Bachelor of Arts Theses, 2007

With 170 psychology majors per year, a large number of Wesleyan seniors write Honors Theses. Current abstracts are included in each volume of Mind Matters. The following are abstracts from 2007.

Counting, Estimation, and Nonsymbolic Approximate Addition in Young Children
                Ariel Ballinger

Previous studies have demonstrated that counting ability has a profound effect on children's numerical estimation performance (Lipton & Spelke, 2005). Other studies have suggested that verbally-based number skills do not contribute to performance on tasks that tap approximation abilities, such as approximate arithmetic (Barth, La Mont, Lipton, & Spelke, 2005). Here, we assessed the counting ability of 5-year-old children and had them perform an estimation task, a nonsymbolic approximate addition task, and a symbolic approximate addition task to further investigate the relationship between learned symbolic number knowledge and nonsymbolic representations of number. We classified children as Level 1 counters (those who were unable to count to 35), Level 2 counters (those who were unable to count to 60), and Level 3 counters (those who counted perfectly to 60). Although the accuracy of children's estimates was dependent on counting ability, children from all counting classifications produced estimates that increased linearly in proportion to the target number for numerosities within and beyond their counting range. In addition, children's performance on the nonsymbolic and symbolic approximate addition tasks was above chance and not influenced by counting ability. These findings provide further evidence for the independence of learned number knowledge and approximate number tasks.

Exploring Women's (Hetero)Sexual Desire at Wesleyan
                Sarah Ellen Faeth

This thesis directly addresses sexual desire, a large component of sexual subjectivity. The thesis begins with an examination of current research on sexual desire, as understood through biomedical models, the institution of heterosexuality, and various sociocultural discourses. The latter part of the thesis involves a discussion of sexual desire at Wesleyan, and how this desire is affected by the campus context. Through online surveys, 40 respondents were asked to provide their personal definitions of sexual desire. Respondents were then asked about their preconceptions about Wesleyan's sexual atmosphere, and changes since coming to college, like leaving parents, meeting new friends, and encountering drugs and alcohol, and how these preconceptions and shifts affected their experience of sexual desire. Respondents were also asked about their best and worst sexual experiences, and their awareness of the perceptions of others, and the subsequent effects on their sexual desire. These responses both correspond to, and differ from, other current research findings; therefore, understanding of sexual desire are both confirmed and challenged. This thesis demonstrates the necessity of understanding the heterogeneity of women's sexual desire, and how addressing the importance of individual experience will lead to a fuller comprehension of women's sexuality overall.

The Relationship Between Comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)/Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Chronic Medical Conditions in a Nationally Representative Sample
                Brittany Speisman

Aims: To investigate the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical health conditions among a nationally representative sample of traumatized individuals. Design/Participants: The present analyses focused on respondents who completed Part II of the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R) and who reported exposure to at least one traumatic event in their lifetime (N = 4984). The sample was divided into four groups based on DSM-IV diagnoses: 1) Comorbid PTSD/MDD, 2) PTSD only, 3) MDD only, and 4) trauma only (no PTSD or MDD). Separate logistic regression analyses controlling for several sociodemographic and health risk behavior variables were conducted to examine the multivariate relationships between psychiatric group status and self-reported headaches, back/neck pain, chronic pain, allergies, arthritis as well as reports of doctor diagnosed ulcers, asthma, cardiovascular diseases, lung disease, diabetes, and epilepsy. Results: Group status was related to all self reported health conditions. In general, individuals with comorbid PTSD/MDD were more likely to report experiencing these conditions compared to the other three groups. When examining doctor diagnosed conditions, group status was related to reports of ulcers, cancer, and epilepsy. Compared to the trauma only group, the comorbid PTSD/MDD and MDD only groups were significantly more likely to report a diagnosis of an ulcer and the comorbid PTSD/MDD group was more likely to report cancer. In addition, the MDD only group was less likely to report epilepsy compared to all other groups. Group status was not related to cardiovascular diseases (i.e., high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack, stroke), asthma, lung disease or diabetes. Conclusions: Self-reported physical health conditions were most strongly associated with comorbidity between PTSD and MDD, whereas the majority of doctor diagnosed health conditions were not related to group status. These findings suggest that psychiatric comorbidity may impact perceptions of physical health; however, the relationship between psychiatric morbidity and doctor diagnosed measures of health may vary based on the physical health outcome assessed.

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