Psychology and Social Science.

Chair: Ann Marie Kinnell, University of Southern Mississippi

Vice-chair: Sheree Watson, University of Southern Mississippi

FRIDAY MORNING

Classroom B

8:00 Divisional Poster Session 

A STUDY TO DETERMINE TRAITS OF ASIAN ANCESTRY THROUGH MEASUREMENT OF THE MANDIBLE.

Evan Lee Garner, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

While studies have been done to determine racial differences apparent in many bones of the human skeleton, there has been limited study concerning the mandible, one of the most frequently preserved elements. Since a preliminary study of Caucasian and African individuals suggests that some metric differences may be present, this study focuses on Asian populations. A prehistoric Native American sample from northern Alabama has been used to prevent any effects of admixture. Observations were made on 50 individuals with an even number of males and females. A total of 17 measurements were taken on each individual using sliding calipers and a mandible board, with 10 of these being standard measurements and 7 being unique to this study. As expected, results suggest that Asians generally have larger jaws than those of white and black populations. Particularly, several vertical dimensions of the mandible, including those in the area of the chin, second molar and ascending ramus were seen to be markedly greater. Several Z mhb b zdiscriminate functions were developed based upon these metric differences found between the races.

USING MOVIES TO TEACH PRINCIPLES OF LOGOTHERAPY

Stefan E. Schulenberg*, Shara Adderholt, Cahryn Anderson, Leah Campbell, Mary Katherine Ulmer, Amanda M.A. Melton, and Heather Foote, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677

Logotherapy is a way of thinking that emphasizes the importance of meaning in life. There are many books and articles that illustrate principles of Logotherapy. However, one potentially useful way of learning about the importance of purpose in life is through contemporary cinema. Movies often address issues related to life purpose. Examples of meaningful movies include Cast Away and Life as a House (Schulenberg, in press). Despite the existence of meaningful movies, little has been written on using films to teach principles of Logotherapy. With the aid of graduate and undergraduate psychology students, this issue was examined. After being exposed to readings in Logotherapy, students were asked to watch Life is Beautiful, a movie with meaning-laden content (Paden-Levy, 2000). It is the story of a man's love for his family and his passion for life in the midst of their imprisonment in a concentration camp during World War II. Students were then asked the following questions: 1) What Logotherapy themes became evident to you upon viewing the film? 2) What are the pros and cons of using film clips from such movies to teach principles of Logotherapy? Many examples of Logotherapy were noted that involved choice, responsibility, and finding meaning in unavoidable suffering. Many pros of using movies to teach Logotherapy were noted: 1) Modern cinema, with its popularity, can make learning enjoyable; 2) Movies demonstrate concrete examples of very abstract concepts. They apply the principles to life situations that people can see and grasp more clearly than just being taught the principles themselves; and 3) Movies may create an impression that lasts longer than other methods of instruction. Several cons of using movies were noted: 1) Movies may not seem as scientific as other methods of instruction; and 2) The same movie may affect people differently.

THE MEANING IN SUFFERING TEST (MIST): A FACTOR ANALYTIC INVESTIGATION

Stefan E. Schulenberg*, Cahryn Anderson, and Carol L. Gohm, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677

The Meaning in Suffering test (MIST; Starck, 1985), grounded in the Logotherapy framework, was designed to assess the amount of meaning people have discovered in unavoidable suffering experiences. The part of the MIST used in research due to ease of quantification is composed of 20-items using a Likert-type response format ranging from 1 to 7. Items are summed to arrive at a total score that ranges from 20 to 140. The MIST has a proposed structure consisting of three subscales (Starck, 1985): A (subjective characteristics of suffering, items 5, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19), B (personal responses to suffering, items 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, 13, 15, 20), and C (meaning of suffering, items 2, 6, 7, 9, 14, 17). In a study of the psychometric properties of the MIST and other measures in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 341), Schulenberg (in press) reported that two of the three MIST subscales (A and B) had unacceptably low reliabilities. Concerns over the proposed factor structure led to the current investigation, a follow-up study examining the internal structure of the MIST with the original data set. We attempted to use Amos 5.0 to confirm the MIST subscale structure. However, the fit of the model with the data was so poor that the analysis failed. Next, exploratory factor analyses were performed using SPSS 11.5. A theoretically useful and statistically viable factor structure was not found. Given the current data, the MIST appears to be a unitary measure.

