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Pessimism and Virtuous Hope: Can They Coexist?
Full text linkThe purpose of this study is to conduct an exploratory analysis to understand if high pessimism and high virtuous Ithemba hope (see table below) can coexist as individual differences. The virtue of Ithemba hope is operationally defined as a purposeful vision in adversity, encouraging others for the common good (Thomas et al. under review). A qualitative study has suggested that the virtue of hope can coexist with pessimism especially in the context of high adversity, showing that anticipating bad events with a hopeful mindset can result in positive outcomes of flourishing (Thomas et al., 2022). This study builds on the construct of virtuous hope and will search for more variables it relates to such as pessimism, that we measure as the opposite of optimism. Hope and optimism have long been regarded as distinct but correlated variables. Rand (2008) suggests that, despite sharing many overlapping qualities, particularly in their goal-oriented nature, hope differs from optimism. Optimism focuses on the broader belief that positive outcomes will occur with the impact of both internal and external factors. In contrast, hope focuses on situation-specific expectancies and outcomes along with the personal impact on goals. The sample (n=397) consisted of students attending a liberal arts institution who were also enrolled in an introductory psychology course. The majority of the sample identified as female (70.7%), while the remaining sample identified as male (28.2%) or other (1%). This study utilized an existing dataset to explore for differences suggesting high pessimism and high virtuous hope can coexist. The dataset included many measures such as big-five personality traits, religion, spirituality, flourishing, and forgiveness. Four groups (high pessimism and virtuous hope, high pessimism and low virtuous hope, low pessimism and high virtuous hope, low pessimism and virtuous hope) were created for comparison. Further relational analysis will utilize the various measures for comparison between the groups and will be analyzed before the conference. Through these comparisons, we hypothesize that pessimism and virtuous hope will significantly differ enough to coexist with each other as separate variables of well-being
Former NCAA DIII College Athletes\u27 Perceptions and Plans For Maintaining Post-Sport Exercise Behavior
Full text linkCollege athletes in the United States exhibit various declines in physical and mental health following retirement from sport. These declines in health are not well understood, however, one cause may be reduced exercise rates following retirement from regular sports training. It is unknown how former athletes\u27 perceptions of health and fitness change after retirement and affect their exercise behavior post-sport. The purpose of this study was to understand former Division III (DIII) athletes\u27 perceptions of health and fitness following college graduation and sports retirement and to explore what their future plans for exercise maintenance were. Recently graduated student-athletes from Hope College completed semi-structured interviews via Zoom. Participants\u27 interviews were transcribed, then analyzed using Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) methods. Participants included 19 former DIII athletes (22±1 years, 37% male, 84% White). The analysis yielded five key domains. Two pertained to participants’ perceptions of health and fitness: Reasons Why Former Athletes are Exercising and Shifting Ideas on How to Exercise Without Sports Training . Three domains described their plans for maintaining future exercise: Barriers That Limit an Active Lifestyle , Not a Priority , and Figuring It Out . Former athletes’ perceived a need for a post-sport break following retirement. They avoided exercise activities associated with negative sport experiences. Former athletes reported less activity than when still training in college, due to a lack of knowledge regarding exercise and health maintenance, as many participants were not aware of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults and habitually over- or underestimated healthy exercise thresholds. Former athletes also contended with the influx in autonomy for exercise as they retired; those who were engaging with exercise indicated primarily completing activities familiar to them, and preferred to exercise with family and friends to stay accountable. Researchers may use these results to better prepare athletes for their retirement in the future
Effects of Empathic Concern, Social Support, Health, and Burnout on Undergraduate Pre-Health and Nursing Students’ Stress
Full text linkStress among undergraduate students is an inevitable consequence of difficult studies, and this may especially be the case for pre-health and pre-nursing students. This research was aimed to determine whether the level, type, or combination of stressors affected pre-health and pre-nursing majors to greater degrees or in different ways. The data come from 531 undergraduate students who initially self-identified as pursuing either a pre-health or pre-nursing degree, and were surveyed once per year. The present data set includes Freshman through Junior years. The second and third wave asked students about their greatest stressors (open ended) and numerically rate the degree of experienced stress from it on a scale ranging from one to ten. We then used the reported stressors to create a typology of stresses experienced to determine which were most prevalent among pre-health students. We then assessed the relationship between the stressors and levels of social support, burnout, empathy, and mental health. Findings concluded that neither the type nor the level of stress (ranging from 1-10) varied by student status (pre-health, pre-nursing, non-health) as much as the covariates of interest
