GoldLink | Directories | A-Z Search

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics of geeks/nerds, and their correlates. We are interested in how nongeeks perceive geeks, and how geeks perceive themselves. We have created a performance-based test examining information concerning geek culture, as found in prior research and on the internet. Some of the correlates that we will examine include self-esteem, empathy, loneliness, values, and the big five personality traits. Prior research is mostly qualitative in nature (Tocci, 2009; Kendall, 2000; Kinney, 1993; McArthur, 2009). Thus, the present study, with multiple quantitative measures of geek identity, will add to the present research. STATEMENT OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Participants will include students in psychology classes at MWSU, primarily PSY 101, as well as individuals who discover our survey on the internet. We will place an online survey through Sona Systems and Class Climate. We will provide a password and a link to the survey on Sona, on twitter, facebook, and the faculty’s MWSU webpage. The online survey consists of demographic questions, questions about school, hobbies/interests, social life. These questions are multiple choice or rating scales. There are also validated surveys consisting of rating scales for self-esteem, empathy, loneliness, values, and the big five personality traits. Finally, there are open-ended questions about what it means to be a nerd and a geek, multiple-choice questions about various high-school identities, self-perception of being a geek or other type of label (popular, jock, etc.), as well as a performance-based multiple-choice test about geek information. We plan on analyzing the inter-item reliability of the performance-based test on geek information. We also plan on correlating self-perceptions of being a geek and the performance-based geek test with measures of self-esteem, empathy, loneliness, values, and the big five personality traits. ANTICIPATED RISKS AND BENEFITS There are very few risks in the current study. Participants are anonymous, and we are looking at aggregate scores, not individual scores. We are looking at very little potentially harmful information. The only possible items that may cause some distress is the question that asks how much an individual identifies as a geek or a nerd. That question is embedded within a series of items concerning various labels, such as preppie, jock, etc. Participants are able to not answer any item that they don’t feel comfortable with, and they are welcome to quit the study at any time. Participants will also be asked about loneliness, which could also be embarrassing. There are just ten questions on this scale, and again, the items are embedded within other scales, and do not have to be answered. In terms of benefits, participants will have an opportunity to explore their own identity, personality, and generally become more self-aware. Participants will also get to see what engaging in research is like. Finally, participants will get course credit. The benefits to the research field is creating the first known reliable and valid measure of geek identity, including a performance-based test. The other test, asking how much one identifies as a geek and a nerd, is embedded within questions about other labels. Thus, the response set is likely very low. We will also have quantitative research on the correlates of geek identity and perception of geeks. SUBJECT SELECTION Participants will come from two sources. First, undergraduate psychology students will have an opportunity to complete the survey online, by going to Sona Systems. Sona is a website where all PSY 101 students, as well as students in some upper-level psychology classes, can find out about studies to participate in. Students get credit for their classes when they participate. Second, we will provide a password and a link to the online survey on twitter, facebook, and the faculty’s MWSU webpage for any participant with internet access to complete. CONFIDENTIALITY We will not ask for participants’ names. We will not be analyzing a single individual’s data, but aggregating the data, examining averages and correlations. There will be a password to access the online surveys, and these surveys are run by companies that protect the data. That is, no one will have access to an individual’s data except the researcher and research assistant. To