In the STEM program we must take a class called research and design, and in that class we must make a capstone project. The purpose of a capstone project is to apply skills taught in other classes or in life in general, as well the project can also increase a student's aspirations in a field.
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The purpose of my project is to verify that two actions can affect how a person may feel. This could give people the knowledge to know how to change how stressed they are. This is important, because people all over the world of all ages show signs of stress. Because of this being the case, we need to find a way to show these people who are stressed a way to be less stressed so they can do higher quality work and feel better about it all at the same time. To fix these issues of high stress, we need to find out what could help the people to become less stressed. With this in mind, there are two exercises that have already been said to help lower and raise stress, these exercises or actions are simple, the first exercise is meant to make you more confident or less stressed, all you have to do is hold your arms above your head in a "V" shape. The second exercise is meant to raise stress, you simply have to stay in fetal position. Both of these exercises are done for one minute. There will beat least 5 people not including myself that will be tested on. Each of these chosen people will have been recorded for they're pulse before the action and then they will undergo one of the actions depending on what week it is, every other week they will be tested using the action that makes you more confident and on the other weeks they will be tested using the action for more stress. After the test, the person will wait aproximately 10 seconds then their pulse will be recorded again. I believe that these actions could actually work. The test will consist of how the person feels before and after doing the determined action; hopefully, the person/people doing the test does feel a difference before and after the exercises. Finally, each person will be seen by myself throughout 4 weeks 5 times per week, that is 20 times I will see at least 5 different people, which means that I will see each person exactly 20 times times 5 weeks for a total of 100 points of data.
The general topic of my research is psychology. This is important because every person has a mind and everybody thinks and imagines and feels emotions. Everyone also has stress, which makes them afraid, or if they have less stress then they are more confident. So the purpose of this literature review is to have a summary, a discussion of my sources, to be better able to understand my topic. All of these articles hit at least one different topic each and I will summarize what these things mean in a hopefully simple manner. My hypothesis comes first though, I wish to verify that two certain exercises/actions will increase or decrease the amount of stress a person has depending on what exercise/action is being done.
Article 1 is the very base of my project and the name of the author of this article is unknown. Without this website, my project would have not been conceived. It states that the Adrenal glands helps to control blood sugar. In addition, also helps your body do the following: Promoting proper cardiovascular function, Properly utilizing carbohydrates and fats, which helps distribute stored fat, and promotes healthy gastrointestinal functions. The Hypothalamus is in control of pituitary hormones by releasing the following types of hormones: Thyrotropic-releasing hormone, Growth hormone-releasing hormone, Corticotropin-releasing hormone, and Gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Ovaries are found in women, this gland produces both estrogen and progesterone, which promote the development of breasts. They also help a woman maintain healthy menstrual periods. The main function of the Pancreas is to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. It is a large gland located behind the stomach. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body doesn't use insulin properly. The Pineal gland releases melatonin, which helps the body recognize when it is time to go to sleep. The Pituitary gland greatly influences other organs in the body, and its function is vital to the overall well-being of a person. The pituitary gland produces several hormones. In fact, the front part of it, commonly called the anterior pituitary, produces the following types of hormones: Growth hormone: This hormone promotes growth in childhood. For adults, it helps to maintain healthy muscle and bone mass. Prolactin: In women, it stimulates milk production, and In males, low levels are linked to sexual problems; however, most males make no use of the hormone. Adrenocorticotropic: This hormone promotes the production of cortisol, which helps to reduce stress, maintain healthy blood pressure and more. Thyroid-stimulating hormone: Just as the name implies, this hormone helps to regulate the body's thyroid, which is crucial in maintaining a healthy metabolism. Luteinizing hormone: In women, this hormone regulates estrogen, and In men, it regulates testosterone. Follicle-stimulating hormone: Found in both men and women, it stimulates the release of eggs in women and helps ensure the normal function of sperm production in men. The back part of the pituitary gland is called the posterior pituitary. It produces the following two hormones: Oxytocin: This hormone causes pregnant women to start having contractions at the appropriate time and also promotes milk flow in nursing mothers. Antidiuretic hormone: Commonly referred to as vasopressin, this hormone helps to regulate water balance in the body. Testes are found in men, this gland produces testosterone, which promotes the growth of the penis as a male gets older as well as facial and body hair. It also deepens the voice of a male. Other functions of testosterone include: Maintaining sex drive. Promoting production of sperm. Maintaining healthy levels of muscle and bone mass. The Thymus gland secretes hormones that are commonly referred to as humoral factors and are important during puberty. The role of these hormones is to make sure a person develops a healthy immune system. The Thyroid is found in both women and men, the thyroid controls a person's metabolism. It is located in the front of the neck. This is super important to understand because all of these hormones that are stated here, throughout the whole, will become very relevant variables within my final project. I need to have all of this information because it is the very basis of what I need to know in order for my project to turn out as safe to be not argued against.
Article 2's author's name is Forbes, G. and it states that body composition affects hormones. If you have a higher body composition then your hormones will be more active because your body needs to pump more hormones to get an effect because. For a lesser body composition, your hormones would have an easier time getting around the body, so less hormones are used so the body is not completely swamped by hormones. This is important to me because the best testing group will now also have to have an average BMI versus some different unhealthy BMI.
Article 3's name is unknown and it states that reproduction causes a huge change in how the glands see things like the environment or the inside body. So the glands see that certain things are happening so they shoot more hormones into the system to counteract what is happening in the body. This teaches me that females will definitely have a different hormone makeup because of these differences; therefore, in my test, i should have a group of boys and girls.
