Scripps Senior Theses Copyright (c) 2013 Claremont Colleges All rights reserved. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses Recent documents in Scripps Senior Theses en-us Mon, 20 May 2013 12:34:27 PDT 3600 Effect of Hinge Region Phosphorylation on the Localization of tHP1 in Tetrahymena thermophila http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/164 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/164 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:50 PST Within the cell nucleus, there are regions of highly condensed, transcriptionally silent chromatin called heterochromatin. Heterochromatin plays an important role in both chromosomal stability and gene regulation within the cell. Heterochromatin assembly is mediated by Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) binding to epigenetically marked histone tails, most notably methylated H3K9. HP1 is post-translationally phosphorylated at serine and threonine residues, and this phosphorylation has been shown to increase HP1’s binding affinity for methylated H3K9 and heterochromatin formation. To study the effect of phosphorylation on heterochromatin assembly and HP1 localization within the nucleus, the unicellular protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila was used. Tetrahymena is an ideal model for this work because cells have a dynamic chromatin environment. Tetrahymena have an HP1-like protein, tHP1, which localizes to transcriptionally silent chromatin bodies within the otherwise transcriptionally active macronucleus. tHP1 is known to be phosphorylated at threonine-64 (site one) and at either serine-102 or threonine-103 (site two). Previous work shows that when phosphorylation at both sites is prevented, tHP1 exhibits decreased localization to chromatin bodies. In order to determine which site of phosphorylation accounts for tHP1’s localization to regions of heterochromatin, mutant proteins that allow phosphorylation at only one of the two sites were generated. The efforts to engineer a mutant protein that cannot be phosphorylated at site two and to visualize the protein’s localization throughout cell development are discussed. When phosphorylation is prevented at site two, tHP1 localization to regions of heterochromatin remains intact. These results suggest that phosphorylation at site one, not site two, may be responsible for tHP1 localization to macronuclear chromatin bodies. A mechanism by which site one phosphorylation influences tHP1 targeting to regions of heterochromatin is proposed. Furthermore, bioinformatics techniques are employed to identify other tHP1-like proteins within Tetrahymena. Characterization of these proteins will likely contribute to a more complete model of how heterochromatin is assembled in Tetrahymena.

]]> Emily Bulley et al. Possible T Cell Immune Response to AAV Treatment in non-Human Primates with Spinal Cord Injury http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/163 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/163 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:48 PST Neurons in the spinal cord do not spontaneously regenerate, which often leads to debilitating injuries. One method proposed to promote axonal regeneration is the injection of viruses carrying genes for growth factors into the injured spinal cord. One such virus, the adeno-associated virus (AAV), has shown promise in gene therapy medical research. However, injecting AAV into rhesus macaques with C7 spinal cord hemisection lesions actually leads to motor neuron loss in the gray matter of the spinal cord, rather than contributing to the preservation or regeneration of axons. This unexpected result highlights the necessity of further testing with therapeutic approaches for axon regeneration in nonhuman primate models before moving into clinical trials. It is possible that an immune-related T cell response to the AAV-transfected cells causes this motor neuron loss. T cells are white blood cells that play a role in attacking cells infected with viruses. It is unknown whether such a response of the immune system to respond with an up-regulation of T cells may be taking place over a relatively short period (weeks) or over many months. This question was tested here: T cells were stained in spinal cord sections caudal (below) the lesion in the spinal cord and near AAV injection sites to determine whether there was a greater quantity of T cells in these areas compared to the subject’s baseline levels. Subjects that had AAV therapeutic injections and that were examined 6 months after the injection were found to have greater quantities of T cells than those who did not have injections containing AAV. It was also found that the AAV-injected subjects examined only 6 weeks post injection did not have greater quantities of T cells than control subjects. These results suggest that there may be a delayed immune response to the AAV injections in nonhuman primates with spinal cord injury, which occurs over a period of months. Pinpointing the mechanism that causes this cell death would allow researchers to create a safer therapeutic that could promote axonal growth in people with spinal cord injuries.