EFFECTS OF CALCIUM ENRICHED DIETS ON WEIGHT GAIN

Andrew Thaw*, Alexis Lewis, and Ryan Hooper, Millsaps College, Jackson, MS 39210

The effects of calcium enriched diets on weight gain/loss in rats were examined. Current findings with human subjects in short-term studies (less than 3 weeks) have demonstrated that diets with excess calcium lead to decreases in body weight. Proponents of calcium were quick to conclude that calcium leads to weight loss. Popular advertising has even gotten into the mix with such celebrities as Dr. Phil drinking milk while suggesting "the weight is over". However, studies examining the effects of calcium on weight for longer periods of time have not yet surfaced. The study presented here examined the effects of excess calcium (1.2%) on weight gain over a 6-week period in rats. A special calcium enriched diet was fed to 8 rats and a standard laboratory chow was fed to 8 control rats for 6 weeks. Weights for all rats were recorded each week and the total amount of food consumed each day was also noted. Results reveal the calcium diet rats did indeed gain less weight over the first 3 weeks compared to the control diet rats. However, over the next 3 weeks the calcium rats gained weight faster than the control rats and by the end of the study all 16 rats were of similar weight. Thus, the effects of calcium on weight is a short-term effect only and should not be considered effective for weight loss or management.

TRAIT ANGER AND SPIRITUALITY

Theresa Ann Woodard* and Pamela G. Banks, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217

Existing studies (e.g., Deffenbacher et al., 1996) suggest that high trait angry individuals are likely to express their anger in more intense and dysfunctional ways, are more likely to experience terminated interpersonal relationships and to experience more frequent and severe anger-related consequences. Longitudinal studies of community samples consistently find links between active spiritual/religious involvement and increased chances for living longer and health/mental health (Larson & Larson, 2003; Pargament, 1996). The aim of the present study was to compare spirituality in two groups: those who scored in top quartile of the Trait Anger Scale (TAS) of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) (high anger group, N = 22) and those who scored in the bottom quartile (low anger group, N = 72). A total 145 college students participated in the study. Participants completed the STAXI (Spielberger, 1988), the Multidimensional Anger Inventory (MAI, Seigel, 1986) and the Lifestyle Assessment Questionnaire (LAQ: Hettler, 1981). It was hypothesized that the high anger group would score lower than the low anger group on prayer/meditation and quiet personal reflection, compassion for others and a measure of overall spirituality. These hypotheses were not supported. However, as predicted there was no difference between the High Trait Anger group and the Low Trait Anger group in their 'belief in something greater than self'. It can be concluded that levels of spirituality are similar for high trait and low trait angry individuals. In the validation analysis, adequate evidence of the relationship between TAS and the MAI scores including Anger In/Anger Out subscales was found. Correlations ranged from 0.41 to 0.54 (p < 0.001). This research was supported in part by NIMH-COR Grant MH-16926.

