Category: Poster Presentation

Comparing Language Input Measures with TV Exposure in Dual Language Learners

Presenter(s): Brandon Zuel

Co Presenter(s): Rachael Dahlen, Sean Galka

Faculty Mentor(s): Stephanie De Anda & Lauren Cycyk

Poster 157

 Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

The use of parent report is a common method for quantifying language exposure in bilingual children. A less studied method is analyzing real-world language input. Additionally, there is a lack of research that examines how English and Spanish language input from television (TV) can impact the linguistic experience of bilingual children. The present study seeks to fill the gap of quantifying language exposure by examining the amount of language input in each language through real-world audio recording in the everyday lives of bilingual toddlers.

The study presents data on participants from Spanish-speaking homes (N= 10 participants; 4 female, 6 male, median age = 19.5 months; range: 17 months to 22 months). Sixteen hours of language input data were collected over three days for each participant. From these recordings, we calculated exposure to Spanish and English via TV sources during periods when the child had the highest amount of (a) adult words, (b) linguistically meaningful interactions (highest amount of human input within six feet), and (c) child-directed speech (versus overheard speech).

Results showed that TV exposure is related to the segmentation method categories of highest adult words, linguistically meaningful interactions, and highest child-directed speech due to a lot of meaningful language being present within those language samples. Typically, we found that the moments of high TV exposure did not align with moments of high language exposure as a function of adult words, linguistically meaningful interactions, and child-directed speech. This work informs our understanding of the language environment of bilinguals across a variety of sources.

Associations of Adherence to Exercise Dependence Symptoms in Asian/Asian American Men

Presenter(s): Shijing Zhou

Co Presenter(s): Kylie Rothhouse

Faculty Mentor(s): Nichole Kelly & Claire Guidinger

Poster 123

 Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

Exercise dependence (ED) symptoms, which can be conceptualized as a complex pattern of excessive exercise behaviors, have been shown to be more prevalent in males than females. Preliminary data suggest that Asian/Asian American men frequently endorse ED symptoms. However, the sociocultural correlates of ED symptoms in this population are understudied. The purpose of this study was to examine whether Asian cultural values were associated with ED symptoms in Asian/Asian American men. Internalization of both muscularity and thinness appearance ideals were examined as potential moderators. We hypothesized that men who endorsed greater adherence to Asian cultural values would report more ED symptoms. We also hypothesized that greater internalization of both muscularity and thinness appearance ideals would exacerbate this positive association. The present sample consisted of 266 Asian/Asian American men between 18-30 years. The mean age was 24.4 and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 24.2 kg/m2. Participants completed an online survey that assessed demographic information, ED symptoms, adherence to Asian cultural values, and internalization of both muscularity and thinness appearance ideals. All analyses adjusted for BMI, education, income, and presence of a psychiatric diagnosis. Multiple linear regression models indicated that adherence to Asian cultural values was significantly and positively associated with ED symptoms. Men who reported greater adherence to Asian cultural values reported more ED symptoms, p<.05. Neither internalization of muscular nor thinness appearance ideals moderated this association. These findings highlight the importance of considering cultural factors in our investigations of ED symptoms and related pathology in men.

Helping STEM Students Thrive: Investigating the Relationship of Course Belongingness and Approaches to Learning

Presenter(s): Shan Zhang

Faculty Mentor(s): Shawn Lampkins & Jenefer Husman

Poster 121

 Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

In college, students become increasingly responsible for their learning behaviors which determine their academic performance, known as self-regulation. If instructors expect students to be self-regulated, they need to know what factors they must address to support student self- regulation. We argue that self-efficacy (students’ belief in their ability to complete a task) and course belongingness (feeling of being valued in the course) are related to student self- regulation (SR), low-regulation (LR), deep learning strategies, (e.g., QAH, engagement of material by asking questions that take critical thought) and surface learning strategies (e.g., QAL, asking surface level questions ). The majority of research in university science education have male- dominated samples, our sample is 61% female-identified. We hypothesized that self-efficacy and course belongingness together would explain a significant portion of the variance in SR. By utilizing an existing validated survey of student approaches to learning from 271 undergraduate, non-major physics students, we conducted multiple regression analyses to explore these topics. We found that course belongingness and self-efficacy had strong positive relations with SR and strong negative relationship with LR. We also found that course belongingness and self-efficacy had a positive relationship with QAH and QAL, though its relation was not as strong as with SR. In conclusion, self-efficacy and course belongingness are strongly and positively related to students’ self-regulation. Based on these preliminary results, professors should consider promoting students’ sense of self-efficacy and feeling of belongingness in their courses. We will also explore gender as a moderator and mediator in this context.

