Psychology and Social Science.

Chair: Ann Marie Kinnell, University of Southern Mississippi

Vicechair: Pamela Banks, Jackson State University 

THURSDAY MORNING

Lamar II

Special Session: Recent Research in Forensic Science (8:30-10:40)

8:30 APPLICATIONS OF THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT IN TEACHING FORENSICS 

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

The Human Genome Project is arguably one of the greatest scientific achievements in history. Its potential effects are ubiquitous, seen in areas from medical advances to hiring practices. The uses of the HGP within forensic anthropology and forensics in general are many, and this paper will present several of these applications, focusing on how they might be discussed within the classroom setting. The first use is extended identification of criminals and victims. Recently perpetrators have begun to be identified through cold hits in state DNA databases. In turn, others have been exonerated through DNA as well. Another use is our understanding of systems of classifying human variation, usually considered under racial lines, which is bound to come under reconsideration given the new genetic information. In a third application, we will consider genes thought to have an effect on personality traits, especially those that might predispose individuals to certain behavioral tendencies. All of these use can of course be of great help to law enforcement agencies, but such information also carries a great number of ethical issues associated with it, especially in terms of personal privacy and individual rights. Thus, the HGP can also be called one of the most dangerous achievements as well. In the classroom, its benefits and drawbacks must be clearly presented to students.

8:50 THE USE OF DRUGS IN TEACHING CHEMISTRY TRY

Gerald Mattson, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

Cocaine and other drugs provide infamous examples to reinforce concepts important for understanding chemistry. The presentation will focus on solubility, volatility, three-dimensional structure, and acid base reactions involving stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine, depressants such as barbiturates, anti-depressants such as Librium and Valium and narcotics such as heroin and morphine.

9:10 VARIOUS TECHNIQUES FOR LIFTING LATENT FINGERPRINTS FROM HUMAN SKIN

Erin M. Outlaw, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

Though it is difficult to lift viable latent fingerprints off human skin, five accepted techniques have been developed: iodine fuming followed by the transfer of the latent print to another surface; transferring the latent onto Kromecote paper and dusting with conventional powders; sprinkling lead dust on the suspected print then utilizing x-rays to produce a visual print; dusting the area of skin with magnetic powder and transferring the latent print to Dactyfoil; and using cyanoacrylate fuming to create a visible latent print then dusting with conventional powders. These techniques, though accurate in lifting latent prints off other varied surfaces rarely produce the desired results on human skin due to the variety of environmental and biological circumstances to which the body is exposed.

9:30 FORM BLINDNESS AND LATENT PRINT EXAMINERS

Dean Bertram* and Jon S. Byrd, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, and Mississippi Crime Laboratory, Jackson, MS

What is form blindness? It is a combined physical and mental fault, an imperfection in the brain that causes the inability to interpret and correctly store what is actually focused on the human retina. Problems in comparison training are due not only to failure to see the outside of things but to the failure to recognize the real differences and the fundamental similarities and to understand them and interpret them when they are seen. This presentation will review the theory behind form blindness as well as the relationship to testing for laboratory positions as a latent fingerprint examiner.

9:50 Break

10:00 HOW MODERN FORENSIC TECHNIQUES COULD HAVE CAUGHT JACK THE RIPPER 

Nina K. Carroll, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

Jack the Ripper is indisputably the most infamous serial killer in history. Several factors contributed to his never having been captured. I attempt to reveal how the forensic techniques unavailable in the nineteenth century such as fingerprinting, DNA analysis, tool mark analysis on bone, and forensic profiling could have exposed the identity of the man who composed his letters from hell.

10:20 NON-METRIC AND METRIC SKELETAL TRAITS AND THEIR POTENTIAL VALUE TO THE FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST

Kristi E. Turner, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

Non-metric and metric traits are routinely recorded in osteological studies for their potential utility in the reconstruction of activity patterns of individuals and the genetic structure of a group. Of particular value to the forensic anthropologist is reconstructing the handedness of a homicide victim. Specifically, if an individual may be identified as left-handed by evaluating several features of the upper arm and shoulder, the probability of making a positive identification increases dramatically, simply by eliminating the number of right-handed individuals on a missing persons list. Of other interest is whether particular activities may be suggested, such as baseball throwing or shoveling, by evaluating muscle attachments sites and wear on bones. This project involved the evaluation of three potentially valuable traits found on the arm and shoulder in 50 Black and White men and women of known identity and occupation, from the Terry Collection of the Smithsonian Institution. The objective was to examine the variability of these traits between individuals, on both left and right arms to determine whether they reflect handedness, occupation, or elements of both. Patterns of frequency are compared by age, sex, race, and side. Implications of findings for forensic anthropology are described in further detail.