Divisional Talks

9:00 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONALITY HARDINESS, ANDROGYNY, STRESS, AND HEALTH

Shaila Khan, Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS 39174

Stress can increase the likelihood of illness. Hardiness, a personality dimension that is believed to confer resistance against the effects of psychological stress is worth examining. Hardiness is a composite consisting of internal locus of control (vs. powerlessness), commitment (vs. alienation) and challenge (vs. threat). Hardy personality people seem to be usually resistant to stress. Hardiness appears to promote health independently of stress, rather than operating as a buffer by reducing illness primarily among individuals experiencing high stress levels. Androgynous persons are also more flexible in coping with stressful situations and tend to be more satisfied with their lives. However, it has yet to be demonstrated whether androgynous person are also less susceptible to stress and has less health problems. A study was conducted to asses the independent effect of hardiness and androgynous on stress and health problems. Subjects included 100 African American undergraduate students 18 to 20 years of age. Stress was assessed with the 'Social Readjustment Rating Scale' (SRRS) (Holmes & Masuda). Sample versions of Hardiness Scale (Kobasa, 1984) was used to measure hardy personality. Bem's Sex Role Inventory (Bem 1974) was used to assess androgynous traits. Hardiness and androgyny were found to be highly correlated to health problems suggesting that these may account for explanation why some people with high level of stress do not necessarily have many health problems. Individuals high in hardiness showed less health problems. Also, androgynous persons were found to have less health problems as a reaction to stress.

9:15 PREDICTORS OF DEPRESSED MOOD IN UNDERGRADUATES

Reid Jones* and Sommer Vickery, Delta State University, Cleveland, MS 38733

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the past decade has shown an increase in suicide rates among young adults. This trend is apparent even among the fortunate subgroup who are able to attend college. Obviously, depression precedes thoughts of suicide. The present study attempted to determine what factors might lead to depression among undergraduates. Seventy students earned course credit for filling out surveys evaluating their levels of depression, introversion/extraversion, neuroticism, anxiety-related states and traits, and a demographics form. Neuroticism, State Anxiety, and Trait Anxiety were significantly (p < .05) associated with depression. Extraversion and Grade Point Average were significantly (p < .05) negatively associated with depression. Full model regression was used to evaluate the relative contributions of the variables to the dependent variable of depression. The Multiple R was strong [R = .82; F(5,61) = 25.05; p < .01]. The adjusted R Squared still accounted for 64% of the variance in depression scores. Significant contributors to depression included Introversion and Trait Anxiety.

9:30 ATTITUDES AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DEPRESSION IN RURAL AND URBAN MEN

Sheree Watson (1*), David Hanbury (1), and Clara Jones (2), (1) University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406 and (2) University of North Carolina, Fayetteville, NC 28301

Although depression is a common form of mental illness, it is often considered a "women's" disease. Men are reluctant to admit depression and are less likely than women to seek treatment for it. Nevertheless, men are more likely than women to make a successful suicide attempt. This contradiction may result from gender role socialization. Men may perceive depression as a condition associated with stigmatization and embarrassment. Provision of accurate information via media campaigns successfully changed attitudes and behaviors regarding several topics, including smoking cessation. Whether provision of information might reduce the stigma associated with depression in middle-aged men is unknown. We examined perceptions about depression among rural and urban men aged 40-65. Approximately half of the men viewed a short informational video before they completed the survey. The survey questions fell into one of four categories: Stigma (e.g., "Depression is a personal weakness"), Knowledge (e.g., "Weight loss is a sign of depression"), Use of Mental Health Professionals (e.g., "If I were depressed, I see a mental health professional), and Spirituality (e.g., "Faith alone can heal depression"). The men who watched the video were significantly less likely to agree with questions in the Stigma category (p = .03). The rural respondents, however, were more likely than urban respondents to agree with statements in the Stigma category (p = .04). Responses in the other three categories were not influenced by either video or residence. These results indicate that provision of accurate information may reduce, but do not eliminate, the perception of stigma associated with depression.

