Psychology 207 Introduction to Child Psychology Syllabus Spring 2019

This is a sample syllabus for Psychology 207, Introduction to Child Psychology, submitted as a part of the Global Studies Initiatives in Social Sciences Grant at Parkland College for the 2018-2019 academic year. Highlights indicate changes and additions made that incorporate global studies into the curriculum

Global Studies Initiatives Final Report: Psychology 2017: Introduction to Child Psychology Spring 2019

In this project report for the Global Studies Initiative at Parkland College, the instructor of Psychology 207, Introduction to Child Psychology, describes how a global perspective on current topics in child psychology was integrated into the course

Strip-tillage and Row Cover Use in Organically and Conventionally Grown Muskmelon

Growing muskmelon in a more sustainable way involves multiple management practices. “Rolling” cover crops after they mature, and then tilling strips into which the crops are planted, can help manage weeds and moisture while improving soil health. This “strip-tillage” technique provides a biodegradable mat that does not need to be removed at the season’s end, as plastic mulch does. Row covers are placed over newly planted seedlings to provide a better microclimate and a physical barrier to pests. Extending the time of row cover removal by 10 days after the onset of female flowers has been shown to provide season-long prevention of bacterial wilt, which is spread by cucumber beetles. This may reduce the need for chemical sprays

Aquatic macroinvertebrate communities and diversity patterns in the Northern Prairie Pothole Region

The Northern Prairie Pothole Region (NPPR) of Alberta, Canada contains numerous shallow marshes that serve as important habitat for wildlife and provide many essential ecosystem services. Many of these pothole wetlands have been destroyed or degraded by agricultural activity, prompting research into their condition and management. Aquatic macroinvertebrates are frequently used as indicators of environmental condition in rivers and lakes, but their effectiveness as indicators in prairie pothole marshes is not clear. I discovered that, contrary to my predictions, macroinvertebrate richness and community composition at family-level resolution do not respond to land use. Instead, macroinvertebrate community composition in pothole marshes is structured primarily by hydroperiod, which ranges from temporary, through seasonal and semi-permanent, to permanent marsh classes. I discovered that the macroinvertebrate abundance, diversity and community composition differed significantly among wetland permanence classes, and that macroinvertebrates exhibited a nested community composition along this hydrological gradient. In other words, macroinvertebrates in temporary wetlands were not unique, but rather subsets of the taxa occupying more permanent wetlands. I also looked at macroinvertebrate functional groups (desiccation strategies, functional feeding groups and behavioural guilds). I discovered that the subset of taxa occupying temporary marshes were those that possess strategies for surviving the drawdown period, such as drought resistant stages or the ability to disperse to larger water bodies. Most functional feeding groups and behavioural guilds were more abundant in permanent wetlands; however, variation existed that was unrelated to hydroperiod and might be due to differences in aquatic vegetation. Like abundance, both alpha and gamma diversity were highest in permanent marshes; however, beta diversity was highest in temporary mashes. This suggests that alpha and gamma diversities are constrained in pothole marshes by the tolerance of taxa to periodic desiccation, in keeping with the species-sorting model of community assembly. However, in temporary marshes the assembly process is reinitiated frequently, and is therefore more strongly influenced by the stochastic aspects of dispersal. This yields a higher beta diversity or taxon turnover among temporary marshes and is in line with neutral theory. This stresses the importance of both local and regional factors in shaping biodiversity and provides insight into the community ecology of wetland macroinvertebrates and their associations with environmental variables

Phenology of Drosophila species across a temperate growing season and implications for behavior

Data have been deposited in Dryad, https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.1bc102k.Drosophila community composition is complex in temperate regions with different abundance of flies and species across the growing season. Monitoring Drosophila populations provides insights into the phenology of both native and invasive species. Over a single growing season, we collected Drosophila at regular intervals and determined the number of individuals of the nine species we found in Kansas, USA. Species varied in their presence and abundance through the growing season with peak diversity occurring after the highest seasonal temperatures. We developed models for the abundance of the most common species, Drosophila melanogaster, D. simulans, D. algonquin, and the recent invasive species, D. suzukii. These models revealed that temperature played the largest role in abundance of each species across the season. For the two most commonly studied species, D. melanogaster and D. simulans, the best models indicate shifted thermal optima compared to laboratory studies, implying that fluctuating temperature may play a greater role in the physiology and ecology of these insects than indicated by laboratory studies, and should be considered in global climate change studies.Kansas State Biology Graduate Student Association Research GrantKU EEB GRF 210508

Gender Performance in Party Brief Success

This Article evaluates the success of female attorneys before the Supreme Court as a function of conforming to gender expectations. Gleason, Jones, and McBean reject the traditional gender male-female dichotomy in favor of an evaluation based on gender as performance and the social norms expected from each gender. The authors hypothesize that those female lawyers who appear before the Supreme Court find more success when they express female gender norms in their communications as opposed to embracing the traditional male styles that already permeate the legal field. The Article concludes that there is some correlation between female success before the court and when gender norms are followed, and suggests that further work is needed in the area at various court levels

"Call a Teenager… That's What I Do!" - Grandchildren Help Older Adults Use New Technologies: Qualitative Study.

BackgroundAlthough family technical support seems intuitive, there is very little research exploring this topic.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to conduct a subanalysis of data collected from a large-scale qualitative project regarding older adults' experiences in using health information technology. Specifically, the subanalysis explored older adults' experiences with technology support from family members to inform strategies for promoting older adults' engagement with new health technologies. Although the primary analysis of the original study was theoretically driven, this paper reports results from an inductive, open-coding analysis.MethodsThis is a subanalysis of a major code identified unexpectedly from a qualitative study investigating older adults' use experience of a widespread health technology, the patient portal. A total of 24 older patients (≥65 years) with multiple chronic conditions (Charlson Comorbidity Index >2) participated in focus groups conducted at the patients' primary clinic. While conducting the primary theoretically driven analysis, coders utilized an open-coding approach to ensure important ideas not reflected in the theoretical code book were captured. Open coding resulted in 1 code: family support. This subanalysis further categorized family support by who provided tech support, how tech support was offered, and the opinions of older participants about receiving family tech support.ResultsThe participants were not specifically asked about family support, yet themes around family assistance and encouragement for technology emerged from every focus group. Participants repeatedly mentioned that they called their grandchildren and adult children if they needed help with technology. Participants also reported that family members experienced difficulty when teaching technology use. Family members struggled to explain simple technology tasks and were frustrated by the slow teaching process.ConclusionsThe results suggest that older adults ask their family members, particularly grandchildren, to support them in the use of new technologies. However, family may experience difficulties in providing this support. Older adults will be increasingly expected to use health technologies, and family members may help with tech support. Providers and health systems should consider potential family support and engagement strategies to foster adoption and use among older patients

Strip-tillage and Row Cover Use in Organically and Conventionally Grown Muskmelon

Growing muskmelon in a more sustainable way involves multiple management practices. Cover crops often are incorporated into the soil before planting the cash crop. However, they also can be “rolled” and used as a ground cover throughout the growing season. The cash crop is planted in small, tilled strips within the residue. This “strip-tillage” technique provides a weed-controlling, moisture-retaining mat that does not need to be removed at the season’s end, as plastic mulch does. The reduction in tillage can improve soil structure and health