Steven Jackson Presents Undergraduate Research at Beloit College Symposium Day

BELOIT, WI (04/26/2012)(readMedia)-- Steven Jackson'12 of Yachats, Ore., presented his research on "Just In, Just Out: The Psychological and Social Implications of Category Boundaries, Thresholds, and Cutoff Points" at the 36th Annual Beloit College Student Symposium on Thursday, April 12. He is a self-designed culture and cognition major.

Symposium Day at Beloit College is an academic forum at which students publicly present their research to the college community. All classes are cancelled to allow students, faculty and staff to attend the presentations. Topics range from scientific studies to interpretations of literary works. Each of the nearly 90 students participating in the program prepare a half-hour oral presentation or make poster presentations of original research conducted during the 2011-2012 academic year. Symposium Day participants are honored at a closing reception.

In his presentation, Jackson used real life as a laboratory, showing that cutoff points exist virtually everywhere. Then, drawing upon social and cognitive psychological research spanning half a century, he discussed the psychological impact of falling just in or just out of a category, as well as the interpersonal and social consequences of cutoff points.

Beloit College is a residential, liberal arts college offering 40 majors to its 1,250 students. Located 90 miles northwest of Chicago, Beloit is one of the nation's most international colleges, drawing students from 41 nations as well as 49 states.