Mariners Present Research at Annual Psychological Conference
The Southeastern Psychological Association’s (SEPA) annual meeting brings together the latest research and some of the best minds in the field of psychology. The mission of the conference is to stimulate the exchange of scientific and professional ideas across psychology. For at least a decade, students and faculty of the College of Coastal Georgia have presented their research at the conference. This past March, 10 students, one alum, and three faculty members traveled to Orlando, Florida to attend SEPA, where they gained an invaluable experience.
Coastal Georgia students Gabby Mazucca, Taylor Hunter, Michael D’agostino, Josie Lemons, Aimee Yeomans, Precious De Jesus, Alicia Wilson, McKenzie Miller, Kristen Darley, Jesse Larson, and alum Kayla Wilcox, were accompanied to the SEPA conference by their professors and research collaborators—Dr. Kimberly Mannahan, professor of psychology, Dr. Aurora Ramos Nuñez, associate professor of psychology and student success coordinator, and Dr. Brian Pope, professor of psychology.
To be selected for SEPA, students and their faculty collaborators write an abstract that summarizes their research projects, methods, and results. Mannahan said that the students take ownership of their proposals while she offers feedback.
“They gain good experience writing it, and get the experience of submitting research to a professional conference,” Mannahan said.
At SEPA, attendees have the freedom to choose which workshops, presentations, and sessions they attend. Mannahan remarked about how student-friendly the conference is.
“A subtle thing they do is that on your name tag, it’s only your name and affiliation. Everybody is on a level playing field,” Mannahan said. “You can be having a conversation with a student, faculty member, or retired professor. You don’t know unless you ask. It helps students feel more included, and it’s less intimidating.”
Research Projects
Mannahan took seven of her students to the conference. Students Michael D’ Agostino and Josie Lemons presented “The Effects of Music and Photos on Feelings of Nostalgia.” Participants in their project reviewed images of Rockefeller Center. Half saw images of Rockefeller during the wintertime, which represented nostalgia, and the other half saw a photo of Rockefeller during the summertime, which represented neutral feelings. Half of the participants listened to “Auld Lang Syne” while viewing the images. Results showed that those who heard nostalgic music reported increased feelings of nostalgia. Nostalgic photos had a stronger impact on overall positive emotions than neutral photos, and those who saw the nostalgic photos reported feeling significantly more nostalgic, happy, and optimistic—evoking fond memories from their past.
Jesse Larson presented “The Persuasive Power of TikTok.” The idea for the project originated from a statement from the American Psychological Association about the effects of social media on adolescence. Social media has become an integrated part of life for many people, and their research investigated how credible people perceive information on TikTok. They specifically focused on presenting information both visually and through a voiceover. Their hypotheses included that an infographic would be more persuasive than the original article, a female voiceover to be more persuasive than a male voiceover, and an interaction between the type of information and the gender of the voiceover. Participants watched one of four TikTok videos that described the APA’s information about social media usage among adolescents. The TikToks were voiced by either a male or female, and had a background image of either the original article or an infographic. Students found a difference in reaction if the information was presented by a female voice or male voice. Information was perceived as more surprising when presented by a female voice than male, and more disturbing when presented by a male voice than female. They did not find any significant difference in whether the information was presented as the original article or an infographic.
The third group project focused on the perception of personal trainers. Taylor Hunter and Gabby Mazzuca presented “Does a Personal Trainer’s Body Type and Gender Impact How We Perceive Them?” They focused on two body types—mesomorphic and endomorphic. A mesomorphic body type has a high muscle-to-fat ratio, is more athletic, and prone to muscle development. An endomorphic body type is soft and curvy, with a wide waist and hips, and large bone structure. Participants were given a scenario describing their new personal trainer, then completed a questionnaire. Results showed there being more trust for trainers with mesomorphic body types than endomorphic, and mesomorphic bodies were viewed as more knowledgeable. Female trainers were viewed as stronger, but males were viewed as better educated. Students hope their study will shed light on possible biases in the fitness industry, and that people will base their perception on other qualities, such as education and experience.
Precious De Jesus and Aimee Yeomans presented “The Impact of Visual Media on College Students’ Perception of Korean Pop.” This study investigated if visual media, such as YouTube, TikTok, and television, has a greater impact on student’s interests or perceptions of Korean Pop, also known as K-pop. De Jesus and Yeomans expected that subjects who were exposed to boy K-pop groups would have more positive attitudes toward K-pop than those exposed to girl groups, and that visual media exposure would produce more positive attitudes than audio exposure.
