal tasks. Participants in a control condition received instructions necessary to complete the
tasks and similar to those given in the experimental condition; however, there was no mention of gender stereotypes. During the experiment,
letters (F, L, and R) appeared on a computer screen either in a correct formation, as if typed in a word, or an incorrect formation as a mirror image
of the correct formation. The letters were also presented at different rotated positions, such as upright, sideways, or upside down. After each image
appeared, participants reported whether the letters were mirror images or in the correct formation, regardless of the rotation. Participants then
gave an indication of their confidence in accurately identifying the presented formation of the letter. We predict that men in the experimental
condition will express higher levels of confidence because of perceived superiority influenced by the stereotype information as compared to
confidence expressed by men in the control condition. We further predict that women in the experimental condition will express lower levels
of confidence because of perceived inferiority influenced by the stereotype information as compared to confidence expressed by women in the
control condition. The expected results of this study will demonstrate a relationship between perceived gender biases and overconfidence and at
least a temporary reduction in narcissism that may prevail in many learning environments, such as schools and universities.
Understanding Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Victims of Intimate Partner Violence:
The Roles of Perceived Social Support, Self-esteem, and Self-blame
Presenter(s): Avery H Ozimek, Rusty P Schnellinger, Laura E Stayton, Anne L Steel
Advisor(s): Catherine L Zois
Psychology - Graduate Research
The relationship between the experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been
well established in the literature (Basile, Arias, Desai, & Thompson, 2004). However, researchers have called for more complex statistical models
capable of identifying and analyzing the pathways potentially linking IPV and PTSD. Research indicates that IPV victims report lower levels of
perceived social support than non-IPV victims (Bengtsson-Tops & Tops, 2007) and that as a result, victims are at greater risk of developing PTSD
(Ozer, Best, Lipsey, & Weiss, 2008). The current study analyzed the moderating or “buffering” role of perceived social support in the relationship
between IPV and PTSD. It was hypothesized that the relationship between IPV and PTSD would be stronger among individuals perceiving lower
social support. In addition, it was hypothesized that the relationship between PTSD and the interaction of IPV and perceived social support would
be accounted for by the mediating roles of characterological self-blame and self-esteem. The hypotheses were tested by distributing questionnaires
to 132 adult female participants recruited at a substance abuse treatment facility and a private university. The results indicated that both
IPV and perceived social support predicted PTSD, and perceived social support moderated the relationship between IPV and PTSD. At the extreme
levels of perceived social support, the relationship between IPV and PTSD was weaker among individuals perceiving high levels of social support
than among those perceiving low levels of social support. However, at the moderate levels of perceived social support, the relationship between
IPV and PTSD was stronger among individuals perceiving high levels of social support than among those perceiving low levels of social support.
Lastly, the results showed that self-esteem mediated the relationship between PTSD and the IPV x Perceived Social Support interaction variable.
Visual Distance Cues Used for Relative Distance Judgments in 2D Displays
Presenter(s): Laura A Janosko
Advisor(s): Benjamin R Kunz
Psychology - Honors Thesis
Recent evidence suggests that the quality of graphics in a computer-generated virtual environment influences the accuracy of distance judgments
made within the virtual environment. This experiment investigates the suggestion that missing or incomplete surface texture and shadow
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