access the data, the researcher has a login and password. All downloaded data will be kept in a locked office, on a password-protected computer. When presenting or publishing the data, only averages and aggregates will be used, not a single individual’s information. PRIMARY SUPPORTING DOCUMENT Click for Word Document Amendment on 03-22-2012 We are changing the last scale on our survey, from the 26-item test about interests survey to a 58-item test about interests survey. The revised survey is below: 119. What is J!NX? __ a website __ a cartoon __ a TV show __ a computer game __ a computer virus __ IDK 2. Which of the following is NOT a famous comic artist? __ Jack Kirby __ Mark Millar __ Jonathan Coulton __ John Byrne __ Alan Moore __ IDK 19. What is xkcd? __ a computer program __ a webcomic __ a convention __ a magazine __ IDK 82. What is Magic: The Gathering? __ a computer game __ a collectible card game __ a movie __ a cartoon __ a comic __ IDK 18. What is PhD? __ a magazine __ a webcomic __ a blog __ a newspaper __ a comic book __ IDK 122. Which one of the following is NOT a social network site or dating service? __ Geek 2 Geek __ Sweet on Geeks __ NerdNation __ World of Datecraft __ Geekvolution __ IDK 124. Which of the following is NOT a musical group? __ Tree Wave __ Freezepop __ the Whomping Willows __ Monsterface __ Silkalicious __ IDK 1. What is Wizard? __ a comic about a wizard __ a magazine about comics __ a type of computer virus __ a type of RPG __ IDK 111. What is the binary representation of the number 2? __ 0 __ 2 __ 4 __ 10 __ 100 __ IDK 88. Which of the following involves dressing up in costume and role-playing and physically acting out the characters? __ RPG __ CRPA __ LARP __ ARPC __ CARP __ IDK 77. Which of the following had the power source of arcane in the fourth edition of Dungeons & Dragons? __ Warlord __ Wizard __ Ranger __ Paladin __ Rogue __ IDK 20. Which of the following is NOT a character in Penny Arcade? __ Jonathan “Gabe” Gabriel __ Tycho Brahe __ Ann Claire “Annarchy” __ Brenna __ Mac Dimitri __ IDK 6. Which of the following is NOT a comic book character? __ Dream from The Sandman __ Jesse Custer from Preacher __ John Constantine from Hellblazer __ Rorschach from Watchmen __ Steven Johnson from The Hulk __ IDK 21. What ancient Egyptian artifact is Yugi given by his grandfather in Yu-Gi-oh? __ Winged Kuriboh ___ Millennium Puzzle __ Pharaoh Staff __ Pyramid of Light __ IDK 29. Which of the following is a song from the Rocky Horror Picture Show? a. The Time Warp b. The Space Mountain c. Fantasy Island d. Get in Touch with Your Inner Woman e. Frank Gets Freaky f. IDK 40. Sam and Dean Winchester commonly refereed as “The Winchesters” are from what TV show? A. Supernatural B. The Walking Dead C. Serenity D. The Paranormal E. IDK 54. Which of the following represents a small curse or swear? __ frag __ frak __ fick __ fink __ IDK 59. What is a MMORPG game? A. World of Warcraft B. League of legends C. Heroes of Newerth D. Oregon Trail E. IDK 78. Dwarves and half-lings were restricted to what class in the original version of Dungeons & Dragons? __ The Fighter __ The Thief __ The Cleric __ The Magic-User __ IDK 89. Zombies must tag (eat) a human every how many hours or they starve to death and are out of the game Humans vs. Zombies? a. 12 hours b. 24 hours c. 48 hours d. 72 hours e. Week f. IDK 91. What is it called when an individual dresses up and acts like a character from a comic book/anime/cinema/etc.? a. LARP b. Cosplay c. Costuming d. Acting e. Halloween f. IDK 93. Which of the following were besieged by the forces of Sauron? a. Helms Deep and Minas Tirith b. Denethor and Lothlorian c. Rohirrim and Isengard d. Mordor and Cirith Ungol e. IDK 104. The HTML Color code for white is? A. #FFFFFF B. #000000 C. #848484 D. #00FF00 E. IDK 132. What is the most common delimiter to close a PHP section? A. */ B. *\ C. ?> D. ?