JBC Commons (New College of Florida)
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EXAMINING TEMPOROPARIETAL SYNCHRONY BETWEEN AUTISTIC INDIVIDUALS WHEN WORKING ALONE AND TOGETHER
No full textAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been defined and diagnosed in part dependent on social dysfunction or poor fit, but with whom? Have we been measuring fundamental social deficits, or just between-group differences in autistic and non-autistic populations? Only within the past decade have researchers begun to compare interactions between autistic people themselves rather than to non-autistic controls, and this recent work has shown that social interaction and affinity can be quite successful in autistic individuals when interacting with other autistic people. However, this work has only been behavioral, and no studies thus far have examined these interactions neuroscientifically. In this study, I used EEG hyperscanning to correlate the synchrony of autistic participants’ temporoparietal junctions, a brain region important for social perspective-taking. In the first condition, participants worked on a puzzle alone on the opposite side of the room without talking to each other, and in the second condition, participants faced each other and interacted while working on the same puzzle together. After the interaction, participants filled out a rapport form. I hypothesized that there would be greater TPJ synchrony between participants in the second condition. My results did not support my hypothesis; TPJ correlation coefficients were clustered around 0 (no correlation) in the second condition. There was also a significant difference in mean correlation coefficients between conditions. Despite this, supporting the emerging behavioral research between autistic people, the autistic participants were observed to have high interpersonal rapport with each other and the rapport forms reflected this. The significance and interpretation of these results are discussed
DUMPLING MANATEE SIMULATION: RAISING AWARENESS ON NUTRIENT POLLUTION-RELATED MANATEE MORTALITY THROUGH VIRTUAL REALITY
No full textThe Florida manatee faces most threats from humans, including starvation that results from human-caused nutrient pollution. To reduce this threat and lower nutrient pollution, a Virtual Reality (VR) educational game called “Dumpling Manatee Simulation” was developed to raise awareness on this issue and what everyday actions players can take to contribute to making a difference. In this simulation, the player starts by becoming a manatee underwater and living a day in the life of a manatee. Then the player learns about nutrient pollution and eutrophication at manatee school before experiencing firsthand the increased difficulty the issue poses to manatees. The game ends after the player reads a letter with actionable items and becomes a human again. By leveraging embodiment, landscape visualization, and the increased engagement from gamification and the immersion of VR, this project aims to increase user empathy with manatees, educate users on nutrient pollution and what actions they can take to help, and create a lasting impact to motivate users to take these actions. A proposed evaluation of the simulation consists of a user study that utilizes surveys administered outside the game and gameplay data collected automatically during the game to measure the simulation’s educational impact, usability, immersion, and presence. Evaluation results could be used to further iterate this simulation or inform the development of future VR games that seek to increase players’ environmental awareness
SCARES ON STAGE: ANALYZING HOW HORROR FUNCTIONS DIFFERENTLY ON STAGE AND IN FILM
No full textNo abstract provided
Optimizing Motor Imagery BCIs: A Motor Imagery EEG Classification Protocol Using Evolutionary Optimization and Low Sample Training-Sets
No full textThis research utilizes an evolutionary approach to optimizing Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interface (MI-BCI) classification by integrating Binary Particle Swarm Optimization (BPSO) withWavelet Packet Decomposition (WPD) and Common Spatial Pattern (CSP) feature extraction methods (WCSP+BPSO). The study aims to reduce the reliance on extensive user-specific training data, a significant barrier to the practical deployment of BCIs. By applying BPSO after the WCSP feature extraction process, we develop a method that enhances classifier performance, even with limited training samples. Furthermore, through the analysis of the extracted BPSO filters, new insights into the nuances of MI-EEG data amongst people. The efficacy of this integrated approach is evaluated across three BCI Competition datasets, demonstrating that it matches or surpasses state-of-the-art results in MI-EEG classification with significantly fewer training samples. This advancement not only contributes to the field of EEG classification by providing a more efficient and practical approach to developing MI-BCIs but also has important implications for the broader accessibility and applicability of BCI technologies, particularly for individuals with mobility impairments or neurodegenerative diseases. The study underlines the potential of combining evolutionary optimization techniques with advanced signal processing methods to improve the performance of BCIs. Our method achieved averaged 5-CV accuracies of 99.5%, 97.5%, and 97.9% on the BCI Competition datasets III-IVa, IVI, and IV-IIa respectively. While our approach signals a significant methodological leap, it acknowledges the computational challenges and the need for validation in more diverse real-world settings as primary limitations
The Modern Political Revolution: Why is Right Wing Populism So Successful in The Post-Industrial West
No full textThe last 10-15 years has seen a rise in Populist Radical Right Parties (PRRPs) support in many “western” democracies. This has led to the obvious question of why these parties have seen such an explosion of support. Answering this question creates several frustrating dilemmas. To start off, each ascendant PRRP is situated in its own national context. Some are independent parties, such as the AFD in Germany, while others are factions that have gained power and influence within pre-existing parties, such as the rise of Donald Trump within the American Republican party. Not every PRRP has the same agenda, policy platform, or public face. However, it would be untrue to say the success of each of these parties is completely independent from the others. It seems impossible that the rise of so many of these political movements at similar times is a complete coincidence. Therefore, we must identify the shared attributes of these PRRPs and how those shared attributes might explain their shared success. This paper shows how situating the modern rise in Populism within its historical context shows us that the factors of ethnic/national identity and disillusionment from power structures are important factors in predicting support for PRRPs. I will use the case of Germany to show how this approach can help fill out a comprehensive answer to the question of the recent success of PRRPs