9:45 PANIC ATTACKS IN AN AFRICAN AMERICAN SAMPLE: A FAMILY STUDY

Jerome Hales* and Pamela G. Banks, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217

Because African Americans are often underrepresented in mainstream psychological studies, the present study was designed as a family study to examine evidence of family history in persons who have experienced panic attacks. Three hundred fifty-nine individuals (246 females, 113 males) participated in this study. Data from the Panic Attack Questionnaire (PAQ, Cox, Norton, & Swinson, 1992) on personal and family history of the panic attacks were analyzed. The present study compared the family history of panickers and nonpanickers. The panickers were regarded as a non-clinical sample because of self-report. The 38 non-panickers were randomly selected from a sample of 321 non-panickers. It was hypothesized that panic attacks would be more frequent in the families of the panickers (N=38) than non-panickers (N=38). Both fraternal and maternal history of panic attacks was significantly higher in panickers than in non-panickers (15.6% vs. 0%), [C.sup.2] (1, N = 61) = 4.94, p < .001; 30.3% vs. 0%), [C.sup.2] (1, N = 62) = 10.48, p < .001), respectively. The history of the sisters with panic attacks (not brothers) was significantly higher for panickers vs. non-panickers (25.8% vs. 0%), [C.sup.2] (1, N = 55) = 7.24, p < .01. The findings support the notion that "panic attacks run in families" and expand the literature regarding panic experiences in African Americans. This research was supported in part by NIMH-COR Grant MH 16926.

10:00 THE ROLE OF RELIGIOSITY ON ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND ALCOHOL EXPECTANCIES AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS

Minervia E. Scott* and Kaye Sly, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217

Past studies have found that relative to whites, African-Americans drink less and are more likely to abstain from alcohol consumption. Moreover, these studies have been limited in their explanations of why African-Americans drink less than whites. One plausible yet under examined explanation concerns religiosity, and the beliefs that African-Americans are more religious than their white counterparts. However, these studies have mostly examined religious affiliation. The current study examined the relationship between religiosity, expectations about the effects of alcohol, and alcohol consumption. Religiosity in this study included a composite of religious thoughts, religious feelings, and attendance of religious services. The sample consisted of 135 African-American undergraduates. It was hypothesized that African-American college students who were more religious would consume less alcohol and have less positive expectations about the effects of alcohol. The results indicated that religiosity was negatively correlated with positive expectations about alcohol use. Specifically, the more religious individuals were, the less they expected alcohol to relax them (r = -.361, p < .01); to enhance sexual activities (r = -270, p <. 01), to increase positive global social and physical pleasures (r = -.259, p < .01), to increase assertiveness (r = -.290, p < .01), and to increase social and physical pleasures (r = -.242, p < .01). There was no relationship between religiosity and alcohol consumption; however, the number of moderate and heavy drinkers in the present study was relatively small. This research was supported by NIMHCOR Grant MH 16926.

10:15 Break

10:30 AN ANALYSIS OF THE PREHISTORIC CRANIA FROM THE CHICKASAW BAYOU SITE, WARREN CO, MS

Marie Danforth, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

This paper evaluates some 50 prehistoric crania from Chickasaw Bayou near Vicksburg, MS. The skeletal material, excavated in 1869 and curated at the Smithsonian, had remained unstudied largely because of poor archaeological context. The mound's shape and type of cranial deformation present, however, date the series to the Mississippian period (1000 and 1500 AD), a time characterized by chiefdoms and maize horticulture. Demographic analysis proved this to be a very biased collection with only two juveniles present. The preference for adult crania was expected, however, since only the best preserved material was chosen for curation. The sex ratio was roughly even. Virtually all of the health indicator frequencies observed fell within ranges typically seen at other sites from the Mississippian. One-third of individuals show linear enamel hypoplasias, and 17% have signs of anemia. The caries rate at 0.51/individual is low, but this is offset by high antemortem tooth loss, which is likely related to the high number of middle-aged adults in the series. Sex differences also conform to expected patterns with males having markedly higher rates of childhood health disruptions, but females having more than twice the rate of caries, presumably due to higher carbohydrate diet. These findings support the archaeological record in that the southern Mississippi Delta was undergoing the same cultural trends seen in most other parts of the river valley.

