Publication Date
1-1-2016
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
First Advisor
Wallace, Douglas G.
Degree Name
B.S. (Bachelor of Science)
Legacy Department
Department of Psychology
Abstract
Previous research has supported an association between binge drinking patterns of alcohol consumption in adolescence and hippocampal function (Parada et al., 2011). Other research has shown that the level of cohesion in one’s writing can be used as an early indicator of pathology associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type (Snowden, 1996). As of yet, no research has examined the association between self-reports of alcohol use in adolescents and level of density in writing samples as measured by cohesiveness. Based on student’s self-reports of alcohol use in the AUDIT (Adolescent Use Disorders Identification Test), they were contacted for to participate in this study. At the start of experiment, the participant was given the Montreal Cognitive Assessment to measure cognitive ability. Following a spatial awareness task, students were asked to complete two writing samples which were primed to elicit changes in cohesion from one to the next. This study and its data analyses are ongoing; however, the results are consistent with group differences in measures of Deep Cohesion between writing prompts. This is one of the first studies assessing the association between adolescent self-reported alcohol use and discourse cohesiveness. This study has been conducted to create a foundation for further research on early detection of pathology associated with episodic memory and neurodegenerative disorders.
Recommended Citation
Moscinski, Makenna R., "Lost in Language Structure: Adolescent Binge Drinking is Associated with Disruptions in Deep Cohesion" (2016). Honors Capstones. 752.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/studentengagement-honorscapstones/752
Lost in language Structure.docx
Extent
15 pages
Language
eng
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.
Media Type
Text
