In their final days of school, four seniors presented findings from their Independent Science Research (ISR) projects at the 12th annual symposium.

 

The ISR program is a three-year elective that offers students a chance to conduct research and work closely with researchers and mentors in a laboratory setting. Students choose their own topic of research from a variety of areas—mathematics, physical sciences, life sciences, social sciences or psychology—and conduct an extensive review of scientific literature on the topic. They create testable hypotheses, perform experiments, analyze data and write a final paper, then present their findings at the symposium. Science teacher Colm O’Mahony oversees ISR as an advisor.

 

Parvati R. presented on “Aging’s Affect on the Retrieval of Emotionally Selective Memories.” Using data from 60 female Spence volunteers (20 fifth-graders, 20 12th-graders and 20 faculty members age 30-45), Parvati examined how age was related to individuals’ abilities to recall positive- or negative-associated images. She found that overall recall ability decreased as individuals aged, but the accuracy of emotional stimuli is maintained over age.

 

Namrita K. presented: “Music Perception of Percussion Instruments Is Better In Children with Bilateral Cochlear Implants.” By studying 35 children under the age of 8 with bilateral cochlear implants, Namrita discovered that drums are the “best received” and the clearest musical noise to hear, followed by guitar, piano and flute.

 

Nikki D. presented on “Exploring the Role of Single-Sex Education on Stereotype Threat.” She examined Spence students who entered school in Kindergarten versus Grade 9 and how they reacted to stereotype threats about their math abilities and found that single-sex education does not offer protection from internalized prejudices about women.

 

Catherine B. presented on “Managing Semi-Arid Rangelands for Carbon Storage: Grazing Effects on Soil Carbon.” Catherine measured carbon levels from soil from Oregon, Montana, Colorado and Kenya and looked at the management styles (high grazing or low grazing). The results of the study, when completed, will provide data on how to structure approaches to increase total organic carbon in soil, which may help lower atmospheric carbon dioxide.