]]> Laura Wyatt et al. The Energetic Demand of Low Tide Stress on Balanus glandula Under Varying Thermal Conditions http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/162 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/162 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:47 PST Like all intertidal species, the barnacle Balanus glandula must cope with temperature and desiccation stress during daily low tide exposure. The increase in temperature at low tide leads to both increased metabolic rate and the potential for increased ATP demand. With its additional inhibition of oxygen intake, low tide thus has an energetic cost that is often reflected in an increase in oxygen consumption following resubmersion. As anthropogenically induced global climate change increases air and water temperatures, its cost might increase. B. glandula individuals were exposed to 4‑hour low tides with maximal temperatures of 18, 30, 35, and 38°C, and their oxygen consumption rates and behaviors were recorded for 4 hours upon resubmersion. It was found that aerial respiration could be measured, though aerial rates were only a fraction of aquatic rates. It was further found that relative aquatic oxygen consumption rates were not elevated following low tide for any temperatures. However, B. glandula individuals exposed to 35 and 38°C low tides remained active a significantly greater portion of time through the first and second hours of recovery, respectively. This indicates that a low tide stress effect is evident in B. glandula, but that it manifests not as an increase in the respiration rate when active, but rather as an increase in the overall activity time. Thus, with increasing global temperatures B. glandula will likely have increased energy needs. This might lead to range relocations, a drive to find new energy sources, and/or reallocations of energy budgets.

]]> Alicia M. Hendrix Dehydration in Southern Toads (Anaxyrus terrestris): Metabolic Costs and Effects of Temperature Selection http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/161 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/161 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:45 PST Southern toads (Anaxyrus terrestris) are ectothermic terrestrial amphibians. As such they are sensitive to thermal and hydric variability. The interactive effect of hydration state and body temperature is not well understood. The aim of this study is to determine if the costs of dehydration vary at different temperatures and if so, whether toads will select different temperatures to minimize these costs. Costs of dehydration were evaluated by measuring metabolic rate at 100% and 85% hydration state, at 30 and 20 oC. Temperature selection of toads at 100% and 85% hydration state was measured using a thermal gradient. Body temperature, but not hydration state, was determined to have a significant effect on metabolic rate. No significant difference in temperature selection was found between toads at 100% and 85% hydration state. Thus, thermoregulatory behavior as influenced by hydration state could not be predicted in Anaxyrus terrestris.

]]> Claire E. Forster Foraging Ontogeny in an Urban Population of Black Phoebes (Sayornis Nigricans) http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/160 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/160 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:44 PST The ability to forage successfully is intimately tied to juvenile survivorship in many avian species. The time it takes juveniles to develop competent foraging skills varies with the prey type and foraging behaviors. My research examined the length of time it took juvenile Black Phoebes (Sayornis nigricans), a bird species abundant in urban environments, to exhibit foraging behavior similar to adults. Black phoebes are insectivorous and forage by scanning for and then pursuing potential prey. I hypothesized that before they disperse, approximately two months after fledging, juvenile phoebes should forage as successfully as adults. Because foraging proficiency affects time allocation, the study also compared how juveniles spend their time compared to adults. In support of my hypothesis, when juveniles were five weeks old, they foraged as successfully as adults. However, by the time of dispersal juveniles did not allocate their time similarly to adults, spending more time flying and less time perched than adults. Finally, the scanning rate and duration of foraging flights were similar to adults after the second week of successful foraging (around week six of age). Overall, these results indicate that foraging is a learned behavior that juveniles develop during their first few months of independence. Early development of proficient foraging abilities increases chances of survival. However, the development of proficient foraging abilities appears to precede the development of effective time allocation, which must occur sometime after independence.