De Jesus is a big fan of K-pop and was curious to know what other college students thought about it. She was surprised at the results of the project.
“We expected a strong preference for visual media, but instead found that college students prefer K-pop via audio media,” De Jesus said.
Their results also showed more positive attitudes toward K-pop when exposed to boy groups.
De Jesus is graduating from the College in December and will be earning her bachelor’s in psychology with a concentration in psychological sciences. She plans to continue her education and become a neuropsychologist. This was her first time presenting at a conference. She said conference attendees thought their topic was interesting and people had a pleasant and supportive attitude. De Jesus felt very supported by the College and those involved in bringing the students there.
“I never presented at a conference before, so I had little clue what to expect—but I had a great time,” she said. “I was able to look at other students who had also worked hard on their undergraduate research, as well as instructors from other institutions who were happy to share useful details about applying to graduate school.”
She enjoyed building those connections, and after such a positive experience, she wants to go to the next conference.
“Participating in SEPA is a great way for students to strengthen their research experience, establish personal connections, and meet outstanding scholars from other institutions,” she said.
Pope accompanied three students and a recent Coastal graduate to SEPA. Pope’s approach to research involves correlational studies and scale development. His students’ research projects utilized two main measures for their studies—the Moral Foundation Questionnaire and the Big Five Personality Traits. The Moral Foundation Questionnaire is a measure that assesses individual priorities in moral decision-making. It is based on five moral intuitions: harm/care, fairness/reciprocity, ingroup/loyalty, authority/respect, and purity/sanctity. The Big Five is a model that describes five broad dimensions of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion (or extroversion), agreeableness, and neuroticism.
McKenzie Miller presented “Attitude Toward TikTok: Correlations with Personality and Moral Reasoning.” Miller used the Big Five and Moral Foundation Questionnaire to measure if subjects were pro-TikTok or anti-TikTok. She also used a measure for political orientations of liberal or conservative. Her results showed that the pro-TikTok attitude was positively correlated with the moral foundations of fairness, ingroup loyalty, authority and purity. Anti-TikTok was positively correlated with neuroticism and ingroup loyalty.
“The day her research was presented, which was March 14, the House of Representatives voted to ban TikTok or force the company to divest of any financial association with the parent company in China. It was very timely, and McKenzie had a very busy poster session,” Pope said.
Miller is a junior at the College, who is also majoring in psychology with a concentration in psychological sciences. She aspires to be a clinical therapist, but is willing to explore other fields with her degree, such as marketing and technology. The idea for her project originated in her research methods course with Pope. Students were given an opportunity to expand on their work, and she jumped at the chance to further her research and analyze the data. She described it as a tedious process, but also fun to do. Miller is interested in continuing her research topic, and encouraged other students to pick up where she’s left off.
Being selected for SEPA was both nerve-wracking and exciting, Miller said, because it was a new experience. She previously wasn’t familiar with SEPA or doing research, but her acceptance into the conference proved that she could do it. What she came to enjoy about the conference was talking and interacting with attendees.
“Typically, I am a mess when it comes to public speaking, but this experience was so fun. Seeing people being interested in my research and having them listen intently as I explained it, made me very happy,” Miller said. “Also, receiving feedback made me excited for future research because I want to apply all the tips I received to future experiments.”
The feedback she received included adding certain types of questions to gain a stronger sense of someone’s political views, and using a scale that measures social media engagement.
“I’m so glad I was able to receive feedback, because the different perspectives helped shine light on the different routes my study could have taken and/or the different factors I could have measured that I never thought of,” Miller said.
Alicia Wilson presented “Attitude Toward Nootropic Use Among College Students.” Nootropics, also known as smart pills or study drugs, are supposed enhance cognition, learning, and memory. Classic herbal nootropics include ginseng and gingko, and common prescription nootropics include methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin. Wilson’s study explored whether respondents were accepting or critical of nootropic use, and if these attitudes correlated with the Big Five and moral reasoning. Results included a positive correlation between nootropic-friendly attitude with the personality traits of extraversion, neuroticism and authority. Nootropic-critical was positively correlated with extraversion, harm, fairness, ingroup loyalty and purity.
