Cal State Fullerton Student
Wins First Place in Annual CSU Student Research Competition
Student research looks at brain interference
in how men and women process information.
May 27, 2005 :: No. 223
Andrew Klerer of Fullerton, a graduate
student majoring in psychology at Cal State Fullerton, won
first place in the Behavioral and Social Sciences category
at the 19th annual CSU Student Research Competition. The
systemwide competition among students from the 23 CSU campuses
was held last month at Cal State Sacramento.
Klerer’s research is entitled “Finger
Tapping Indicates Gender Differences, Possible Cerebral Hemisphere
Asymmetries for Stroop Effect.”
Essentially, Klerer is looking at brain interference
in how men and women process information. In his experiment,
he had subjects look at lists of words representing colors.
However, the words were color-coded so that text and colors
did not always correspond. For instance, the word red appeared
in blue ink. Subjects then were asked to name the colors and
disregard the words. While doing so, subjects tapped their
fingers on a computer mouse as rapidly as possible.
“It sounds easy but it isn’t,”
Klerer said. “Many people see the color and want to
say the name of the written word rather than the color of
the print. What I’m trying to determine is how and why
that ‘disconnect’ occurs by looking at finger-tapping
rates.”
Based on his study of 36 individuals, Klerer
discovered that females are more likely than males to experience
this “cerebral interference,” that is, the difficulty
in selecting the color rather than naming the written word.
For Klerer — and researchers like him — this difference
could explain gender differences in the way men and women
process information.
“At this point, with only a preliminary
study, we’re not sure why women process this differently
than men,” he said. “It could be that females
have a slight verbal advantage over men and so they’re
more attuned or sensitive to reading the words rather than
naming the colors.
We’re not sure if there’s an emotional component
or a cognitive reason. That’s why research like this
is helpful. It provides insight into how we process information.”
This research also may be helpful in diagnosing
certain conditions, such as attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia
and impulse disorders. Klerer notes that much more testing
and research needs to be completed before any definitive conclusions
can be drawn. Still, he is pleased that the work was recognized
at the CSU system level and among professionals in the field.
At the competition, students were required
to make oral presentations before juries of representatives
from major corporations, foundations, public agencies, and
colleges and universities in California.
“I was very surprised and flattered when
I learned I had won,” Klerer said. “I am especially
grateful to the professors in the Psychology Department at
Cal State Fullerton, especially my adviser, Eriko Miyahara,
who helped me develop the study. Now, I want to refine and
develop this research.”
Media Contact: |
Valerie Orleans, Public Affairs at
657-278-4540 or vorleans@fullerton.edu |
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