10:45 THE DEMOGRAPHIC DISASTER: ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FROM COXCATLAN, PUEBLA, MEXICO

Edward Sisson* University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677

During the 1990s revisionist historians questioned the magnitude of the demographic disaster occasioned by the Conquest of Mexico and the attendant spread of infectious diseases. Burial data from the late Pre-Conquest and Early Colonial archaeological site of Coxcatlan, Puebla, Mexico provide a potential means of evaluating mortality estimates. Interpretation of the data is complicated by the difficulties of estimating archaeological populations, dating precisely the burials, and determining the total number of burials. However, the extremely large number of burials, their widespread distribution in all temple precincts, and the nature and quality of the vessels in which cremains were buried appear more consistent with traditional high mortality estimate.

11:00 THE USE OF ANTHROPOMETRIC DATA IN OTOLEMUR GARNETTII SUBSPECIES IDENTIFICATION

Stacey Curry*, Sheree Watson, Joseph Curry, and David Hanbury, University of Southern Mississippi, Hatiesburg, MS 39406

The University of Southern Mississippi currently houses a research colony of Garnett's bushbabies. The bushbabies originally were obtained from two sources. The University of Memphis and Duke University. The bushbabies from Duke appear to have broader faces, wider eye spacing, and shorter snouts than the bushbabies from Memphis. Based on these physical differences, we hypothesized that the animals may represent different subspecies. The purpose of the present project was to document similarities and differences among the bushbabies of different origin to determine whether they exhibit systematic morphological differences indicative of subspeciation. Anthropometric measurements were used to compare the physical differences between the Duke bushbabies and the Memphis bushbabies. We measured arm length, leg length, tailcrown length, tail length, ear spacing, eye spacing, snout length, bizygomatic breadth, maximum cranial breadth, and maximum cranial length. The Duke bushbabies had significantly larger maximum cranial length, eye spacing, and bizygomatic breadth (p < .05). The Memphis bushbabies had significantly longer arm length than the Duke bushbabies (p < .05). These measurements are consistent with the hypothesis that the two groups of bushbabies may represent different subspecies. These results suggest that anthropometric data may be useful in distinguishing between prosimian subspecies.

11:15 MEASURING GENETIC DISTANCE BETWEEN ANCIENT MAYA POPULATIONS USING NONMETRIC DENTAL FEATURES

Gabriel Wrobel, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677

Nonmetric dental variability was examined in groups of northern Belize Maya from the sites of Chau Hiix, Altun Ha, and Lamanai dating to the Late Preclassic through the end of the Postclassic period (300 B.C.-1500 A.D.). The northern Belize skeletal samples represent a relatively large and temporally diverse sample, which are used to explore the extent of morphological diversity within geographically discrete groups of Maya over time. In addition, data from other more distant groups, including both Maya and non-Maya populations, were used in the comparisons. These investigations help to establish a Maya Dental Complex and to determine the extent to which Mesoamerican groups are distinguished morphologically from one another. In general, distance values derived from nonmetric dental data increased with greater geographic and temporal distance between the groups being compared. As a group, the Maya were distinguished from other Mesoamerican populations. Dental trait frequencies in the prehistoric individuals were very similar to those reported by Jacobi (2000) from the Colonial Tipu Maya and thus suggest that the Maya Dental Complex is geographically and temporally consistent. Comparisons among Maya groups support a general distinction between geographic regions that corresponds to ancient political/linguistic divisions. Despite differences in sample sizes and inconsistent burial dates, comparisons of temporal groups composed of the pooled northern Belize sites appeared to show increasing genetic distance over time.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON

Classroom B

1:30 GLOBALIZATION AND ITS IMPACTS ON THE GAMING INDUSTRY

Denise von Herrmann, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

The rapid spread of casino gaming in the U.S. has been accompanied by an equally rapid trend toward globalization in the industry. The author begins with an examination of the history of gambling, arguing that globalization is inherent in the industry because of the nature of gambling. Evidence of the global history of gambling and its spread from ancient times is presented. Next, the spread of gambling in the U.S. and abroad is examined, along with various trends in the casino industry. Rapid consolidation, unitary marketing strategies, and the influx of key technologies such as online gambling are considered. Finally, the social, economic, and cultural impacts of gaming are discussed, with special attention to the likely impacts of continued globalization and spread of U.S. casino resorts. The author asserts that casino gambling will likely bring along with it a variety of potentially positive economic impacts, yet will also likely exacerbate a variety of social ills including income inequalities, social stratification, gender stereotyping, and devaluation of the role of "localness" in the culture.