10:40 A TECHNIQUE TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF FINGERPRINTS FROM THE DECEASED

Dean Bertram* and Kimberly R. Wright, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, and Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg, MS 39402

Antigen Retrieval Solution [ARS] was introduced as an aid in the testing of tumors. In this study, digits from corpses were fingerprinted before and after soaking in ARS for various lengths of time and at various conditions. Soaking in ARS yielded dramatic improvements in fingerprint quality and evidentiary value.

Regular Session

11:00 GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PERCIEVED PARENTAL APPROVAL OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS

Christopher Curtis *, Kaye F. Sly, and Pamela Banks, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217

Research suggests that gender and communication with parents are factors that influence the sexual behavior of college students. The present study investigated gender differences in perceived parental approval of sexual behavior at four different levels of relationship involvement in a sample of 142 African American college students (45 males, 97 females). It was hypothesized that males would perceive more parental approval of sexual intercourse than females at all four levels of relationship involvement (someone with whom they have dated once, someone with whom they are going steady, someone with whom they are in love, and someone they planned to marry). Participants completed an assessment package that included personal data/behavioral and attitude assessment and the Parental Approval and Friend's Approval of Sexual Behavior scale (PASB). The results of this study support the hypothesis. Chi Square analyses indicate an association between gender and perceived parental approval of sexual behavior. Significan tly more males than females perceived parental approval of sexual intercourse at all four levels of relationship involvement. The results suggest that parents may be more liberal in their attitudes toward premarital sex for males than females.

11:20 SOUTHERN BELLES? UNDERSTANDING BEAUTY PERFORMANCES AND PERCEPTIONS AMONG YOUNG SOUTHERN WOMEN

Jacqueline C. Bergeron, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

This research project will evaluate different aspects of beauty and appearance in young, white, southern women's lives. The main topics to be explored are the relationship of body-image satisfaction to youth, the effects of the media on the development of beauty perceptions and performances, the presence and conception of ideals, for a woman's appearance, and how the aforementioned components relate to each other. The method that will be used to carry out this research project will involve interviews with white women, aged 18-24, living in the Hattiesburg area. The data will be collected using inperson taped interviews. The subjects will be asked a series of open-ended questions dealing with the role of beauty in their lives, from late childhood to the present day, and how it has affected the way they view themselves and their bodies. The major theory of this project is the idea that a female's satisfaction with her appearance is high before she enters adolescence, and falls after she goes through adolescence . The assumption behind this theory is that going through adolescence involves "becoming a woman," which involves making oneself looking like one. This time is when the role of beauty and the preoccupation with beauty would come into play. Before adolescence, then, beauty and appearance would not have played as integral a role, and thus, body-image satisfaction would be higher.

11:40 MISSISSIPPI HISTORY ON TRIAL: THE LEGEND AND LESSONS OF THE PARCHMAN FARM SYSTEM

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

Jean-Jacques Rousseau once remarked that "History is the art of choosing, from among many lies, that one which most resembles the truth." Consistent with Rousseau's theory, many historical accounts lack objectivity because the author or researcher maintains some level of personal interest, involvement, or connection in the subject matter he or she covers. For example, various works that document the South's history of racial problems convey a slanted perspective that complicates one's understanding of "truth." In this paper, I use the Marxist approach to examine William B. Taylor's Down on Parchman Farm and David M. Oshinsky's Worse Than Slavery. Oshinsky argues that the practice of convict leasing and a prison/plantation system such as Parchman Farm could only emerge from the hostile social climate of post-bellum Mississippi. Taylor, on the other hand, defends the Parchman Farm system and rationalizes that a disproportionate number of incarcerated African-Americans was inevitable following Emancipation and R econstruction. However, I illustrate how our capitalist economy, not racism, helped create and advance such correctional models as convict leasing and the Parchman plantation system. Further, I contend that capitalism maintains a controlling ideology over our social and political economies and perpetuates class division. Thus, in terms of production, capitalism reproduces this ideology.