The Anchor: October 2024, Issue One
Full text linkThe Anchor began in 1887 and was first issued weekly in 1914. Covering national and campus news alike, Hope College’s student-run newspaper has grown over the years to encompass over two-dozen editors, reporters, and staff. For much of The Anchor\u27s history, the latest issue was distributed across campus each Wednesday throughout the academic school year (with few exceptions). In recent years The Anchor moved to monthly print issues and a more frequently updated website. The Anchor is now published in print twice per academic semester. Occasionally, the volume and/or issue numbering is irregular
Phighting Phosphorus: The Effects of Sedimentary Phosphorus on the Macatawa Watershed
Full text linkLake Macatawa experiences severe eutrophication and algal blooms that negatively impact the native species and recreational usage of the lake. There have been several previously completed studies on phosphorus pollution in the water by the Hope College Day1 Watershed Group. However, these measurements do not include lake sediments, which could also be a significant reservoir of phosphorus. Our research group decided to test the sediment at the same three lake locations tested by the Watershed Group, taking two core samples at each location. These samples were dried, combusted in a muffle oven, weighed, digested from solid to liquid, and then tested using a spectrometer to determine the amount of orthophosphate in each sample taken. We did this by comparing it to calibration or standard curve at the same time. We noticed a trend in location and orthophosphate concentration. Our study revealed a significant trend between the sediment phosphorus concentration in Lake Macatawa and the historical watershed data. Notably, site 2, located at Howard B. Dutton Park exhibited the highest phosphorus concentration, likely attributed to the convergence and entry of multiple streams. Conversely, site 3, near Howard Vae. demonstrated the lowest phosphorus concentration, possibly due to the positive impacts initiated by Project Clarity
Development of a Liquid Chromatography Method for the Quantification of Carbohydrates in Peat Soils
Full text linkPeatlands are an important carbon sink. However, climate change threatens to cause the peatlands to release their stored-up carbon. This would result in lots of carbon dioxide and methane to be released into the atmosphere due to the increased peat decomposition. This would end up forming a positive feedback loop, and thus resulting in more and more carbon lost from the peat. The biochemical composition of the peat is an indicator of the degradation state of the peat as well as its ongoing vulnerability to decomposition. In this study, we developed an HPLC method for analyzing the carbohydrate composition of peat. The method begins with acid hydrolysis to convert carbohydrate polymers to sugar monomers. The monomers are then derivatized with 1-Phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) and then analyzed via HPLC/Diode array detection. We used the method to determine patterns of carbohydrate composition in surface peats across a climate transect of Michigan peatlands
The Different Impacts on Mental Health from Burnout and Boredom in Undergraduate Pre-health and Nursing Students
Full text linkPoor mental health has been shown in pre-medical students starting in undergraduate and persisting throughout their careers (Fang et al. 2010). Further, mental health has also been associated with burnout in medical student populations and boredom in general populations, making it difficult to distinguish burnout and boredom from one another. Research has not shown how mental health, boredom, and burnout relate to and are different from one another in undergraduate students. Our data include 510 pre-health and nursing students in three separate cohorts, each surveyed over the course of four years. To measure mental health, students were asked how many days in the past 30 days they had poor mental health. To determine a student\u27s boredom, we use the boredom proneness scale (Struk et al. 2017) and burnout was measured with the short form (West et al. 2009). The results showed that there was a significant correlation between mental health and burnout as well as mental health and boredom. However, there was not a correlation between burnout and boredom. These results were not affected by gender or students being first generation college students. Although both burnout and boredom are related to worse mental health, the two are not related to one another, possibly indicating that they influence mental health via distinct pathways. Future research could focus on whether boredom is related to not being challenged enough, whereas a student who is unable to sustain the academic challenges would be more prone to burnout
Urinary Indicators of Recovery Status in Collegiate Cross Country Runners
