1era Exposición de Carteles de Investigación

para Estudiantes Subgraduados en las

Ciencias Sociales
Universidad de Puerto Rico - Mayagüez
Unión Estudiantil de Sociología
Sala de Arte - Centro de Estudiantes
27 de octubre de 2009

Esta actividad tiene como propósito presentarle a la comunidad universitaria

los trabajos  de investigación realizados por estudiantes subgraduados del
Departamento de Ciencias Sociales  durante sus
internados de verano en diferentes Instituciones
Académicas.
1era Exposición de Carteles de Investigación en Ciencias Sociales

Contenido

The Spanish Proficiency in Heritage Speaker Students 3

Health Status, Access, and Acculturation amon Puerto Rican vs.

Other Hispanics/Latinos 4

Social Network Sites: A Mirror of Society 5

Venezuela Internal Conflicts in the Path for Independence 6

1. Neurophysiology in an Intergroup Context 7

2. Interracial Relationship Quality and Sexual Contacts as Predictors

in the Extinction of Fear of Outgroups 7

Competent Private Instruction in Iowa 8

No Child Left Behind in Puerto Rico: How does the No Child Left
Behind Act Affect Teacher’s Attitude Toward Students from Low-
Income Communities 9

Neuronal Activity in the Primate Prefrontal Cortex During an

Auditory Memory Task 10

Parent-Child Relationship in Children with Speech-Laguage

Disabilities 11

1era Exposición de Carteles para Estudiantes Subgraduados-2009 2

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2009

Ericka Acevedo-Torres
Concentración: Psicología

Universidad Huesped: University of Illinois at Chicago

The Spanish Proficiency in Heritage Speaker Students

Abstract:
Heritage speakers are defined as persons that acquired the second
language in a natural context by interacting with speakers at home, work,
school or neighborhood (Valdes, 1997). In the United States, Censo describe
the large and growing population of Spanish heritage speakers in the U.S.
2000 .The field of teaching Spanish to Native Speakers (SNS) has received
quite a bit of research attention (Paranda, 2005; Potwsky, 2003;Valdes, 1997) ,
finding that heritage speakers are a very heterogeneous population.
However, the general conclusion is that while low proficiency heritage
speakers share some characteristics with traditional foreign language
learners, many heritage speakers benefit most from specialized Spanish
courses tailored to their particular linguistic and affective needs. That is,
proficient heritage speakers should not be in traditional “foreign language”
Spanish courses, but rather in courses that look more like native language
arts.
While this finding is quite clear, one area of heritage speaker
development that remains relatively unexplored is how to develop their
proficiency in writing. In the preliminary sections of my paper, I will review
the few published studies on developing heritage speaker writing, and I will
also analyze seven (7) recent heritage speaker textbooks to see how they
address the development of writing. Then, in order to arrive at an
understanding of what might be the best approaches and activities in
developing the formal academic writing of Spanish heritage speakers, my
study examines research on how to best develop writing proficiency among
(1) foreign language students, and (2) native monolingual students. The goal
is to combine the knowledge and approaches from both of these fields in
order to arrive at empirically testable writing activities that can be piloted on
a course of heritage speakers at UIC during Fall 2009.

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2009

Mariana L. Arroyo-Ortega
Concentración: Sociología

Universidad Huesped: University of Illinois at Chicago

Mentor: Dr. Chedgzsey Smith-McKeever

Health Status, Access, and Acculturation amon Puerto Rican vs. Other Hispanics/
Latinos

Abstract:
Hispanics/Latinos living in the United States are often treated as a
monolithic ethnic group. Some writers and commentators on the topic of
within group differences have suggested that because Puerto Ricans are U.S.
citizens, they may be better off than other Hispanics in regards to social
safety nets, government welfare and health care programs. This study
compares healthcare access and health outcomes among Puerto Ricans and
other Hispanics (Mexicans, Central Americans, South Americans, Cubans,
Dominican Republicans, and Hispanic/Latinos born in the USA), to assess
what similarities and differences might exist among them. Variables related
to health status socio-economics status, and acculturation were examined
using data from the Illinois Hispanic/Latino Health Survey (IHLHS), the
healthcare access and health outcomes of Puerto Ricans other Hispanics/
Latinos groups living in metropolitan Chicago. Puerto Ricans were more
likely to be questioned about their legal status than other groups of
Hispanics, but had no significant differences in their life satisfaction or
experiences of poor treatment and discrimination when compared to
members of other Hispanic/Latino groups. Results of the analysis indicate
that while there were no significant difference in employment and income
among Puerto Ricans and other Hispanic/Latinos, there were significant
differences in health care access, chronic illness rates and experiences of
acculturation stress between the two groups.

