Aurora Sant’Angelo Advisor: Dr. Chela Willey The rod and frame test (RFT), developed by Witkins (1948), is a measure of visual field dependence and independence. Participants view a rod within a frame. The frame is rotated between true vertical and 18 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise. Participants who reliably distinguish the rod's position to true vertical are considered visually field independent, while those who are more influenced by the tilt of the frame and are unable to distinguish true vertical are considered visually field dependent. Previous studies have shown that training in specific athletic activities may correlate with degree of visual field dependence. Specifically, engagement in visual centered exercises, such as dance, favor field dependence, while gymnastics, yoga, and balance centered training favor visually field independence. Preliminary survey data collected about athletic activities across multiple experiments from our lab's various investigations using the RFT showed mixed results and demonstrated the need for further studies. Our current study will investigate subjects who are proficient in athletic activities that require balance training, such as swimming, yoga, and gymnastics. Our hypothesis is that those who are proficient in athletic activities requiring balance centered training will have fewer errors on the RFT, suggesting greater visual field independence than those who are not proficient in such activities. These results may shed light onto the individual differences reported in visual field dependence. They may have implications on the types of exercises implemented in physical therapy for sufferers of vertigo, motion sickness, and other inner ear ailments.

The present study assesses code-switching relative to an existing neuropsychological test of executive function within a group of neurotypical adults. Code-switching occurs when a bilingual person switches between two languages within a conversation. Bilingual individuals display advantages in cognitive flexibility and response inhibition (Bialystok et al., 2014). Code-switching is common among bilinguals and is hypothesized to utilize language inhibition and lexicon accessibility. Although code-switching relies heavily on working memory and executive function, there is no normative data that incorporates code-switching within existing neuropsychological tests (Ramezani et al., 2020). This study seeks to assess the validity of an online code-switching task that can be adapted for clinical use. The task utilizes a task-switching paradigm, similar to the Roger & Monsell method (Stoet 2010, 2017). Bilingual participants are predicted to outperform monolingual participants on the task. Preliminary analyses of data on 42 individuals suggest a small difference between the two groups, with bilinguals ( n = 4) receiving slightly higher accuracy scores ( M = .92, SD = .04) than monolinguals ( n = 38) ( M = .87, SD = .17) in the most mentally demanding condition. Similarly, bilinguals demonstrated marginally faster reaction times ( M = 1310ms, SD = 215) compared to monolinguals ( M = 1506ms, SD = 723) within the same condition. The findings suggest a slight advantage toward bilingualism, however, these results are preliminary due to small sample sizes. Further data collection will be conducted to understand the relationship between bilingualism, code-switching, and cognitive flexibility.

The ability to focus and pay attention is crucial for learning and social interactions. Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA) and probiotics play a role in neurodevelopment, neurofunction, and participate in the relationship between brain and gut microbiome. Past neurodevelopmental studies have not investigated how stress or relaxation affects these relationships, attention span, or focus. Therefore, this pilot study will differ by having subjects meditate prior to measuring attention span and focus. The study’s purpose is to determine if n-3 FA and/or probiotics improve attention span and focus in neurodiverse human subjects. This study is a randomized crossover design, utilizing two 6-week treatment periods (n-3 FA and probiotics supplements) with a 6-week wash-out period. At baseline and at the end of each treatment period, subjects will complete a meditation, followed by a pre-test to measure emotional well-being and relaxation status (number of heart beats/min). Then, attention span and focus will be measured using Stroop Color and Word test. Emotional well-being will be measured again with a post-test. If results show positive effects between probiotics and/or n-3 FA and focus/attention span, nutrition supplementation may be seen as a way to help improve and support cognitive function. Investigating effects of n-3 FA and probiotics on focus and attention may further support the relationship between one’s diet and cognitive function. As neurodevelopmental disorder diagnoses increase, further research is required. If evidence is found to support that n-3 FA and probiotic supplementation may improve attention and focus, it would potentially benefit those with learning disabilities.

Advertisements may elicit negative responses if they are surprising. This is generally attributed to the fact that advertisements are usually not relevant with regard to what the individuals were originally expecting to perceive, that is to say advertisements can be said to be interruptive of the desired experience. In this experiment, individuals were asked to watch a video where either (i) a full-length advertisement played only after the expected content was finished (backend condition), (ii) a full-length advertisement played before the expected content began and after the expected content was finished (bothend condition), or (iii) a shortened preview of an advertisement played before the expected content began and a full-length advertisement played after the expected content was finished (preview condition). We predicted that individuals assigned to the preview condition would have a more positive attitude about a brand or product than individuals assigned to the backend or bothend conditions. We expect to yield results which support this prediction and supply evidence for earnestly considering the placement of advertisements on online platforms due to how consumer response is affected.