UNDERGRADUATE THESIS PROJECTS
2019
WAN LIU
SELECTIVE NUMERACY:
EFFECTS OF NUMERACY, POPULAR-SCIENCE REPORTS AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ON DATA-BASED DECISION MAKING.
Abstract
In the current research, the effects of numeracy, exposure to popular-science reports and
personal experience on people’s data-based decision making were examined. Past literature found that numeracy was associated with people’s data-based decision making, whereas people’s exposure to popular-science reports did not seem to impact their decisions. Furthermore, people’s personal experience might bias their decision making towards their own perspectives. We collected data from English-speaking adult participants (N = 187) residing in the United States and Canada who were recruited through MTurk and completed the online study. Results showed that participants with higher numeracy were more likely to make the correct data-based decision. However, participants used their numeracy selectively. They seemed to use their numeracy skills only to confirm their own desire rather than scientific findings. No significant association was found between personal experience and data-based decision making. Future research may examine different general life domain decision-making topics to examine the replicability of the results.
*Thesis award winner
2018
NICOLE COLLINS
EXPLORING COGNITIVE PREDICTORS THROUGH THE PATHWAYS TO MATHEMATICS MODEL
Collins, Nicole, "Exploring Cognitive Predictors Through the Pathways to Mathematics Model" (2018). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 78.
*Thesis award winner
2017
BRITTANY HAYNES
PLEASE IGNORE THOSE GESTURES: DOES WARNING REDUCE THE GESUTRAL MISINFORMATION EFFECT?
Haynes, Brittany, "Please Ignore Those Gestures: Does Warning Reduce the Gestural Misinformation Effect?" (2017). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 59.
*Thesis award winner
2017
MELISSA ELFERS
DO WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW? INVESTIGATING THE VALIDITY OF NUMBER REPRESENTATION INDICES.
Elfers, Melissa, "Do We Know What We Know? Investigating the Validity of Number Representation Indices" (2017). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 62.
2016
BRENDA OSEI-BOADI
THE ROLE OF WORKING MEMORY CAPACITY IN MATH PERFORMANCE.
Osei-Boadi, Brenda, "The Role of Working Memory Capacity in Math Performance" (2016). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 34.
2016
OLIVIA WASSING
COGNITIVE PREDICTORS OF TIME AND UNTIMED EARLY ARITHMETIC PERFORMANCE.
Wassing, Olivia N., "Cognitive Predictors of Timed and Untimed Early Arithmetic Performance" (2016). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 52.
2015
RYLAN WARING
GETTING WHAT YOU ORDERED: SYMBOLIC AND NON-SYMBOLIC ORDINALITY AS PREDICTORS OF EXACT AND APPROXIMATE CALCULATION IN ADULTS.
Waring, Rylan J., "Getting what you Ordered: Symbolic and Non-Symbolic Ordinality as Predictors of Exact and Approximate Calculation in Adults" (2015). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 24.
*Thesis award winner
2015
ADAM NEWTON
COUNT ON DIVERSITY: THE COGNITIVE AND MATHEMATICAL PROFILES OF CHILDREN IN EARLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
Newton, Adam, "Count on Diversity: The Cognitive and Mathematical Profiles of Children in Early Elementary School" (2015). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 17.
2014
MYLES MAILLET
Maillet, Myles A., "The effectiveness of mindful eating in a student population" (2014). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 7.
*Global undergraduate award winner