]]> Jessica N. Baker Evidence for the Bypass of the Response-Selection Bottleneck in Tasks with Reflexive Responses in Younger and Older Adults http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/159 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/159 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:42 PST This study investigated dual-task processing in younger and older adults using a psychological refractory period procedure. The first task was to name the color framing a picture; the second task was to either press a button or tilt their body in the direction of the tilt of the picture. In the body-tilt condition, electromyography was used to determine the reaction time. The stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA) between the onset of the color and tilting of the picture varied from 50 to 1000 ms. In contrast with the response selection bottleneck model, which claims that processing of a second task cannot be completed until the first task is finished, the mode of response for the two tasks directly impacted the ability to avoid the bottleneck. In the body-tilt condition the increase in reaction time to the second task with decreasing SOA was less than in the button press condition, suggesting that processing of the second task could begin before processing of the first task was completed. This was true for both younger and older adults. Contrary to previous findings that older adults cannot engage in simultaneous processing of two tasks, evidence was found that older adults, like younger adults, could bypass the cognitive bottleneck if the second task has a reflexive component.

]]> Brandi S. Seaman The Beautiful Corpse: Violence against Women in Fashion Photography http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/158 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/158 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:41 PST My senior thesis deals with contemporary depictions of sexualized violence against women in fashion photography. Images of bloodied, bruised, and dead-looking models have proliferated in fashion magazine editorials and advertisements since the 1970s and I want to explore why sexualized violence is seen as sexy and compelling advertising, in light of the fact that domestic violence is the greatest cause of injury to women in America. I produced my own fashion photographs in locations of actual female homicides in Los Angeles County, particularly those nearest to Claremont, with the use of The Los Angeles Times online homicide database, which pinpoints every homicide reported in L.A. County since 2007. We live in a world plagued by violence and by creating my own violent, fashion photographs in actual homicide locations, I hoped to jar the viewer out of neutrality and expose violent advertisements and editorials for what they are: objectifying, exploitative, and perverse expressions of hostility against women. The images abuse and demean commercial speech privileges and glamorize and trivialize horrific, actual experiences of violence suffered by countless women.

]]> Susan C. Bryant Adenine Uracil Guanine: An Exploration of Certainty in Science http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/157 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/157 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:39 PST Collaboration and communication between conventionally diverse fields can allow for deeper understanding and clearer analysis of the concepts within each. Two fields traditionally seen as dichotomous are those of art and science. Historically they approach problems in opposite ways. However, I would argue that they in fact investigate very similar questions, hoping to discover the ways that the world works. It makes sense, then, that historically these fields have sometimes been able to interact. Artists have engaged with science by creating work through scientific processes including crossbreeding flowers, genetically modifying organisms, and sequencing nucleotides. Others have referenced scientific ideas, like those of order or sustainability, through more traditional methods. My thesis project, Adenine Uracil Guanine, is a sculptural installation portraying the phylogenetic tree of all life in a three-dimensional form. Borrowing from the aesthetic of mobiles, the sculpture takes a recognizably itinerant form, referencing the fluidity and malleability of evolution. The structure’s white base, alluding to the sterility and cleanliness of a phylogenetic tree’s aim to diagrammatize change, is overlayed by a system of colored bands. These bands reference the nucleotide sequences upon which phylogenetic trees are based. By using an artistic lens to view the scientific process of evolution and its elucidation and representation, I hope to continue to encourage a dialogue between the two fields.

]]> Alicia M. Hendrix Gibbon's Guides: The Scholarly Reception of Ammianus Marcellinus and Procopius of Caesarea After the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/156 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/156 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:38 PST This thesis explores the influence of Edward Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire on modern scholarship about two ancient Roman historians, Ammianus Marcellinus and Procopius of Caesarea. It reveals that Gibbon's way of thinking about these historians, whom he referred to as his "guides," continues to shape scholarly discourse about them.

]]> Sarah J. Murtaugh Parenting Styles and Self-Esteem http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/155 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/155 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:36 PST Data from 183 participants were collected through an online survey focusing on the relationship between parenting styles and self-esteem across a specific age range. Parenting styles were assessed using a four-factor model while self-esteem was evaluated using two different scales. Multiple analyses were completed to find that self-esteem changed across the age range, and across parenting styles. The study looks at the ways in which these two variables changed. Implications, limitations and future research opportunities are discussed.