12:00 Divisional Business Meeting

THURSDAY AFTERNOON

Lamar II

1:20 EARLY TOBACCO ABSTINENCE IN HIGH RISK SMOKERS

Zakiya Nicks * and Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

Many smokers attempt cessation, however, high relapse rates in the first few days of cessation are commonly seen especially in high risk smokers (alcohol drinkers, those who have depressive symptoms, and females). The purpose of this study is to conduct a prospective examination of the clinical course of tobacco (nicotine) abstinence effects including mood changes and craving in response to presentation of cues over the first week and month of abstinence in male and female smokers who are either heavy/light alcohol drinkers with/without depressive symptoms. Subjects participated in a one month smoking cessation program using contingency management and brief, frequent behavioral counseling based on AHCPR guidelines (Cooney 2001). Cue-reactivity was examined during acute withdrawal (Day 3) and chronic withdrawal (Day 7) using standardized scripts written to induce negative affect (Tiffany et al. 1990). Also, mood changes were evaluated using CES-D and Profile of Mood States (POMS). Cue-reactivity procedures, se lection of cues, and preparation of cue-tapes were developed. However, no data has been gathered. Data gathered from the CES-D and POMS showed that different subgroups of high-risk smokers experience differences in onset and intensity of depressive symptoms.

1:40 EVOLUTION AND AMERICA: AN IDEOLOGICAL APPROACH

Jude Toche, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

The theory of evolution is the cornerstone of modern biology. However, many Americans are quite hostile to the idea of biological evolution. This observation is hardly new, but most explanations of this phenomenon center on religion as a causal factor in the popular rejection of evolution by Americans. Rather than give complete weight to the influence of religion, one should consider the impact of American ideology on the disavowal of evolution. American ideology places individualism in a preeminent position. According to this tenet of American ideology, the individual is the primary actor in nearly all things. However, in evolutionary theory, the individual is of little consequence. As such, evolution is counterintuitive to the average American. This study explores the possibility of a connection between American individualism and the reluctance of the American population to embrace the ideas of Charles Darwin and other evolutionary biologists. While this study does not attempt to eliminate the possibility o f religious influence on the American aversion to the theory of evolution, it examines another facet of the American distaste for Darwin. This study uses literature from the fields of biology, sociology, and psychology to explain the possible connection.

2:00 SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS AS A PREDICTOR OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION 

Erika Johnson * and Michael O'Hara, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, and University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52245

Previous studies have shown that in impoverished populations, rates of postpartum depression (PPD) were significantly elevated. The goal of this study was to determine whether socio-economic status (SES) can be used as a predictor of PPD. It was predicted that women with lower socio-economic status would be more likely to develop PPD. In the context of screening for a PPD treatment study, 4,233 woman who has recently given birth from four counties in a mid-western state (mean age = 30.1) were given The Inventory to Diagnose Depression (IDD). This questionnaire assessed symptoms from low mood to decreased concentration. Scoring criteria was similar to that of the DSMIV. Socio-economic status was measured using the Hollingshead's Four Factor Indicator of Social Status (1975). The prevalence of PPD was determined by looking at the total number of women and comparing it to the number who received a positive score on the IDD. The prevalence rate found was 20.72%. This rate is slightly higher than previously report ed rates, which is consistent with the existing literature. A Pearson's r correlation was computed between SES and total IDD scores (r = -0.235, p < 0.01). As SES increases, the risk for PPD decreases. These findings are valuable in the effort to treat women m low income environments.

