59th Annual STS (1999–2000)
Finalists
Gordon B. Schmidt

NEW YORK
Gordon B. Schmidt, 18, of Selkirk, has earned a place among the Intel Science Talent Search finalists for his behavioral and social sciences entry. The son of Eugene and Priscilla Schmidt, he attends Bethlehem Central High School in Delmar and has received numerous scholarship and leadership honors. Gordon studied the relationships between individuals with various styles of human attachment and their degrees of mistrust for groups such as media or big business. He based his findings on a six-part survey completed by 106 ninth graders. His findings supported the hypothesis that individuals with dismissive-avoidant styles of attachment would show higher levels of mistrust of groups than those with secure styles of attachment. At the same time, he was surprised by the lower than expected level of mistrust for groups among those who considered themselves as having fearful-avoidant styles of attachment. Gordon said his mother, who suffers from fibromyalgia, inspired in him his love of learning and dedication to hard work. He plans to study psychology and management at the University of Pennsylvania and would like someday to open his own management consulting firm.