]]> Lucy C. Driscoll Changes in Cell Morphology and the Cellular Localization of Protein Kinase Dsk1 in Schizosaccharomyces pombe in Response to Butylated Hydroxyanisole http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/154 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/154 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:35 PST Dsk1 is the Schizosaccharomyces pombe functional homolog of human SRPK1, an SR protein kinase that regulates localization and function of SR protein splicing factors involved in transcription, alternative splicing, and mRNA export. It has been shown that a Dsk1 deletion strain of S. pombe is sensitive to exposure to butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), a phenol derivative commonly used as a food preservative. Little is known about how BHA interacts with cells on a functional level, although it has been shown to be cytotoxic and tumorigenic. The aims of this thesis are to study the effect of BHA on eukaryotic cells and the possible involvement of Dsk1 protein kinase in the cellular response network to BHA through the use of fluorescence microscopy. The results showed that in BHA-treated cells, Dsk1 exhibits reduced nuclear localization and increased incidence of cytoplasmic clusters as well as a series of changes in cellular morphology. These observations imply that the function of Dsk1 is altered in response to BHA, consistent with genomic data collected by the Tang Lab. Thus, this study provides a basis for a series of future studies that will reveal in more detail how BHA affects fission yeast cells, and potentially gene or protein functional homologs in human cells.

]]> Jacqueline T. Humphries Our Language of Dreams http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/153 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/153 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:33 PST This project explores the idea of dream sharing and how language is both a tool and a barrier for sharing dream experiences. I collected video and audio dream diaries from 15 different people and stitched together a "collective" dream that contains elements from each. From this new dream, I pulled words and displayed them as text on-screen. What is the relationship from the listener and the actual dream experience? Can we truly experience the dreams of others?

]]> Madison K. Pathe Do BHA and BHT Induce Morphological Changes and DNA Double-Strand Breaks in Schizosaccharomyces pombe? http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/152 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/152 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:32 PST Butylated Hydroxyanisole, BHA, and Butylated Hydroxytoluene, BHT, are commonly used as preservatives for our food as well as additives in many products such as cosmetics, petroleum, and medicine. Although their use has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there have been controversies and debates on whether these phenol derivatives or antioxidants are safe to use. Their accumulative toxicology and side effects need to be thoroughly investigated as we continue to consume them on a daily basis. Data obtained by genomic analysis in Tang lab suggested the involvement of DNA damage checkpoint/repair pathways in the response network to these phenol stress factors. The aims of this thesis are to examine the morphological changes and potential DNA damage induced by exposing cells to BHA and BHT using fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe as a model organism. Fluorescence microscopy was used to assess DNA double-strain breaks (DSBs) by monitoring the nuclear foci formation of Rad22, a DNA repair protein, in the presence of BHA and BHT. Changes in cell morphology were also studied under microscope. Preliminary data showed that cells treated with BHA and BHT exhibited morphological changes. In addition, for the first time in S. pombe cells, Rad22 foci in the nucleus of BHA and BHT treated cells were observed. Further investigation is needed to optimal the experimental condition to continue the study. These results will not only help us to better understand the effect of these phenol derivatives in the cells, but can also establish an experimental system for future studies on the interaction of the cells with stress factors and therapeutic drugs for human-related diseases such as cancer.

]]> Amy V. Tran From Profane to Divine: The Hegemonic Appropriation of Pagan Imagery into Eastern Christian Hymnody http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/151 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/151 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:31 PST Spanning the first seven centuries of Christianity, this paper explores how Eastern Christian and Byzantine hymn chant was developed alongside pagan and Jewish worship traditions around the Near East. Comparison of hymns by Christian composers such as St. Romanos the Melodist and pagan poetry reveals many similarities in the types of metaphorical imagery used in both religious expressions. Common in Christian hymn texts, well-known metaphors, like the “Light of God,” are juxtaposed with pagan mythological gods, such as Apollo and Helios. This paper attempts to explain how and why Christians appropriated and adopted ancient pagan imagery into the burgeoning musical tradition of Christian hymn singing.