Kristen Darley presented “Attitude Toward Food Self-Sufficiency: Correlations with Personality and Moral Reasoning.” Darley and Pope developed two scales measuring aspects of food self-sufficiency: food procurement skills and attitude toward food self-sufficiency. Results of the survey showed that food procurement skills were positively correlated with extraversion and the moral foundations of loyalty, authority, and purity. Attitude toward food self-sufficiency was positively correlated with conscientiousness and openness, and the moral foundations of harm/care, fairness, authority, and purity. This topic was of very special interest to Darley.
“This was about being able to grow your own food, being able to forage wild mushrooms, hunt wild game and fish—all things people do to be self-sufficient,” Pope said. “She was interested in this because she’s trying to build an off-grid homestead in Camden County. She’s going to do these things to be self-sufficient.”
Pope also presented his research done in collaboration with recent Coastal Georgia graduate Kayla Wilcox. Wilcox is a supplemental instructor at the College. They presented “Development of a Scale to Measure Work-Rest Balance.”
“The idea is that we do our best work when we are well-rested,” Pope said. “We created a set of 71 items. We did the factor analysis on that, so this was primarily a scale creation study. Later, we are going to do a validation study. We’re going to see what other measures will correlate with work-rest balance.”
Employees who are well-rested are likely to be people who have struck the right balance between work life and home life. Pope and Wilcox expected that people who found the right balance would score highly on measures of work-life balance, and low on measures of job strain and conflict between work and non-work roles. The results showed that a number of items they created were a good match for creating the scale. The next step is to use existing measures of work-life balance and work-family conflict to validate their scale. Their research was well-received at the conference.
“Kayla and I were really busy. People liked the measure we came up with. I have high hopes for this one,” he said.
In addition to presenting her group research poster on the persuasive power of TikTok, Larson gave her first ever oral presentation on “Psilocybin’s Link with Subjective Emotions.” Larson did this research in collaboration with Ramos Nuñez. Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic chemical found in certain mushrooms. It has been shown to have potential therapeutic effects for treatment in mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression, Ramos Nuñez said.
Larson is a senior majoring in psychology. Her topic aligns perfectly with what she wants to do as a career—become a psilocybin assisted therapist. Larson’s interest in psilocybin started when a friend who suffered from mental health issues used psilocybin. After a significant experience with psilocybin, her friend showed a six-month remission from suicidal tendencies, she said. Exploring subjective emotions was inspired by her own personal experience of how people in her culture are taught to express emotions, and the connections between those expressions.
Larson surveyed 116 participants who’ve used psilocybin to measure their emotional intelligence and well-being, and also to understand their emotions while under the influence of psilocybin. Larson knew of different platforms where people discussed psilocybin use, and many on those platforms were happy to complete Larson’s survey, Ramos Nuñez said. Results included finding a correlation between well-being and emotional intelligence, and the most subjective experiences reported involved auditory and tactile enhancements. Larson wants to use what she’s learned to further investigate if subjects would experience psilocybin in a positive manner if done in a controlled environment where they can work towards emotional breakthroughs.
“It’s the idea that this allows people to let down their guard, open up their mind, and dive in through emotional trauma that they’ve gone through,” Ramos Nuñez said.
Larson was the only undergraduate student at the conference that did an oral presentation.
“You can tell that she prepared and practiced. There were questions asked by the audience, and she handled them well,” Ramos Nuñez said. “This was the first time she did this, and I really applaud undergraduates who do this. It’s not easy to do in front of an audience.”
Although this was not Larson’s first time attending a SEPA conference, she was still excited about being accepted to present her work.
“I wanted to be clear and paint the same picture in everybody’s mind through my spoken words. I was thinking about my outward display and communicating clearly and effectively, but with a sense of captivation,” Larson said. “I wanted the audience to feel a hint of the awe I experienced while working on the project.”
Larson received good feedback on her presentation. People expressed their pride and admiration for her choice to do an oral presentation. She did get some critiques, which echoed her own sentiments, such as overpreparing and going a little too long in her presentation. However, she said every suggestion was much appreciated. Larson’s favorite part about the conference was just being able to attend.
“Since this was my second time going, I was familiar with the style of the conference, and I think I found the most joy in that fact,” she said. “However, being with other students that I knew and hearing their experiences before, during, and after, were very enriching for me.”