< E. \* F. /? G. IDK 8. Who is not a member of the JLA? A. Batman B. Green Lantern C. Spiderman D. Superman E. IDK 22. The Bulbasaur evolves first into _____ before evolving into Venusaur? __ Ivysaur __Herbasaur __ Amorasaur __ Rorsaur __ IDK 31. The knights must defeat what animal or monster In Monty Python and the Holy Grail in order to enter the caves and find the location of the Grail? a. The Rabbit of Muensterberg (AKA The Trojan Rabbit) b. The Rabbit of Caerbannog (AKA the Killer Rabbit) c. The Three-Headed Giant d. The Five-Armed Bandit e. IDK 41. T.V. series Firefly would be in what genres? A. Science-fiction - drama B. Drama – fantasy C. Space Western – drama D. IDK 62. What does ‘Nintendo Hard’ mean? A. Reference to how NES games were hard to beat B. Reference to how durable and long lasting the consoles are. C. How relatively easy games Nintendo makes compared to others D. IDK 84. What was the first card to be banned in Pokemon game play? ___Sneasel __Slowking __ Ancient Mew ___ Birthday Pikachu __IDK 96. What is the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life and the Universe and Everything (In the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)? g. 8 __ h. 21 __ i. 42 __ j. 67 __ k. 72 __ l. IDK 107. What is Wired? __ a computer game __ a software program __ a convention for computer geeks __ a magazine __ a webcomic __ IDK 125. Which of the following is NOT a nerdcore hip-hop artist? __ Optimus Rhyme __ YT Cracker __ MC Frontalot __ DC Geekster __ IDK 16. What defines the Silver Age of comics? A. The attempt to modernize characters in the second heroic age of comics B. The creation of new and modern super heroes in the first heroic age of comics C. The decrease in juvenile crime activity because of comics D. Characters appearing this age of comics were from earth-two E. IDK 24. On which planet did Goku avenge the lives of billons by defeating Frieza? ___Namek __ Namcheck __Name __ Namchinno ___IDK 33. In Star Wars IV: A New Hope…what is the name of the ship containing Princess Leia that was captured by Darth Vader? A. Tantive IV B. Slave VI C. Millenium Falcon D. Fercanum XI E. Bristov F. IDK 45. Captain Apollo is a part of what Squadron in Battlestar Galactica __Blue __Red __Green __Black __IDK 68. Starcraft is in what genre of gaming? __ RPG __FPS__ MMO __RTS __IDK 86. Asura Priest is which card sub-type? ___ Fairy __ Spellcaster __ Fiend __ Divine Beast ___IDK 100. Harry Potter learns a rare ability – to speak the language of the snakes. This language is called what? a. Snilvoice b. Parseltongue c. Snigrish d. Basilisk e. Horcrux f. IDK 117. What is not a C derivative? __ + __ # __ natural __ - __ IDk 127. A popular inside joke on the internet is called what? A. hot B. meme C. # D. twitter E. IDK 25. Which character is not one of the magical group members of the Sailor Senshi? __ Sailor Moon __ Sailor Mercury __ Sailor Orion __Sailor Saturn __IDK 36. Zoe Washburne first mate on Serenity is a veteran Browncoat of what war? A. Civil War B. Unification War C. Confederacy War D. Alliance War E. IDK 47. In the television show Smallville what episode did Clark reveal he was the blurr to Lois? __ Identity__ Homecoming__ Isis__ Truth__IDK 71. Who is Esbern in the game Elder Scrolls V5: Skyrim __ One of the last remaining blades __ Dragoonborn __The hero who is born with the power to defeat the dragons __ The emperor __IDK 129. A multiple line style in Java is opened with A. */ B. /* C. ?> D. ?< E. \? F. *\ G. IDK 61. What does it mean to troll? A. To try to get a rise out of someone B. To sit under a bridge C. To play a lot of different games D. To dress up like a troll and walk around E. IDK 26. In Mobile Suit Gundam - Amuro Ray finds what new Federation arsenal Gundam? __ RX-78 __ RGM-79__ MS-06___ MS – 14 __ IDK 38.What was the name of the ship in the film Star Trek: Generations? __ Enterprise __Enterprise – A __ Enterprise-D __Enterprise –E __ IDK 49. In the television show The Walking Dead - the infection is spread by? __ being bit by a zombie __ being scratched by a zombie __ Everyone being infected already__ being touched by a infected person __ IDK 72. Hyrule is the name of the fantasy land in what game series? __Elder Scrolls V5: Skyrim __Legend of Zelda __ Assasians Creed: Revelations __ Aidyn Chornoicles: The First Mage__ IDK 132. What is the most common delimiter to close a PHP section? A. */ B. *\ C. ?> D. ?< E. \* F. /? G. IDK 39. Hollywood’s first attempt at a video game tie-in movie in 1993 was? __ Mortal Kombat __ Super Mario Bros __ Street Fighter__ Double Dragon __ IDK 50. In Doctor Who what company made the Cybermen? __ cytec industries __Cybus industries __ Cycor Industries __Cylex Industries __IDK 134. How might you program fractions to always round down in Perl? A. POSIX: floor B. POSIX: small C. POSIX: down D. POSIX: low E. IDK 136. Linux is what type of operating system? A. Microsoft Windows B. Mac OS X C. Unix-like D. Amiga E. IDK