]]> Jordan Lippert The Terrestrial Biogeochemical Cycle of barium: A proposed study to examine barium flux in Mojave Desert dust http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/150 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/150 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:29 PST Barium is a relatively abundant element in the crustal environments, Ba quantities can range from anywhere between 200ppm to 900ppm. Most common forms of Ba-minerals found in the environment are barite (BaSO4), witherite (BaCO3) and hollandite (Ba2Mn8O16). Ba is a useful element; it is used in various industries as a component in drilling fluids, in medical research and in manufacturing of various substances such as glass, ceramics, printing paper etc. However high quantity of Ba can be potentially toxic for the human body and can impair plant growth. It is therefore, important to review the terrestrial biogeochemical cycle of Ba, which is less studied and less understood than the oceanic biogeochemical cycle of Ba. Additionally, terrestrial systems face a diverse climate and are not as stable as the oceanic systems. Due to this the terrestrial biogeochemical cycle of barium is continuously changing and is more dynamic than the oceanic cycle. By studying one part of the cycle, i.e. the interaction of Ba in the atmosphere with the geosphere in the Mojave desert, NV, I propose a study to test the hypothesis that occurrence of, Ba-mineral, barite, in desert soils is mainly driven by dust flux. The proposal includes methodology for dust collection, sample analysis using XRF, XRD and SEM.EDS techniques and potential budget and timeline. Evidence supporting this claim would suggest that dust transports such minerals, affects the soil chemistry of desert soils and the interaction of various terrestrial systems.

]]> Mehar Kaur Auras http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/149 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/149 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:28 PST Auras is a series of illustrations of Carlos Fuentes’s novella, Aura, a horror love story about memory, obsession, desire, corporeality and immortality. Defying narrative conventions, the story is told through second person. You are the protagonist, Felipe Montero, and are employed by a 109-year old widow to edit her husband's memoirs. Inside the pitchblack house, you fall in love with her beautiful and bizarre green-eyed niece, Aura. The gradual discovery of the true relationship between the young woman and her aunt propel the story to its extraordinary conclusion.

The story seems to take place within the confines of the widow’s mind. The plot mimics the obsessive, hypnotic quality of nostalgia and memory. Much of my illustrative content and artistic process reflects a personal obsessive nostalgia I have for my grandmother and her life. It is her image, young and old, coupled with the complex and repetitive processes of printmaking, both traditional and current, that inform my illustration and personal interpretation of Aura. My thesis research conculs a series of artistic processes and theories behind image-making that relish the synthesis of new and old. I look at early horror illustration by Harry Clarke and Francesco Goya, and analyze images and practices in early digital graphic design and April Greiman, reappropriated inkjet and woodblock prints (Anselm Kiefer), and my own lasercut woodblock prints.

]]> Adele Ball Thermal selection in Sceloporus occidentalis during exercise recovery http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/148 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/148 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:22:26 PST Ectotherms regulate body temperature (Tb) primarily through behavioral interactions with their environment. These animals also have limited aerobic scopes and must rely on anaerobic metabolism to support intense activity; lactate byproduct and glycogen depletion are two consequences of anaerobic metabolism that must be dealt with during exercise recovery. It has been suggested that, in many ectothermic species, Tb may affect the rate of lactate clearance and glycogen repletion during recovery from intense exercise. This study investigated thermoregulatory behavior in Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) to determine preferred Tb during exercise recovery. I hypothesized that animals would select higher Tb’sduring the recovery period on the basis that biochemical processes occur at faster rates at high temperatures, which may facilitate a more rapid reduction of lactate and replenishment of glycogen stores. However, it was found that control animals maintained a constant Tb of 33°C, while exercised animals cooled Tb to 30°C 20 minutes after exercising, and eventually warmed to 32°C by the 2 hour mark. Animals were found to be able to cool Tb by a maximum of 0.175°C/min given the available temperatures, which negated possible effects of temperature variation on Tb during exercise trials and transport. My results suggest a benefit of lowered Tb to facilitate exercise recovery in these animals. Behavioral hypothermia in S. occidentalis may be caused by physiological triggers associated with intense activity such as hypoxia, hypercapnia, or elevated blood lactate concentration. However, these speculations must be confirmed by further research.