Ramos Nuñez gave two presentations at SEPA. Her first was an ongoing joint research project on “Gender Difference in Mindset Predictor of Academic Success” with Dr. Neda Moinolmoki, assistant professor of psychology at Albertus Magnus College, Dr. Laura Lynch, associate vice chancellor of academic affairs at the University System of Georgia, Dr. Claire Hughes, professor of special, gifted and twice-exceptional education at Cleveland State University, and Dr. Cailin Noble, lecturer of mathematics at the College of Coastal Georgia. Their research focused on mindsets, such as a sense of belonging, family, college identity, and academic preparedness to create a model that predicts student success in both male and female students. Pre and post-surveys were administered during the first semester of first-year college students within the University System of Georgia. Although the research is ongoing, so far, they are seeing some differences between male and female students. Male students were shown to be more motivated academically by wanting to help family, and female students showed motivation connected to identifying with the institution.
Her second presentation was to the Society for the Teaching of Psychology. Ramos Nuñez presented her classroom activities to get more students engaged in learning. The session was an opportunity for psychology professors to exchange ideas and address concerns.
A True Benefit for Students
The SEPA conference is a great opportunity for students to see the myriad of careers and research topics in psychology. Mannahan said it’s the best way to learn the most cutting-edge research that hasn’t been published.
“You get to have actual conversations with the people who did the research and ask questions or make suggestions,” Mannahan said. “That was one of the things my students enjoyed. People would read their poster, talk to them about their projects, and make suggestions. It has inspired some to do a follow-up study.”
Students practiced their 90-second elevator pitches for their poster presentations, and had discussions beforehand about professionalism, how to dress, and why it matters.
“Anytime a student gets back from the conference, you can tell who went to SEPA and who didn’t by the way they carry themselves on campus. They have a different level of confidence,” Mannahan said. “They feel a connection to the field as a whole instead of just studying it.”
The conference also gives students a chance to network and see what types of research are happening at other institutions. Pope said the College’s students present their work at a high level and consistently make a good showing every year. Sessions about graduate school allowed students to meet with prospective professors. For example, Pope shared that Wilcox met a professor from Valdosta State University who teaches industrial organization psychology. Wilcox is now considering applying to graduate school there.
“I was hoping that those kinds of connections would happen,” Pope said. “That’s the only place where you can make those kinds of connections.”
The application of everything students have learned in thinking about their research topic, designing the experiment, going through the approval process, doing the experiment, analyzing the data, and drawing conclusions is powerful for students to understand and connect, Mannahan said.
“Students ask, ‘Why do I have to learn this?’ They then see how it all works together and contributes to when they’re in the workforce,” Mannahan said. “It does so much for them that they can use these skills in their future career. Even if they do something totally different outside of the field of psychology, that experience is still valuable. It will help them in whatever area of their lives.”
Making it Possible
The Office of Undergraduate Research and Academic Affairs worked together to fund the students’ trip to the SEPA conference. The professors each expressed gratitude for the support and the invaluable experience students have received through the trip. Ramos Nuñez believed that the students realized how much the College cares about them growing, both professionally and personally.
Presentation Citations:
D’Agostino, M., Lemons, J., Johnson, C., & Mannahan, K. (2024, March). The effects of music and photos on feelings of nostalgia. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
Hunter, T., Mazzuca, G., McKenzie, L., Roseborough, T., & Mannahan, K. (2024, March). Does a personal trainer’s body type and gender impact how we perceive them? Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
Larson, J., Mitchell, D., Harper, K., & Mannahan, K. (2024, March). The persuasive power of TikTok. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
Yeomans, A., De Jesus, P., & Mannahan, K. (2024, March). The impact of visual media on college students’ perceptions of Korean pop. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
Ramos Nuñez, A., Lynch, L., & Noble, C. (2024, March). Gender differences in mindset predictors of academic success. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
Hughes, J., Riser, D., James, B., Ramos Nuñez, A., Hlaing, E., & Cylke, V. (2024, March). Using innovative class activities and assignments to keep undergraduates engaged: Symposium I. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
Larson, J. (2024, March). Psilocybin’s link with subjective emotions. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
Pope, J. B., & Wilcox, K. (2024, March). Development of a scale to measure work-rest balance. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
Pope, J. B., & Wilson, A. (2024, March). Attitude toward nootropic use among college students. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
Miller, M., & Pope, J. B. (2024, March). Attitude toward TikTok: Correlations with personality and moral reasoning. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.