Document Type
Honors Thesis
Publication Date
5-16-2024
Abstract
Chaos theory is the study of systems that evolve in highly irregular ways due to sensitivity to initial conditions. These include but are not limited to certain physical, biological, chemical, and economic systems. In Section I, we offer a protocol that exposes the structure of chaotic trajectories in the logistic map model, a toy model of chaos, and we offer a method for stabilizing chaotic trajectories. Section I finishes with a discussion of potential pathways forward with these methods. In Section II, we look at a concrete chaotic system: the human heart. One hundred nineteen (N=119) students participated in a psychological study on the emotional carry-over effect. The participants were divided into three cohorts in an attempt to isolate the effects of slow-paced breathing (SPB) and emotional images on physiology. We analyze respiration rate, electrocardiogram frequency, and heart rate variability measures. We conclude that SPB performs better than NPB at recovering the heart from its response to emotional images.
Recommended Citation
McDowell, Grayson P., "The Structure and Control of Chaos in Theory and Application" (2024). Student Scholarship. 39.
https://digitalcommons.wofford.edu/studentpubs/39