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Newsmakers Assistant Professor Warner Hyde, Adjunct Instructor Holly Fischer and Associate Professor Lisa F. Pearce were among the artists from 15 North Carolina colleges and universities included in the “Ceramic Art of North Carolina University and College Faculty” exhibition at the North Carolina Pottery Center in Seagrove, N.C. The exhibition showcased the high quality and rich diverseness of clay art created by faculty who are instructors of ceramics throughout North Carolina. Professor of Mathematics Jacquelin Dietz pre-
Meredith Psychology Students Examine the 2012 Election By Melyssa Allen
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fter a seemingly endless campaign, Election Day 2012 finally arrived. As the election came to a close, Meredith Professor of Psychology Cynthia Edwards asked students in her social psychology course to offer psychological explanations as to why the latest election cycle seemed so divisive. This social psychology class project earned coverage in The News & Observer’s Under the Dome, StudentAdvisor.com and CollegeXpress.com. Here are some of their theories, which are based on social psychology concepts.
Caught in the middle
Voters today experience cognitive dissonance regularly, as they are bombarded with non-stop campaign advertisements. Oftentimes, one ad may be in direct response to another on the same subject. It seems like they are in the middle with the ball being passed over their heads. When their minds are holding two ideas simultaneously that are inconsistent with one another, they will be quick to discredit the source that seems most contradictory to their belief. Self-justification
Once people make up their mind, they are likely to stick with their choice. At this point, individuals seek affirmation that they are making the right decision.
sented a plenary lecture, “JSE, AP Statistics, and Randomization Tests in Stat 101—30 Years of Change in Statistics Education,” at the 50th Anniversary Celebration, The Department of Statistics at the University of Connecticut. During the weekend-long event,
Voters then justify their choice with information that presents their choice as correct, and discount evidence that would suggest otherwise. Social psychologists refer to this phenomenon as confirmation bias. Mirroring the candidates
During the debates, chivalry was largely abandoned between the initial handshake and the families mingling afterwards. The candidates were blatantly aggressive, at times yelling, interrupting, and using aggressive hand gestures and facial expressions. Partisan viewers of the debate tend to agree with their candidate. If the candidate is being aggressive to the opposition, viewers learn it is acceptable to also be aggressive to the opposition and behave in a similar fashion. Appeal to emotions
Candidates have a keen ability to tap into voters’ psyche on a very personal and emotional level. They relate their potential policies to aspects that are very personal in the everyday lives of the electorate. When people feel they are emotionally attached to one of the candidates, they can act emotionally to someone who might put down their candidate, or disagree with them. In some instances people become irritable because an attack on a candidate is perceived as an attack on them personally.
Dietz was recognized by the Department of Statistics, and was presented the 2012 Distinguished Alumna Award; the inscription on the plaque notes this is “in Recognition of Outstanding Professional Achievements.” Associate Professor of History Dan Fountain’s review of “Mark Auslander. The Accidental Slaveholder: Revisiting a Myth of Race and Finding an American Family” has been published in the latest issue of The Journal of Southern Religion. Departmental Assistant for Communication & Performing Arts Jeannette Rogers presented her translations of the poetry of Max Rouquette at the American Literary Translators Association Annual Conference in Rochester, N.Y. Rouquette was a founder of the modern Occitan movement and author of more than 30 books of poetry and prose. Rogers also joined in the Declamacion, when translators recited their translations from memory; it was the first time that Occitan was included the event. Associate Professor of Mass Communication Doug Spero appears in a documentary trilogy series called “Shattered Hopes.” The documentary covers the real life crime that inspired the Amityville Horror movies. Spero was interviewed about his experience as one of the first reporters on the scene in 1974. The series is narrated by Edward Asner and produced by Ryan Katzenback for Katco Media. M er edi t h M ag az i n e / S p r in g 2 013 /
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