Full text linkAssessment of urinary biomarkers pre- and post-exercise has been used to monitor athletes\u27 health status. This HSRB approved descriptive study measured 8 urinary biomarkers in 19 collegiate cross-country runners (M-10, F-9, age 20±1.0 years) throughout the first nine weeks of a fall cross-country season. Baseline values were measured prior to the start of the season and were repeated two and three days post-race. They were also measured pre-, immediately post-, and 1-day-post hard workout. All values were within normal, healthy physiological limits, however, there were some mean changes that occurred over the course of the season and within workouts. Significant group mean changes throughout the season were demonstrated in urinary protein, pH, evidence of blood, and specific gravity. Gender-specific changes within workouts were shown in several variables. Females had higher urobilinogen and protein post-workout and 1-d post-workout, while males had greater values post-workout and 1-d post-workout for pH, evidence of blood, and specific gravity. All of the 2-day and 3-day post-race values were not significantly different from their baseline values. The results reveal seasonal trends. Elevated (high, but normal range) values of urobilinogen and protein and more acidic urine (pH\u3c5.5) are consistent with the females\u27 higher specific gravity values, all indicating slight dehydration. Female hydration status was lower than male hydration status, which over time can affect renal blood flow. Positive urine test for blood is consistent with strenuous exertion by the participants and typically dissipated within 1-d post-workout. The 2-d and 3-d post-race values indicate a more rapid return to homeostasis for urinary metabolite markers than other physiological recovery indicators
Making the Piano Sing: Focal Impulses in The Russian Piano Performing Tradition
Full text linkThe Russian piano school has developed one of the world’s most legendary and prestigious approaches to performing classical piano music. In addition to producing deeply creative and artistic musicians, it also prepares them with remarkable technique and a distinctive sound. How can the insights of this performance tradition be translated into other forms of musical knowledge besides those communicated in person through instructors at the famous conservatories of Moscow or St. Petersburg? If one does not have access to an in-person education, what can be learned from close analysis of performances? And in some ways, what might be learned through this process that might be articulated differently than what the teachers themselves verbally express? Specificity on what makes Russian pianists and their piano education exceptionally effective has been inaccessible to the rest of the world for many years. This inaccessibility was exasperated by Cold War tensions that occurred between the United States and Russia (formerly U.S.S.R) from 1947 to 1991. These tensions encouraged Nationalism within each country and the development of distinctive playing styles. Performance analysis and embodiment of recorded performances can help to bridge this knowledge gap and language barrier. In the past, performance analysis has mostly pertained to historical performance practice, mostly within the Baroque and pre-Baroque musical eras. However, a plethora of information on Russian performance practice and interpretation can be learned by analyzing recorded performances. Embodied performance is a practice that makes for exceptionally effective comprehension of performance interpretations in recordings. Specifically, embodied performance can be used to analyze focal impulses, microtiming, and asynchronies within recordings. Analyzing these features of music interpretation provides insight into Russian pianism and expression. The placement of focal impulses and microtiming conceptualizes how Russian pianists create a cantabile melody on the piano: the greatest illusion in the piano’s capabilities
Former College Athletes\u27 Experiences of Post-Sport Exercise: How Institutions Can Do Better
Full text linkFormer college athletes (FCAs) can exhibit detrimental changes to physical and mental perceptions following sports retirement. Because FCAs no longer engage in regular sports training, they also experience a loss of social support through teammates and coaches, and struggle with enacting their newfound autonomy to exercise. To understand how to help FCAs maintain exercise and health long-term, the purpose of this study is to explore former Division III (DIII) athletes\u27 experiences with exercise maintenance following retirement from sport and graduation from college, and understand their opinions on how their institution could have better prepared them for this transition. Fourteen former DIII athletes from the Hope College class of 2023 (22±1 years, 71% female, 85% White) completed semi-structured interviews via Zoom between November-December 2023. Interviews were based off of a previous data collection these participants completed following their retirement, in which their perceptions of health and fitness and plans for maintaining exercise were explored. Transcriptions from the present interviews are in the process of being analyzed, via the Consensual Qualitative Research method. Final results will be presented in full at CURCA in April, 2024, and will be utilized in future research to develop a behavioral program designed to prepare Hope College student-athletes for their retirement and future health maintenance