]]> Morgan A. Halley Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Analysis of Cytosine-Methylated DNA Dodecamer http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/147 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/147 Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:42:38 PST The interaction of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and cellular proteins is absolutely central to any biological understanding of DNA replication, transcription, and even gene regulation. Because an incumbent protein latches not onto the four bases but onto the backbone phosphate groups of the nucleic acid, backbone dynamics directly pertain to an understanding of basic cell processes. Studies have unambiguously proven that DNA exists in a balance of two conformations, BI and BII, defined by the difference in their backbone torsion angles. A given DNA sequence expresses a preference for either BI or BII, though both exist in most samples (and are presented as a ratio). Factors affecting that ratio include flanking sequence and methylation. When a DNA sample is methylated, which occurs at a cytosine, backbone dynamics at that site and perhaps even its neighbors are theoretically quenched due to the steric strain of a large attached group. DNA methylation is implicated in cancer diagnosis by new studies focusing on hypermethylation in CpG islands,

This thesis uses solid-state deuterium NMR to study the backbone dynamics of the Dickerson dodecamer, [d(CGCGAATTCGCG)]2, which was the first synthetic BII conformer successfully crystallized (allowing for analysis in the solid state) and which contains the EcoRI binding site, GAATTC. This molecule is a good model system because a massive amount of information has been gathered on it not only using NMR, both high-resolution and solid-state, but also using x-ray diffraction, electron paramagnetic resonance, and all-atom molecular dynamics simulation. This thesis research shows the quenching of backbone dynamics due to C9 methylation.

]]> Caitlin A. Edmunds Handcraft and Environmental Knowledge: Mapuche Women Weavers http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/146 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/146 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:01:40 PST Beginning in a small informal collective of Mapuche women weavers in Puerto Saavedra, Chile, I explore how ecological knowledge has survived through textile handcraft, passed down from mother to daughter . Through analysis of interviews and observations with the women as weavers , I reflect on the importance of centering Indigenous women's knowledge, systematically excluded from the environmental cannon. The weavers maintain and shape traditions that have survived colonization and its disruption of Indigenous access to land and ways of living. They produce and transmit environmental knowledge on which they depend for subsistence and cultural expression. Using ecofeminism as a framework, I argue that the Mapuche women weavers' knowledge is counternarrative and expert knowledge. Through these stories told by hand and through oral story-telling it becomes clear that it is not enough to simply celebrate their beautiful craft and sustainable ways of interacting with the more-than-human environment; it is essential, also, to engage in activist work towards environmental and social justice.

]]> Priscilla Pambana Gutto Bassett The Relationship Between Snacking Habits and Impulsivity Levels in Adolescents http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/145 http://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/145 Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:26:56 PST Adolescent obesity is an important public health issue, and one important factor that contributes to the problem is overeating, eating more than required for homeostasis. Appetitive behaviors such as overeating may in part be the result of poor control of impulsive behavior. This study investigated the relationship between impulsivity factors and snacking habits. The Youth/Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire (YAQ) and the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS) were completed by 198 Southern California high school students (56% female; age M=15.8, SD=0.9). Four subscales were calculated from responses on the YAQ and included the frequency of consuming sweetened drinks, sweet snacks, salty snacks, and fresh fruits. Multiple regression was used to determine the association of the YAQ subscales with the six first-order impulsivity factors in the BIS after adjusting for age, gender, and SES (mother and father education). Self-control impulsivity was positively associated with salty snack consumption. Both sweet snacks and drinks had a positive correlation with cognitive complexity. Finally, perseverance had a positive association with sweet snacks. Fruit consumption had no association with impulsivity levels. This is the first study of which we are aware that examined the association between snacking behaviors and the first-order factors for impulsivity in the BIS. It is beneficial to understand the processes behind snacking decisions so we can intervene to help adolescents make better food choices. Snacking is likely to be under the control of the adolescent compared, for example, to meals prepared at home by a parent or guardian. As a result, targeting snacking habits with interventions among adolescents may be an effective approach to reducing obesity.

]]> Bayley E. Clarke