1:45 GLOBAL REPRODUCTION OF THE CASINO AS WORKPLACE

Dena Wittmann, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

Gambling is a commodity in and of itself in service-oriented, postindustrial America as well as in its global counterparts. While there is an overwhelming amount of literature devoted to the ways in which casinos market themselves to customers, very few studies have approached the casino "adult playground" as a workplace. Through in-depth interviews with twenty-two casino workers, this research analyzes the experiences of those individuals whose paid work is centered within the casino environment in the relatively new "dockside" market on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The overarching research aim of my work was to delineate the differences in casino work experiences for women and men, which indicated that casino employers hyper-separate stereotypical masculine and feminine characteristics, a fact that has significant consequences in the sex distribution of the workforce. The casino workplace operates on the basis of gender dualism and accords power and privilege to those who display masculinity. Although women are now as likely as men to be found dealing many casino games, the gender ideologies that have historically supported a masculinized work environment remain intact. The underlying theory guiding this research is that the casino workplace continues to be a gendered institution, regardless of its location or length of time in operation. The dockside casino market in Mississippi reproduces the same gendered social relations among workers, managers, and customers as has been documented in research on Nevada casinos as well as those internationally.

2:00 CONCURRENT VALIDITY FOR AN EXPERIMENTAL SURVEY OF SELF-DISCLOSURE

Reid Jones*, Colby Harris, Donna Starkey, Jon Grantham, and Kamara Hawkins, Delta State University, Cleveland, MS 38733

The degree to which an individual engages in self-disclosure is an important area of applied research for mental health professionals. When a person is reluctant to reveal sensitive information about herself/himself, therapists would be at a significant disadvantage. Starkey (2004) reasoned that a screening survey which provided a measure of the person's tendencies toward self-disclosure would be very useful during the initial stages of counseling. The Interpersonal Risk Awareness Survey (IRAS), a 40 item self-report inventory, is in initial stages of development for that use. Fifty-one undergraduate students received course credit for completing the IRAS, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Eysenck Personalty Inventory, and Spielberger's State and Trait Anxiety Scales. Subjects with high scores on the IRAS had significantly (p < .05) higher scores on "Neuroticism," Depression, State Anxiety, and Trait Anxiety. Subjects with high scores on the IRAS also had significantly (p < .05) lower scores on Extraversion. Even with a relatively small sample, the IRAS is significantly associated with five well-known surveys measuring related tendencies.

2:15 CONSTRUCT VALIDITY AND LOCAL NORMS FOR THE OQ-45.2

Reid Jones*, Scott Rasmus, Kamara Hawkins, and Jon Grantham, Delta State University, Cleveland, MS 38733

Mental health professionals need validated tools to monitor a client's degree of personal distress and level of functioning. One such instrument, The Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45.2), has been rather widely used, although normative data must be established for predominantly rural areas such as Mississippi. The OQ-45.2, published by American Professional Credentialing Services, Inc. was intended as a general measure for evaluating a person's functioning and distress. The 45 item self-report inventory provided three subscales including 'Subjective Distress,' 'Interpersonal Functioning and Relationships,' and 'Social Role.' The present research was intended to provide preliminary normative information for rural Mississippi and to determine if the OQ-45.2 maintained construct validity in those local norms. Sixty-nine undergraduate students earned course credit for filling out a background demographics sheet, the OQ-45.2, and several well-validated surveys based on similar issues. The OQ-45.2 showed strong, significant (p <.01) associations (r's ranging from .47 to .80) with measures of personal distress from the Beck Depression Inventory, the Eysenck Personality Inventory, and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scales. Additionally, the OQ-45.2 was significantly negatively correlated with Extraversion (-.38) and with Grade Point Average (-.41). Local norms showed that OQ-45.2 scores for rural Mississippi showed more distress than scores for typical adults, but less distress than clients in Community Mental Health Centers.