The Restorative Benefits of Green Spaces in the College Student Experience
No full textMore and more of the global population is starting to live in cities, where they may have limited access to meaningful interactions with nature. This not only reduces empathy and concern for the climate as a whole, but also produces tangible effects on the wellbeing of individuals. Incorporating nature into urban landscapes through public green spaces (such as parks) improves mental health and functioning by reducing stress and alleviating mental strain. The current study examines green spaces on a college campus to analyze how the benefits of interacting with nature can be maximized for this specific group. An established scale based in Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan, 1995) was administered to current college students (N = 25), and data was synthesized into a plan for a public green space that could combine the most effective aspects of each space to theoretically maximize the restorative benefits provided to students. Findings suggest that this hypothetical green space would need to have a water feature, something symbolic of the New College identity, customizable aspects, and close proximity to established campus spaces in order to be most restorative
Making Sense of the Thrill of Theme Parks: Immersion, Simulation, and Sensory Stimulation
No full textWhile immersive experiences are not new, they have been rapidly gaining popularity in entertainment as of recent; it seems that more and more venues are turning their attention to this form of entertainment. The rise of escape rooms and even 3D movies are evidence of this desire to be immersed in the story, as opposed to just viewing it. From my research, I have noticed that theme parks such as Disney World and Universal Studios have also been intensifying the immersion of their parks. In my research, I relied heavily on the work of Josephine Machon, a leading scholar in the immersive field, as well as Keir Elam. I consulted the work of Jean Beaudrillard as I explored the possibility of these spaces being simulation. Ultimately, I found that sensory stimulation and movement are highly effective forms of immersion. In this thesis, I would like to add to the conversation around immersive experiences by analyzing the theme park as an immersive space and what elements of immersion are found in theme parks
FROM NÜXIA TO XIANÜ: FEMALE AGENCY IN CLASSICAL CHINESE ZHIGUAI XIAOSHUO
No full textThe Tang dynasty tale, “The Merchant’s Wife” (“Guren qi” 贾人妻) by Xue Yongruo 薛用弱, and its Qing dynasty rewrite, “A Female Knight-Errant” (“Xianü” 侠女) by Pu Songling 蒲松龄 represent interesting depictions of a nüxia within the zhiguai xiaoshuo tradition that show her journey from an empowered character with agency to a flatly powerful character without said agency. In order to argue this conclusive analysis between the two iterations, I first define the concepts of power, empowerment, and agency within the historical, cultural, and literary contexts of each iteration. Though both women exhibit power, they are not both able to access agency which I define in these contexts as the ability to know/have individual, personal desires and then act on them. Through this analysis, my thesis concludes that where “The Merchant’s Wife” highlights the character’s agency in the motivations and subsequent actions that frame her revenge, the narrative changes of these elements in “A Lady Knight-Errant” remove her internal motivations and therefore her agency
Where\u27s the Water? Indigenous Sovereignty and Co-management in the Everglades
No full textThis thesis looks at the degradation and restoration of the Everglades ecosystem, through the framework of settler colonialism. The Everglades region has a unique settler colonial structure, known as the South Florida Water Management District, which controls water resources and the livelihood of indigenous people in the Everglades. The settler colonial structure has created water quantity conflict between the stakeholders in the Everglades, revolving around the closing of flood gates to protect the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, as water quality conflicts revolving around agricultural pollutants in the Everglades, in the present day. This thesis attempts to address these issues of water management by creating recommendations for a Co-management plan of the Big Cypress National Preserve, a federally protected area in south Florida. The thesis concludes by looking forwards to where the Everglades will be in a world of sea level rise and increased flooding, as well as how future conservation movements can uplift indigenous people
MITIGATING AFFECTIVE POLITICAL POLARIZATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA: A LITERATURE REVIEW
No full textThe creation of social media and news outlets have triggered an increase in political polarization, more specifically affective polarization. Proliferation of misinformation/disinformation, algorithms pushing people into filter bubbles, selective exposure leading to the development of echo chambers are just some of the ways social media can become extremely unhealthy and give way to high levels of affective polarization. There is no need to fret, not yet, as there are ways to mitigate the issue of affective political polarization, this thesis intends to look at these ways while attempting to answer the question “To what extent does affective polarization exist on social media platforms (more specifically Twitter and Facebook) and what potential mitigation strategies can be brought about to mitigate the levels of affective polarization?” The purpose of this thesis is to take a look into the way that social media is used and how it can worsen the effects of political polarization in an affective context. Four strategies have been proposed to mitigate the means of affective polarization; Counter narratives, algorithmic adjustments, media literacy, and fact checking. Through the literature it is drawn that fact checking and media literacy are the best course of action to take when it comes to lowering levels of affective polarization. The end goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding as to how political polarization through social media happens, how this impacts people, and to what extent can political polarization via social media be diminished