Tag: Poster 158

To What Degree Do Economic Circumstances Determine Compliance Costs That Consequently Push Like-Minded Nations Apart?

Presenter(s): Taylor Herman − Marine Biology, Environmental Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Ron Mitchell

Poster 158

Research Area: Political Science

Rainforest nations that are exposed to similar environmental conditions are often driven to implement different international policies out of economic necessity. The establishment of the Coalition for Rainforest Nations was intended to unite rainforest nations despite their differences. According to Vaahtoranta and Sprinz, countries are more likely to participate in coalitions if the costs of compliance are low. This paper will analyze the degree to which economic circumstance determines compliance costs that consequently push like-minded nations apart, using Costa Rica and Brazil as model nations. Though these are both rainforest nations, they each took different positions regarding their participation in the United Nations Program on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), which may be due to differences in economic standing.

Sleep Intervention Effects on Sleep Quality and Mental Health

Presenter(s): Ari Sepulveda

Faculty Mentor(s): Melissa Latham

Poster 158

Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

Poor sleep hygiene and mental health issues are common amongst college students due to high stress and rigorous environments. This project uses the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess improvements in sleep quality and mental health after exposure to our developed sleep intervention. During the intervention, participants had a phone application which provided helpful suggestions (“nudges”) and reminders to help initiate healthier sleep hygiene, and improve related mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and stress. Participants in the study were given both the DASS and the PSQI surveys at the beginning and culmination of the five-week study. Our research indicates that although scores in the DASS measurement did not significantly decrease, overall sleep quality was significantly improved through the intervention. While depression and lack of sleep are correlated, sleep does not directly impact stress and other mental health issues. Although not all hypotheses were met, we were able to successfully implement the sleep intervention to impact the quality of sleep in college students.