2:30 Break

2:45 A COMPARISON OF IN-CLASS AND ONLINE STUDENT EVALUATIONS

David Swanson, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677

A comparative analysis of results from simultaneous in-class and online student evaluations taught in a social science department at a large public university strongly suggests that the online evaluations are neither valid nor reliable because of nonrandom error resulting from very high levels of non-response. As a result of this study, the Department decided not to use online evaluations in annual reviews of its faculty until a subsequent and more detailed analysis is found to contradict this finding or average response rates for online evaluations (about 26%) achieve those for in-class evaluations (about 72%).

3:00 LEARNING STYLES IN THE FIRST-YEAR MEDICAL CLASS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER 

James Hutchins (1*), Steve Watson (1), Joanne Olson (1), LouAnn Woodward (1), Robin Rockhold (1), James Brown (1), Jacob Olivier (1), and Connie Schimmel (2), (1) University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216 and (2) Millsaps College, Jackson, MS 39210

It is clear that medical students, like students in a variety of other settings, bring different needs and abilities to the classroom. Yet, few medical school faculty adapt their teaching styles to be a good "fit" to student learning styles and curriculum design is blind to the influence of student learning styles. To improve our teaching mission, to help in our ongoing curriculum reform efforts, and to help students be successful in medical school, we have embarked on a longitudinal study to determine which learning styles predominate amongst medical students, how those styles might change over time, and how learning style affects performance. First-year medical students (N = 100) were given a battery of often-used learning styles inventories during orientation, before the first day of class. These include: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI); Gregorc Style Delineator (www.gregorc.com); VARK (www.varklearn.com); and the adult version of the Dunn, Dunn and Price instrument (www.learningstyles.com). Students were given a randomly-assigned four-digit code number which will render the investigators blind to the identity of the student. Our Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs will supply course grades keyed to the code numbers so that we may attempt to correlate performance in specific courses with learning style. Characteristics of this population, with comparison to normative populations where available, will be presented. Future work will allow us to examine changes in learning style over time and how learning style affects learning outcomes in the medical school environment.

3:15 U.S. CENSUS CONFLICT: HISTORICAL ROOTS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

David Swanson* and Paula J. Walashek, University of Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406 and University of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85034

Although not originally intended as such, the US census has become a "Commons" in which private benefits are gained at the expense of public costs. As such, contentious litigation and other forms of conflict have become a standard part of the census landscape. We identify historical actions that set the stage for contemporary levels of conflict that place the census at risk--even collapse. We argue that methodological developments are unlikely to reduce this risk and concur with others that an administrative reorganization of the Census Bureau along the lines of the Federal Reserve Board represents a more promising course of action.

3:30 LITERARY ILLUSTRATIONS OF JURISPRUDENCE IN MISSISSIPPI

Angela Dunlap, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

This present study concentrates on jurisprudence in Mississippi dating from 1930 to the present. I examine the ways in which various aspects of the Mississippi criminal justice system has been portrayed by four Mississippi writers. Principal characters and/or institutions to be examined include law enforcement officers, attorneys, judges, and prisons/jails. Specifically, I identify and analyze various themes or concepts of justice implied in these works, seeking thereby to extend and clarify an understanding of ethics and justice, and how criminal justice policy is driven by public opinion and the media. In terms of justice or injustice, I will use the literary works to illustrate the conflict between the Roman concepts of lex and jus in the Aristotelian context of proportional justice. The term lex refers to statutory law whereas jus refers to law in the abstract or law in general. The writers included in my study are William Faulkner, Elizabeth Spencer, Anne Moody, and Larry Brown.

3:45 Divisional Business Meeting and Awards