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2009

César E. Concepción-Acevedo
Concentración: Ciencias Sociales Generales

Universidad Huesped: Virginia Polytechnic Institute of Technology and State

University

Mentores: Andrea Kavanaugh, Ph.D. y Manuel A. Pérez-Quiñones

Social Network Sites: A Mirror of Society

Abstract:
It took a little more than a decade for Social Networks Sites (SNS)
to become one of the most popular destinations for internet users. Based on
the popularity of these sites, issues of privacy, identity, politics and
socialization overall have been raised online and “offline”. Meanwhile,
dichotomized perspectives of offline and online behaviors have been
nurtured to understand the unique social scenarios created in response to
SNS’s. However, with recent research it is becoming more evident that the
behaviors shown on these sites are only a mirror of individuals and
furthermore, society. These sites are not only influenced by events that occur
offline but are also prone to social factors like: institutionalized
isomorphism, free market behavior, politics and normative social values. This
medium of interaction has allowed people to magnify their social capital
since social networks are more visible and more easily accessible.
Nevertheless, to completely understand the benefits and drawbacks of this
novel way of communication more research is needed.

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2009

Juan Gutierrez
Concentración: Psicología

Universidad Huesped: University of Illionois at Chicago

Venezuela Internal Conflicts in the Path for Independence

Abstract:

During the colonial period (1522-1811) Venezuelan society was

dominated by the mantuanos, the creole aristocracy in Caracas. This exclusive
social group, throughout centuries of Spanish colonialism, had acquired a
certain degree of political autonomy from the central government. The
creole elite controlled the cabildos and the colonial economy based on the
export of cacao. They also zealously protected their privileges in a social
order in which social mobility was almost non-existent. The Bourbon
Reforms carried out by Spanish officials during the eighteenth century were
intended to undermine creole political and economic control in Caracas and
strengthen peninsular power. One way to achieve these goals was by
appointing members of the lower social class, including pardos and mestizos,
to officer positions in the colonial militia. The creole elite resented these
reforms because of the threat that the rise of these underprivileged sectors
posed to their dominance in Caracas. In the wake of the Peninsular War
(1808-1813), mestizos, pardos and slaves led a number of social uprisings
causing great alarm among the mantuanos. Once the struggle for
independence began with the Declaration of Independence on July 5, 1811,
civil discord would affect the course of the war, jeopardizing the prospects of
independence in Venezuela. This study assesses how these social conflicts
conditioned the development of the process of independence in Venezuela,
particularly the way in which shifting allegiances between different local
groups and international actors had an influence on the development of a
national consciousness.

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2009

Eira E. Figueroa-Cordero
Concentración: Psicología

Universidad Huesped: Michigan State University

1. Neurophysiology in an Intergroup Context

2. Interracial Relationship Quality and Sexual Contacts as Predictors in the

Extinction of Fear of Outgroups

Abstract:

1. Researchers have found that certain autonomic responses such as

skin conductance response, heart rate and skin temperature are related to
specific neurophysiological activity that can distinguish different emotional
states. Based on a review of the literature on the neural signatures of fear
and aggression, data scoring protocols for autonomic responses were
developed for data derived from a fear conditioning procedure. These
protocols will help researchers better understand the emotional and
behavioral states of research participants with greater precision, and will
help bridge an understanding of how the mind and the body are connected
in intergroup contexts.

2. Olsson, et.al, (2005) and Navarrete, et.al, (in press) found that
intergroup contact significantly reduces the persistence of learned fear
towards social outgroups in a fear conditioning procedure. Other studies
have also demonstrated that positive intergroup contact reduces negativity
toward outgroups. In this study we explore the role of interracial contact in
romantic relationships and sexual behavior in the the extinction of fear
toward outgroups. We replicated the results of previous work, finding that
interracial dating significantly reduces conditioned fear to the outgroup
target. However, other variables measuring more detailed romantic and
sexual contact did were not found to be significantly related to fear
extinction. Most correlations were in the predicted direction, suggesting that
analyses conducted with a larger sample may yield significant relationships
between these variables and the persistence of learned fear to an outgroup.

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2009

Bianca R. Jimenez-Torres
Concentración: Psicología

Universidad Huesped: University of Iowa

Competent Private Instruction in Iowa

Abstract:

The purpose of this research was to profile the homeschooled

population of the state of Iowa during the academic years of 2003-04 and
2004-05. Iowa law requires that parents complete Form A at the beginning of
a school year. The form documents that families are conducting
homeschooling, designated in Iowa as Competent Private Instruction (CPI).
Researchers collected information in Form A from all Area Education
Agencies in the state of Iowa. A database containing information on all of
the parent’s responses was created. The final report analyzes responses from
Form A and offers conclusions based on the analysis to provide a clearer
picture and therefore a better understanding of Iowa’s CPI population.
Some findings that were brought upon the completion of the data collection
include that the homeschooled population in Iowa is not limited to the rural
areas of the state and the grade equivalency level for CPI instruction in Iowa
is predominantly grades 1-8. Iowa certified teachers play a dominant role in
providing and supervising CPI instruction; dual enrollment plays a major
role in the delivery of CPI instruction, making homeschooling in Iowa not
completely independent of public education. Future research on the topic is
required because although literature on the topic may be growing, only very
little is qualified as being valid. Limitations of the study become evident
because of the partial amount of required information from the parents on
Form A.