2:20 VALUES ORIENTATION AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS SUICIDE AND ABORTION

E. Thomaseo Burton * and Kaye F. Sly, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217

The relationships between values orientation (VO) and support for or opposition to suicide and abortion were assessed in 188 African American undergraduate students (47 males, 141 females). Gender differences in suicide and pro-life/pro-choice attitudes were also explored. Individualistic and community oriented VO were assessed using the Rokeach Values Survey. Suicide and abortion attitudes were assessed using the Death Related Social Issues Attitude Questionnaire. It was hypothesized that females would be less supportive of suicide than males, and that males would be less supportive of abortion than females. It was further hypothesized that endorsement of individualistic values would predict support for suicide and abortion while endorsement of community oriented values would predict opposition towards these death related social issues. T-tests revealed no significant gender differences in attitudes towards suicide or abortion (t=1.571, p < 0.118; t=1.737, p < 0.084). There was, however, a tendency for femal es to be less supportive of suicide and for males to be less supportive of abortion. An individualistic value, "A Sense of Accomplishment," was found to be the best predictor of support for both suicide and abortion in this population ([beta] = 0.144, p < 0.023; [beta] = 0.131, p < 0.038). These findings suggest that African American college students who rank individualistic values as important can be expected to be more supportive of suicide and abortion. This research was supported by NIMH-COR grant MH-16926.

2:40 Break

2:50 A SEARCH FOR THE LOST: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF TURKEY CREEK CEMETERY

Kelly McClave, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

Historical in conjunction with public archaeologists have a responsibility that goes beyond research and academic standards. They have a professional responsibility to the descendents and the public whose ancestors they wish to study. It is important for historical/public archaeologists to involve the groups with cultural and genetic connections with the subjects of archaeological study and any interested public members. A possible service that an archaeologist can render to a community is the identification of a cemetery. The main objective of this paper is to ascertain the existence of an African American communities cemetery and to prove that it was in fact, larger and more extensive than previously believed.

3:10 MEASURING COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH THE HEALTH OF THEIR PEOPLE

Erin R. Villarraga, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

There has been an ongoing debate as to whether the Mississippi Gulf Coast provided a stable environment for Native American habitation. We have some evidence of occupations on the coast including a few burials. Until recently, these remains have been sparsely analyzed. This study hopes to reveal whether aquatic subsistence adaptations were able to completely sustain the groups that practiced them on the Gulf coast by comparing health patterns of two coastal sites, Harvey and Mulatto Bayou, to those at Kellogg. For the purposes of this study, the inland Kellogg site is the control because my analysis and that of others shows Kellogg individuals were healthy. To determine health patterns at the three sites, I use Nordin's index for cortical bone maintenance. The index is found by measuring the thickness of femoral midshafts on radiographs with sliding calipers. My results show that mean cortical thickness at the Harvey site was above 46%, the standard for healthy cortical thickness. However, the Mulatto Bayou s ample mean was below this standard, though just barely. Low cortical thickness is associated with systemic dietary stress and lack of physical activity. While the mean of Mulatto Bayou is slightly lower than the standard for health, it may not be significantly lower. My research shows that at least some areas of the Mississippi Gulf coast were stable and plentiful environments for Native Americans.

3:30 MISSISSIPPI RIVERS: A STUDY OF CHOC-TAW INDIAN PLACE-NAMES OF THE STREAMS AND RIVERS OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI

Chris McPhail, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

The present-day state of Mississippi has thousands of miles of rivers and creeks that were once the focal point of Choctaw Indian lifeways. In this study I am researching and translating the original names of some of the more significant streams of the state. By comparing this information to known physical, cultural or biological characteristics of those waterways it is possible to gain insight into why a particular stream was so named. These names can reflect naturally occurring characteristics, historical events or cultural attributes. We may assume these occurrences and attributes were important enough for Choctaw Indians to bestow upon these streams a title that echoes this importance. Thus it is possible to determine what stream features, whether cultural or natural, were significant in the everyday lives of prehistoric Choctaw. The information provided in this study offers us a possible view of stream characteristics that were considered essential to Choctaw lifeways. In addition, this research provides a compilation of Choctaw stream place-names and their translations for preservation and future studies.

3:50 A PUBLIC ANTHROPOLOGY WEB PROJECT

Jeffrey Kaufmann, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406

Graduate students submitted summaries of 1928 and 1989 volumes of the journal American Anthropologist in an effort to make anthropological articles from one of the discipline's lead journals available to a wide audience. Their summaries were published on the web at www.publicanthropology.org, a site that is receiving around 30,000 hits per month. This project demonstrates how far anthropological theory has moved in six decades.