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The Moderating Role of Interoceptive Sensitivity in the Relationship Between Self-Surveillance and Eating in the Absence of Hunger
Get PDFAdaptive eating is an appetitive behavior driven by bodily needs and is imperative to supporting physical and cognitive health and well-being across the lifespan. Interoception, or the ability to accurately sense and respond to physiological signals, guides adaptive eating. Research shows that negative body image fosters maladaptive schemas about eating, making individuals more vulnerable to disordered eating. One dimension of negative body image driving disordered eating is self-surveillance, or vigilant body monitoring to attain sociocultural standards of attractiveness. In the present study, we investigated whether interoceptive sensitivity moderates the relationship between self-surveillance and eating in the absence of hunger, a disordered eating behavior characterized by eating past the point of satiety. University students (N = 157) completed: 1) an 8-item self-report questionnaire assessing self-surveillance, 2) two tasks measuring cardiac and gastric sensitivity, and a 3) 10-minute task measuring eating in the absence of hunger. After running multiple linear regressions, we found that high self-surveillance scores predicted less eating in the absence of hunger, with low cardiac sensitivity (but not gastric sensitivity) moderating this relationship when controlling for the effect of gender. Additional exploratory analyses revealed that low gastric sensitivity predicted less eating in the absence of hunger, with gender moderating this relationship. We suggest a self-regulatory mechanism where low cardiac sensitivity amplifies cognitive control over disordered eating as a means of striving toward thinness. Moreover, the role of gender indicates that other social pressures impact the ability to adaptively eat. These findings present key practical implications for clinical interventions promoting healthy body image and adaptive eating, along with future directions for advancing theoretical knowledge about interoception’s effect in natural settings.Bachelor of Art
CRAFTED CONNECTIONS: SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS OF POTTERY AND COMMUNITY IN THE NORTH CAROLINA–VIRGINIA PIEDMONT, A.D. 1000–1710
Get PDFThis study investigates the communities and culture of the Piedmont Village Tradition (PVT) spanning A.D. 1000 to 1710 in the central North Carolina Piedmont and southern Virginia. Drawing on social network analysis (SNA) of over 535,000 ceramic sherds from 25 sites recorded in the RLA Pottery Database, the research assesses temper composition and exterior surface treatments as proxies for technological decisions and social signaling. Results indicate that temper choices remained largely localized and stable throughout the period, suggesting that potters relied on established geological knowledge and consistent resource-procurement practices. In contrast, the evolution of exterior surface treatments—from homogeneity in earlier phases to more diverse, spatially correlated clusters in later periods—mirrors broader socio-economic shifts, which might including demographic expansion, agricultural intensification during the Late Woodland period, and the social political upheaval of the Contact Period. These findings highlight the dynamic interplay between functional needs and social identity expression in ceramic production, offering a nuanced understanding of cultural continuity and transformation within PVT communities.Bachelor of Scienc
Neural Foundations of Emotion: Frontal Alpha Asymmetry in 4-Month-Old Infants
Get PDFThis study investigates frontal alpha oscillations and asymmetry in 4-month-old infants, offering an early developmental perspective on neurophysiological markers. Using electroencephalography (EEG), we examined alpha power in 25 infants (15 with prenatal nicotine exposure, 10 controls) during a mismatch negativity task (MMN). Results revealed the presence of alpha oscillations at this early age, while asymmetry indices depicted balanced or slightly right-dominant frontal alpha patterns, though individual differences were evident. Statistical analysis found no significant differences in alpha asymmetry patterns between control and prenatally nicotine-exposed groups (Welch's t-test, t = -0.332, p = 0.744) and non-parametric methods (Mann-Whitney U test, U = 65.0, p = 0.598). Our findings represent one of the earliest documented instances of alpha asymmetry in infants with prenatal nicotine exposure. These findings suggest that fundamental neural architecture supporting affective processing and approach-withdrawal tendencies is established substantially earlier than previously recognized, with implications for understanding typical neurodevelopment and potential early identification of atypical developmental trajectories.Bachelor of Scienc
Mindset Variations among Undergraduate Neuroscience Students
Get PDFGrowth mindset, the belief that intelligence is malleable, is linked to academic success and resilience, particularly in STEM disciplines. Prior research suggests that students from historically excluded groups (defined by race, gender, and generation status) often exhibit weaker growth mindsets in STEM before interventions are introduced, primarily due to systemic barriers and heightened stress. However, this study challenges those findings both quantitatively and qualitatively, revealing that most neuroscience students display growth mindsets without intervention. Notably, growth mindset ratings were significantly higher among students who self-identified as belonging to racial and ethnic minority groups such as PEERs (Persons Excluded because of their Ethnicity or Race). These results highlight the need for further exploration of mindset across diverse demographics, particularly within the context of neuroscience education, as existing research largely focuses on disciplines such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics.Bachelor of Scienc
From the Grassroots to the Globe: Transformation and Change in Medellin's Comuna 13
Get PDFThis work examines transformation and change from the foundations of Comuna 13 to its importance as a tourist destination. The specific focus is on grassroots leadership and change in the Comuna. Bachelor of Art
This Land Was Made For You and Me: Evaluating the Relationship Between Undergraduates’ Sense of Belonging and Political Participation