Article 4's name is Lundberg, U. and it states that if you are a male then you probably don't have very much estrogen because you don't have ovaries. And females have not as much testosterone because women do not have testes; although, women's ovaries do create a certain amount of testosterone as well. So, men do not have that same ability as women do. Work also affects how people's hormones work. If you have a more stressful day then you will probably have more stress hormones going through your body making you more tense. But an easier day at work would do the exact opposite. This will help me out by showing me that there is a difference in how males feel versus how females feel during the project.
Article 5's name is unknown and it states that synthetic hormones are things that resemble hormones in your body But are not. Synthetic hormones are just hormones created by people. Receptor affinity is the attraction between two hormone receptors. And finally, Endocrine disruptors stop hormone receptors from being able to pick up hormones near them. These will help me understand better how hormones act or work.
Article 6's name is Trappl, R. and it states that emotions are how people feel. Hormones play a large role in this because, hormones change how you feel inside of your body either physically or mentally. Knowing what emotions are helps me understand how hormones can affect your physical body.
Article 7's name is Turner, J. and it states that the origin of human emotions came from the very first living things that couldn't even think. Hormones travelled through their body and they just had felt some different thing and that would make them seem like they are scared, like if you are cold and you need to bundle up or curl up in a ball in a blanket and be warm. Knowing the origin of emotions in the human body could help because knowing a history of the what will be effecting my project I will be better enabled to dissect my project if something goes wrong.
Article 8's name is Watanabe, S. and it states that animals have emotions too, they feel things through the same processes humans do. And, usually emotions in animals are so similar to even give animals such similar body systems to animals and humans as well. This will help me because I could also do a variation of my test on other animals and possibly see a similar result in emotions.
Article 9's name is Bronson, P and it states that aging affects hormone behavior as well. Depending on what age you are, say if you are older, your hormones for your sex drive will likely be a lot lower because they are weaker anyways. This helps me because this teaches me that the deterioration of the body also affects the glands as well.
Article 10's author's name is Izard, C. and it states that activation is when a hormone is released by a hormonal gland because the gland sensed something happening within the body. The reason this is helpful to me is that it teaches me how hormones are told to be released in the body. Which means, now I have a better idea of how the body's glands releases hormones to produce certain effects in humans.
Article 11's authors’ names are B. A. J. Reddi and R. H. S. Carpenter and it states information that confirms and defines venous return. This is helpful to me because it shows just how the blood moves within the veins, and ultimately how much harder the heart has to beat when the body is more or less stretched out. This article also shows an important piece of information which shows, the lower the venous return correlates to higher cardiac output.
I believe that all of this is very important, but the most important information is what each of the hormones do and what organs/glands release them and that was all seen in the very first article. Also, another very important piece of information is how do glands actually sense things, what makes them release hormones into the body’s blood stream. And, a very important thing to note with how hormones work, they strongly control heart rate, when the hormones get to the heart, they force the heart to pump faster or slower causing the variation in heart rates. Now, this also brings up deeper questions including the blood… How does the blood and things in the blood affect the actual hormones that are traveling to some part of your body? Anyways, I plan to take the rest of this research with me to the final portions of my project. And as well, with this information provide for variables that were unknown to me before.
The two given positions( fetal position and victory pose) will decrease or increase stress in humans. If a human is to do the fetal position, then stress in the human will increase. And, If a human is to do the victory pose, then stress in the human will decrease.
1. Follow these directions 5 times per week for 4 weeks.( It does not matter which 5 days of the week are chosen.) As well, there should be five test subjects including myself, this should create at least 100 data points in all. These direction should be followed precisely.
2. Before experiment, take pulse with the electronic sphygmomanometer. Write the result on record sheet under constant variable.
3. Find project schedule.
4. Depending on what week it is, follow directions for either fetal position or victory pose, the type of exercise done can also be seen as the independent variable. ( If it is week 1 or 3 goto step 5. If it is week 2 or 4 goto step 6.)
5. Begin and maintain fetal position for 60 seconds. After the given time goto step 7.
6. Begin and maintain victory pose for 60 seconds. After the given time goto step 7.
7. Within 30 seconds, take pulse with the electronic sphygmomanometer. If fetal position was done, then write the result on record sheet under dependant variable type "negative". If victory pose was done, then write the result on record sheet under dependant variable type "positive".
8. If experiment has been done 5 times per week for 4 weeks, then continue onto step 9. If not, then wait until the next cycle of directions is to be performed.
9. Now that all of the data is on the record sheet, calculate the difference in averages between the "positive" data points and then for the "negative" data points. Then create a graph that displays that calculation for each test subject individually for each "positive" and "negative" set of data points.
1. Record sheets for each individual subject
2. Samsung Digital Blood Pressure Monitor
3. 5 people of any age or gender ( Can include myself)
I have my own blood pressure monitor from home; as well, the monitor has been tested by a certified EMT for accuracy. The record sheets will include the individual’s ID’s as well as how old or what grade in school they are. Then off of the header will be a minus or a plus next to the number of which trial they are on, the plus or minus is to show whether they are doing the fetal or victory position. If it is a minus the subject is doing the fetal position for one minute. If it is a plus the subject is doing the victory pose for one minute. Next to that number separated by a colon might include a note of where they are or how they feel at the time. The next line down will say before and then there will be a colon. After the colon is where the before heart rate and beats per minute will be written. Then the next that will be written is after with a colon after it as well. After that colon is where the after heart rate and beats per minute will be written.
Data collection for the project will occur between February first to March thirteenth ( for extra time to collect data that could not be gotten due to scheudling failures). Data analysis is when all data will be put into graphs and charts.
Watanabe, S. (2013). Emotions of animals and humans comparative perspectives. Tokyo: Springer.