On Monday, March 6, students majoring and minoring in Quantitative Social Science (QSS) presented posters from one-quarter research projects carried out in QSS 82. In Winter 2024, this project course was taught by Assistant Professor Elsa Voytas and Senior Lecturer Robert Cooper. All told, there were 22 posters across two sections of QSS 82.
The QSS 82 joint poster session provided an opportunity for QSS seniors to display results from their projects. Throughout the quarter, each student worked hard to devise a research question, develop theoretical expectations, and test those expectations using statistical techniques. Students selected their own topics, and their choices represented a diverse range of relevant social science themes, all of which were explored with quantitative data.
This year, topics ranged from the effects of pollution on domestic violence incidents to the role parental support plays in student long-term career aspirations. Among other things, they covered the effects on pitcher performance of Major League Baseball's pitch clock change and the impact of facial symmetry on contestant success on NBC's The Voice. One student in QSS 82 investigated shifts in real estate prices in the sun belt before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, while another examined song chart success as a function of release dates. The diversity of topics in QSS 82 represents a key strength of the QSS program.
Student Name
Project Title
Diana Bates
Festivities to Flames: Analyzing the Connection Between Firework Consumption and Wildfire Incidents
Adm Budin
This is 'The Voice'? Exploring the Relationship Between Facial Symmetry and Success on Singing
Reality Competitions
Luca Caviezel
When in Doubt, Kick it Out?
Sherry Dong
Taking a "Paws"? COVID-19's Impact on Pet Adoptions
Emma Elsbecker
Coming in Hot: Assessing Momentum in the 2021 Formula 1 Season
Bernardo Garzo
Effect of Pollution on Domestic Violence in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico
Catherine Grimes
Timing is Money: How the Release Date of a Song Affects its Success
Sabin Hart
Pigs Get Bat, Ball Hogs Get Better? An Analysis of Usage Rate and Possession Time Variance in the NBA
Keso Kakachia
The Effect of Antidumping Duties on Industry Competitiveness
Josephine Kim
Time Management on the Mound: Examining the Effects of MLB's Pitch Clock on Pitcher Performance
Armon Lotfi
Deciphering the VAR Effect: Deliberation Duration and Decision Dynamics in Premier League Football
Keren Luo
The Eco-nomic Cycle: the effect of gasoline prices on bikeshare ridership in Boston
Alexandra Ma
Under the Weather: Impact of Rainfall on Public WiFi Usage in Boston
Adin McAuliffe
When David Beats Goliath: Exploring the Association Between Outstanding Athletic Performance and Tourism
Street Roberts
Exploring the Green Dilemma: Investigating how the presence of endangered species affected the development
of renewable energy
Leina Sato
The Impact of Earthquakes on Stock Market Returns in Japan
Ryan Sorkin
How the 2008 Stock Market Crash Affected Subjective Well-Being
Eleanor Sullivan
Effects of No-Zero Grading on Student Outcomes in Virginia School Districts
Ella von Baeyer
War Zones in the American Imagination
Sam Williams
New Year's Resolutions and U.S. Smoking Rates
Alex Witheiler
Measuring the Relationship Between Changes in NBA Rosters and Team Outcomes
Emma Wolfe
The Effect of Parental Expectations on Student Plans for Postsecondary College Enrollment