The Role of Abstract Chunk Patterns in the Organization of Complex Sequences

Presenter(s): Min Zhang

Faculty Mentor(s): Ulrich Mayr & Melissa Moss

Poster 111

 Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

In order to execute complex sequences, such as playing a piece of music, people group sequential elements (e.g., individual notes) into “chunks”. The dominant theory assumes that chunks are merely independent bundles of elements (Lashley, 1951), though little is known about the organization of chunked information. Applying the efficient coding principle, chunks may be coded in a relational manner, based on structural similarities, to allow people to smoothly execute complex tasks (Botvinick et al., 2015). In two experiments, we assessed how performance is affected by whether chunks contain similar, abstract patterns of elements (“matching” chunks, e.g., ABA pattern of elements in both chunks). Participants completed a task in which they needed to remember and execute sequences of rules. The rule sequences contained two 3-element chunks with various patterns of rule elements. Some sequences contained matching chunks, while others contained non-matching chunks. In Experiment 1, participants executed sequences in which both chunks contained the same types of rules arranged in matching or non-matching patterns. In Experiment 2, the two chunks contained different sets of rules, thus requiring a greater degree of abstraction across chunks. Results showed better performance for sequences containing matching chunks. The effect of pattern similarity on sequential performance was much weaker in Experiment 2 than in Experiment 1. Generally, these findings indicate that our cognitive system makes use of abstract patterns to efficiently code sequential information.

Reducing Plastic Straw Use on the University of Oregon Campus

Presenter(s): Nozomi Yamada

Co Presenter(s): Alexandra Urrutia, Riley Roefaro

Faculty Mentor(s): Peg Boulay & Sarah Stoeckl

Poster 177

Session: Environmental Leaders ARC

In the U.S alone, approximately 500 million plastic straws are used everyday. Earlier studies estimate that about 8.3 billion plastic straws pollute the beaches around the world (Gibbons). Most plastic debris end up in the ocean and in the bellies of wildlife creatures, compromising the welfare of marine ecosystems and organisms. Because plastic is not biodegradable, it remains in the ocean and the environment for years. Our mission is to create an environment for students to consider taking action to reduce plastic straw use. Our project works to try and minimize the use of plastic straws on campus so that less waste is produced and that students will rethink their lifestyle choices by considering what role plastic plays in their lives. Using the results of our recently conducted survey, we will make flyers about plastic straws and promote the issue of plastic pollution on campus. Our goal is to propose a policy change that will make plastic straws available on request only at all dining halls. In regards to our survey results, 75.2% of the 234 respondents are in favor of such a policy. By proposing a straw upon request only policy statement, we will be helping make the University of Oregon a more sustainable campus.

Niche Separation Between Three Sympatric Lemur Species at Berenty Reserve, Madagascar

Presenter(s): Erick Wonderly

Faculty Mentor(s): Frances White & Colin Brand

Poster 50

Session: Sciences

One of the central goals of ecology is to understand niche differentiation: how different species use the same environment in different enough ways so as to coexist. Typically, this is tested by examining dietary overlap between species. The Lemuriformes, lemurs and their relatives, provide an interesting test of niche differentiation given the antiquity of this superfamily and subsequent adaptation to various unoccupied niches. In this study we first tested for dietary overlap in feeding ecology among three lemur species: Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta), Verreaux’s sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi), and Brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus rufus), at Berenty Nature Reserve, Madagascar. We also considered the degree to which species can monopolize a food source from other species. We analyzed 1,988.16 hours of feeding and social behavior data collected by Alison Jolly between 1988-89 and 1992-93. We found consistent, substantial overlap in the diets of all three lemur species across all four study periods. The majority of aggressive intergroup encounters were within species. Between species encounters rarely resulted in aggression and exclusion from a feeding patch. Collectively, these results suggest greater dietary overlap than previously considered in these taxa and that niche separation beyond lemurs occurs beyond feeding contexts.

Variation in Severity of Cartilaginous Fusions in fras1 Mutant Zebrafish Following Independent Transgene Insertions