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2009

Emely E. Medina-Rodríguez
Concentración: Ciencias Políticas

Universidad Huesped: University of Illinois at Chicago

Mentor: Dr. Leonard Ramirez

No Child Left Behind in Puerto Rico: How does the No Child Left Behind Act
Affect Teacher’s Attitude Toward Students from Low-Income Communities

Abstract:
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was created in 2001 to close
the achievement gap between middle class White students and low-income
minority students in the U.S. NCLB is also mandated in Puerto Rico and
affects Puerto Rican educational institutions. Although this law has been
studied in the U.S. there is a lack of understanding of how it affects
territories distant from the mainland. Little is known about how NCLB
affects Puerto Rican teachers’ attitudes, especially those working with
students from low-income communities. Qualitative research methods were
chosen to encourage teachers to express their perspectives from their own
point of view. A snowball sample identified seven participants. Open-ended
questions were used to interview teachers at a school near the University of
Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. The school serves students from the surrounding
public housing projects. Ninety-two percent of the student body had
incomes below poverty levels. Statistics from Puerto Rico’s Department of
Education also showed that this school had not met NCLB’s Adequate Yearly
Progress requirement for the past five years.

Teachers indicate the environmental and socio-cultural

backgrounds of students from this low-income community had a great
impact on their students’ lack of success on standardized tests and on their
academic life. Teachers expect students to possess attitudes that reflect their
lack of interest toward the educational process. They assume the children
lack experiences and cultural capital which leads them to become
disinterested in their own schooling. The data suggest NCLB aggravates
teachers’ low expectations of local community students. To fully understand
the implications of the implementation of NCLB in Puerto Rico we should
consider the various factors that may affect the relationship between
teachers and students. We must also examine options that reinforce the
strengths of teachers and students taking into account the special needs of
students and the challenges that confront teachers.

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2009

María M. Quiñones-Cordero
Concentración: Psicología

Universidad Huesped: University of Iowa

Mentora: Amy Poremba

Neuronal Activity in the Primate Prefrontal Cortex During an Auditory Memory

Task

Abstract:
At least two neural pathways, a dorsal pathway for localization of
sound sources and a ventral pathway for recognition of auditory objects may
process auditory information. These processing pathways converge in the
prefrontal cortex (PFC) and this area is involved in working memory for
visual stimuli and may have the same involvement for auditory information.
Some studies have shown that there are neurons in the prefrontal cortex
(PFC) that respond to sounds. However, many of these studies have only
used a few numbers of example stimuli such as monkey vocalization and
pure tones. The focus of this study is to examine auditory processing of
simple and complex sounds by utilizing single-unit neuronal recordings in
the ventral lateral prefrontal cortex (VlPFC) while the primates are
challenged by tasks requiring auditory discrimination, recognition, and
memory. The present study employs a delayed matching-to-sample (DMTS)
task that requires maintenance of an auditory stimulus over a delay period as
a test of working memory. The stimuli presented came from multiple sound
types including: music, human voices, monkey vocalizations, animal sounds,
synthetic sounds, white noise, pure tones and sounds from nature.
Preliminary results from 52 cells in two experimental animals indicate that
the majority have some task related activity, as indicated by a significant
change in firing rates as indicated by the Wilcoxon test during particular
events for at least one of the four trial types. It appears that this region of the
PFC is actively involved in auditory short term recognition memory, as
demonstrated by changes in firing activity to both sounds, during the
memory delay, response, and reward periods. This is similar to findings in
this brain region from the visual system (Wallis & Miller, 2003), and suggests
that although the sensory input is very different for auditory versus visual
sensation, eventually the encoding processes are similar at the cortical level.

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2009

Antonio L. Romaguera-Rodríguez
Concentración: Psicología

Universidad Huesped: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Parent-Child Relationship in Children with Speech-Laguage Disabilities

Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to understand how a child’s speech-
language disability potentially impacts the quality of their parent-child
relationship. The theoretical framework used for this study is based on the
ABCX Model of Family Stress which suggests that factors that increase
parent stress are likely to have a negative impact on parent-child
relationships. Parent-child dyads were selected from the Western Reserve
Reading Project (WRRP) to form two groups: a) 13 dyads in which the
children had a speech-language disability and b) 13 dyads in which the
children had typical speech-language skills. Quality of parent-child
relationship was compared between these two groups using items from the
Parent Feeling Questionnaire (Deater- Deckard, 1996) which measured how
parents feel about their relationships with their children. Mean differences
were statistically evaluated between both groups and between boys and girls
with an independent samples t-test. Correlation matrixes were derived to
evaluate the influence of parental education level. Results suggested no
differences between groups and no influence of parent education level, but
suggest that boys elicit more negativity from their mothers as compared to
girls.

1era Exposición de Carteles para Estudiantes Subgraduados-2009 11

1era Exposición de Carteles de Investigación en Ciencias Sociales

Agradecemos a los profesores

que nos guían hacia un
camino de excelencia. Cada
un@ de ell@s hace que estas
experiencias de investigación
sean posibles.

1era Exposición de Carteles para Estudiantes Subgraduados-2009 12