Get PDFAs politics takes a forefront in daily conversations, understanding political participation (or lack thereof) is increasingly important. College students are a particularly interesting population due to their inherent recency to the political sphere and susceptibility to social norms (Shulman & Levine, 2012; Renström et al., 2021). Social norms may impact political participation through feelings of belonging, in particular. Social acceptance by following social norms is a significant predictor of belonging, which has shown to be associated with better perceptions of education experience (Freeman et al., 2007; Maluenda-Albornoz, et al., 2022). Students who feel they belong to their university may experience more motivation for participation (Maluenda-Albornoz, et al., 2022). I hypothesized that a student’s sense of belonging would be associated with political activity, political interest, and political interaction. I employed a survey design that included reliable and valid scales of belonging, school belonging, political efficacy, activism, and behaviors. Using a sample of college students (N=186) from North Carolina, I found that both general belonging and school belonging significantly predicted external political efficacy when controlling for political ideology. Political ideology also moderated this effect. Further analysis should explore other interpersonal variables that could affect college students' political participation.Bachelor of Art
NORTH CAROLINA STUDENT VS. REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS’ COVERAGE OF FREE SPEECH ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES: A CONTENT ANALYSIS
Get PDFThe way newspapers cover protests impacts how the public feels about the protesters and the issue at hand. This makes fair sourcing, sentiment, and depth of coverage essential to ensure readers are informed as voters and community members. A content analysis of articles from student newspapers at the three largest public universities and the two largest private universities in North Carolina and their respective regional newspapers was performed to compare their coverage of issues of free speech on college campuses. The findings revealed that on average student journalists were closer to their sources, were slightly more neutral, had higher readability, and were more likely to include mobilizing information while local journalists named and quoted more sources and wrote longer articles. This study provides insights into how both student and local newspapers provide value to their readers and where there are differences in coverage. College newspapers appear to focus more on the student experience and impact, and are more accessible to busy college students, while local newspapers use more sources overall and their articles are longer. A more comprehensive understanding of events could be achieved by using both sources.Bachelor of Art
A Comparative Investigation of Multi-Source and Clinical Cone Beam Computed Tomography in Predicting Dental Implant Stability with Porcine Model
Get PDFAccurate assessment of bone quality is pivotal for successful dental implant therapy, where primary stability, commonly indicated by insertion torque, serves as a critical predictor of implant longevity. This study evaluated whether a novel multisource cone beam computed tomography (ms-CBCT) design offers a more accurate correlation between bone density—approximated by Hounsfield Unit (HU) values—and implant insertion torque compared to conventional single-source CBCT for implant planning. A total of 12 dental implant sites were imaged by both ms-CBCT and conventional CBCT. HU values were calculated by averaging voxel values in the vicinity of each planned implant location. Insertion torque was recorded intraoperatively using a digital torque wrench. Correlation analyses (Pearson’s r) assessed the strength of the association between insertion torque and HU values from each imaging modality. ms-CBCT-derived HU showed a higher and statistically significant correlation with insertion torque (R2 = 0.8306, p = 1.42E-5) than that of the conventional CBCT (R2 = 0.5524, p = 0.0056). However, the inter-group t-test did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.146), likely due to the limited sample size. These findings nonetheless suggest that ms-CBCT may better approximate local bone quality relevant to primary implant stability. By mitigating scatter and cupping beam artifacts, ms-CBCT enhances HU accuracy and achieves a stronger correlation with implant insertion torque. These findings highlight ms-CBCT’s clinical potential to improve patient-specific implant planning, reduce failure rates, and refine treatment protocols in implant dentistry.Bachelor of Art
Addressing Heat-Related Illnesses in North Carolina
Get PDFIn North Carolina and across the country, climate change has led to warmer average temperatures. Periods of extreme heat, an increasingly common weather event in North Carolina, can result in heat-related illness, including heat exhaustion, heat stroke and even death. Heat-related illness puts health at risk, especially among low- income populations, adds to healthcare expenditures, strains resources and decreases productivity. In this paper, we define the problem, evaluate different policy solutions, determine the most effective policy solution and propose a three-year budget. We found that the most impactful, cost-effective and equitable policy solution is to ban utility companies in North Carolina from disconnecting residents' power for nonpayment May-September, or in a period of extreme heat. The policy will be evaluated by tracking the number of households that retain power during summer months, calculating the change in heat-related ED visits over time, and holding focus groups.Master of Public Healt
Navigating Rising Waters: Chronic Flooding and Migration Intentions in Eastern North Carolina
Get PDFThis study investigates the relationship between chronic flooding and migration intentions in coastal North Carolina, with a focus on the counties of Carteret, Craven, Dare, and Hyde. Given the increasing frequency of flooding, this research aims to understand how varying levels of experienced flood intensity affect residents' decisions to remain in or leave their town. Using household survey data from 2021, the study explores both the distribution of flood intensity and migration intention across urban and rural areas, with particular focus on how these variables differ by geographic and demographic characteristics. The findings reveal that respondents who experience medium and low flood intensity are more likely to consider migration, while those facing high flood intensity are generally less likely to migrate, although these results were not consistently statistically significant. By examining how chronic flooding impacts residents' perceptions and future plans, this research offers valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers seeking to develop flood mitigation and adaptation strategies.Master of City and Regional Plannin