Presenter(s): Alexander Wind

Co Presenter(s): Sam Ahlquist, Whitney Oliva

Faculty Mentor(s): Charles Kimmel

Poster 74

Session: Sciences

This study assesses the effect of the fli1a:gal4vp16 transgene insertion on fras1 mutant zebrafish. The Fras1 protein stabilizes craniofacial development and is studied to understand Fraser syndrome in humans. Fraser syndrome is a fatal disease that results in facial deformities and hearing loss. Zebrafish facial cartilages are homologous with human ear bones, making them good model organisms. The fras1 homozygous mutation causes fusions between the Meckel’s (m) and palatoquadrate (pq) cartilages in the zebrafish jaw. In previous experiments, we found that fras1 mutant embryos containing the transgene increased m-pq fusion severity. One hypothesis is that increased severity results from changes in host DNA sequences at the insertion site. An alternative hypothesis is that increased severity results from function of sequences within the transgene. In this study we hope to distinguish between these hypotheses by generating independent insertional lines with the expectation that the transgene has inserted in a unique location in each line. Mutant eggs were injected with the transgene and raised to score severity between transgene-containing and control groups. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) can be used to verify the location of the independent insertions. As predicted by the second hypothesis, the majority of genetic lines with new transgene insertions exhibited increased m-pq severity, suggesting importance of the transgene sequences. This study gives us insight on the widespread variation of mutation in Fraser syndrome in humans to help us treat/prevent it, and helps us gain a better understanding of transgenic effects on mutants in general.

Behavioral Correlates in Sleeping Laboratory Mice with Widefield Imaging

Presenter(s): Ally Wimberly

Faculty Mentor(s): Paul Steffan & David McCormick

Poster 70

Session: Sciences

Pupillometry has effectively correlated pupil size with cortical states in awake mice. High amounts of brain activity have been associated with large pupil size whereas low amounts of brain activity associate with smaller pupil size in awake mice. The purpose of this project is to acquire widefield imaging on sleeping laboratory mice in order to gain a better understanding of mouse neuronal activity during sleep. I aim to find lower amounts of brain activity and small pupil size during non-REM sleep along with high amounts of brain activity with large pupil size during REM sleep. The widefield and pupil imaging will provide the opportunity to correlate certain neuronal activity with behaviors and other neuronal activity with deeper neural mechanisms happening during sleep. Some of the behavior correlates we will use are: movement of whiskers, paws, and fluctuation of the pupil size. Once the behavioral activity is excluded, the deeper neural mechanisms during sleep will be narrowed down and able to be focused on. Finding the deeper neural mechanisms will enable us to track neural circuits and networks involved during different stages of sleep in order to evolve a better profile of overall neuronal activity during sleep.

Sociosexual behaviors of captive bonobos (Pan paniscus) in proximity to an artificially built termite mound

Presenter(s): Mathieu Wilson

Faculty Mentor(s): Frances White & Kylen Gartland

Poster 109

Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

Studies of wild apes are fundamental to our understanding of humans and human evolution. Biological anthropologists investigate the behavior of our closest relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos, in an effort to understand the evolution of human social behavior. Whereas chimpanzees are male-bonded and aggressive, bonobos have been found to be female-bonded and peaceful. Bonobos are known to engage in sociosexual behaviors for a variety of purposes beyond reproduction. These behaviors are thought to be used to strengthen social bonds and as a means of diffusing group tension in both wild and captive populations. Given these hypotheses, sociosexual behavior is particularly evident in feeding contexts. Here we study the effects of an artificially built termite mounded, baited daily with food, on the sociosexual behaviors of a captive group of 16 bonobos at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. To collect data, the bonobos were observed during the day time from June 19th through August 29th, 2011. All occurrences of sociosexual behavior were recorded, in addition to the age and sex of the individuals involved, and who initiated the contact. We hypothesized that (1) the termite mound would bring the group into closer contact in the space near the mound, and (2) that tensions over who had access to the food in the mound would lead to sociosexual behaviors. Our data support that sociosexual behavior is important in both group cohesion and resolving tension in these bonobos.

Effects of Gender Transition on Language Use in Second Language Acquisition of Japanese

Presenter(s): Dylan Williams

Faculty Mentor(s): Kaori Idemaru

Poster 146

Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

Issues related to identity play an important role in guiding learners as they acquire a new language. The purpose of this study was to examine how gender transition may affect the use of linguistic gender-forms during language acquisition. Japanese is a highly gendered language, with varying degree of feminine and masculine forms in pronouns and sentence ending particles. My learning of Japanese and experience with transition provided an opportunity to analyze the interaction between the two. In order to conduct this study, I completed an autoethnography of my own past journal writings from the Japanese 301 and 302 courses here at the UO. The analysis revealed heavy avoidance of explicitly gendered forms and a strategy of solely using neutral pronouns and sentence ending particles, reflecting a low comfort level between using gender-matched features and the struggle with gender identity. The anxiety associated with transition appeared to have influenced language performance, also leading to less classroom interaction and involvement. The implication of this study is that students in this situation are not fully able to center themselves as users of that language, and so are less likely to center themselves in classwork. More support from instructors and researchers is needed in order to properly address the obstacles that trans students face, such as alleviating anxiety due to gender transition and understanding how it influences language use. Such efforts could address gender in broader ways, leading to overall more inclusive, comfortable, and inviting classroom environment that encourages language use and learning.