Digital Commons Network^™

Environmental Protection And U.S. Foreign Policy & Decision-Making In Multilateral Development Banks, Maui Cheska L. Orozco

Honors College Theses

In recent decades, the promotion of policies that are environmentally friendly has become an important goal in U.S. foreign policy. One way that the United States has influence over protecting the environment is through the policies attached to projects funded by the multilateral development banks (MDBs). This gives the U.S. the ability to indirectly fund projects in developing countries. Using data provided by the United States Treasury, I examined U.S. voting decisions on projects from 2004 to 2011. These votes come from multiple development banks including the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), African Development …

Alcohol And Drug Use Amongst College Students In Relation To Sexual Abuse, Christyn Hollingsworth

Honors College Theses

The impact of child sexual abuse (CSA) and traumatic sexual experiences has been the subject of multiple studies in which harm was found. Among these harms are emotional distress, psychological issues, and substance abuse. This research analyzed and compared the responses to questions pertaining to substance use and attitudes regarding sexual interactions between college aged students with and without a history of sexual abuse. The participant’s answers were run through an ANOVA to determine statistical variance. Based on prior research, it was expected that victims consume alcohol and use drugs more frequently than non-victims in significant amounts. The findings in …

Republican Realignment: Building A Majority Coalition For Future Electoral Success, Anthony J. Del Signore

Honors College Theses

Since the election of President George H. W. Bush, Republican presidential candidates have had difficulty winning popular elections. Republican candidates lost five of the next six popular elections to their Democratic opponents. This paper investigates why. It outlines the growing demographic shift in electoral politics which is detrimental for future Republican success. The growing dissonance between non-white, non-male voters and the Republican Party hinders the Party’s success when its message does not resonate with a majority of voters.

Utilizing realignment theory as first espoused by political scientist V. O. Key, this paper analyzes nine essential battleground states and the growing …

Jiahd In The Global Village: Al-Qaeda's Digital Radicalization And Recruitment Campaign, Katie Cannata

Honors College Theses

Following America’s “War on Terror,” al-Qaeda and its affiliates became highly decentralized in terms of organizational and media operations. Though mass media outlets continue to play a significant role in drawing attention to al-Qaeda’s transnational campaign, Salafi Jihadists have recently begun to rely on new media for purposes of legitimization and promotion. The Internet serves as a suitable platform for these groups’ media objectives since it is inherently anonymous and absent of censorship. Most importantly, the Internet facilitates al-Qaeda in reaching a global audience, which is made evident by the growing amount of Salafi Jihadist media that is translated or …

Modeling Hedonic Processing And Anhedonia In Depression, Kevin Mercado

Honors College Theses

Depression is characterized by low positive emotion and a lack of pleasurable experiences, or anhedonia. Past studies have emphasized controlling negative affect, but there is an emerging trend in the depression literature to focus on positive emotion. The current study employed several psychophysiological tools, postauricular reflex, startle blink reflex, and event-related potential (ERP) components such as P3 and the late positive potential (LPP), to assess the dissociable components in positive emotion (consummatory and anticipatory processes). In addition, several different hypotheses of emotional dysfunction were evaluated to accurately model deficits in positive emotionality. A majority of the psychophysiological tools used supported …

Creative Economies: Using Arts To Revitalize Post-Industrial Cities And Towns In Massachusetts, Anna Price

Honors College Theses

During my senior year in the Honors College at UMass Boston, I became involved in the yearlong Creative and Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship program. During this program, I interned alongside other UMass Boston students at a local creative non-profit organization, providing the staff with assistance as they worked towards achieving their goals. This internship was funded by the Creative Economy Fund (CE Fund) from the University of Massachusetts President’s Office. My involvement in this program sparked an interest in pursuing an Honors thesis investigating the CE Fund and how the awarded projects are benefitted by that fund.

After looking through all …

Affluent Populations And Their Effect On Biological Diversity Through The Consumption Of Meat, Electronics, And Motor Vehicles, Melody Flores

Honors College Theses

The human has caused a far greater impact on the planet's biodiversity than any other species in existence, due to the impact of population, afflluence, and technology. This thesis will argue the importance of biological diversity and how affluent populations are reducing biodiversity through the consumption of meat, electronics, and motor vehicles. Aldo Leopold's "The Land Ethic" and Herman Daly's "The Impossibility Theorem", among others, create a rubric evaluating human activities and provide alternative views on economic impossibilities. Consumption is reviewed from an ecocentric perspective, a holistic outlook placing emphasis on the ecosystem. The reader will become cognizant of their …

"The Popular Thing To Do" Examining Young Evangelicals' Motivations For Short-Term Mission Trips, Kelsey Mcghee

Honors College Theses

Evangelical Christians are taking short-term mission trips in ever increasing numbers, with several billion dollars a year invested in these efforts. This thesis set out to understand if there was a gender difference in the motivations of young evangelical men and women, ages 14-25, who participate in short-term mission trips. Using historical perspectives on missions and functionalism, this thesis explores the motivations of recent short-term missionaries. I expected a large difference between the genders based on historical narratives of men and women missionaries, as well as my own experience in missions. However, after interviewing seventeen people, ten women and seven …

Dental Anxiety: Personal And Media Influences On The Perception Of Dentistry, Jacqueline Glazman

Honors College Theses

Dental anxiety is a condition that plagues millions of individuals worldwide. The cause of anxiety can arise from an array of negative experiences related to dentistry. Additionally, the media’s persistent deleterious portrayal of dentistry affects the public’s fears and skews the people’s general perception of how dentists really are. Nevertheless, people continue to seek dental care for medial and cosmetic purposes, despite major challenges in the healthcare systems. This study aimed to understand whether negative images of dentists would influence how anxious a sample of undergraduate students felt about various dental procedures. The study also asked participants to express their …

Irish And German Immigrants Of The Nineteenth Century: Hardships, Improvements, And Success, Amanda A. Tagore

Honors College Theses

This paper examines the economic and social reasons that are attributed to the high emigration rate in Ireland and in Germany during the nineteenth century, and how the lives of these groups turned out in the United States. As a result of economic deterioration and social inequality, pessimism became prevalent in Ireland from the 1840s onward and in Germany from the 1830s onward. Because the United States was perceived as an optimistic avenue for advancement, thousands of Irish and Germans emigrated their homelands and fled to America in search of a better life. During the first few decades upon their …

Tourism In The Most Reclusive Country On Earth, Victoria Slade

Honors College Theses

Tourism In The Most Reclusive Country On Earth explores the tourism growth on the Korea Peninsula through qualitative data to analyze how tourism can be a vehicle in reuniting North and South Korea. Through an extensive literature review, the history of the Korean Peninsula was explored in order to grasp the understanding on why North and South Koreans are so similar yet differ in terms of what type of governance is present in the country. Current social issues in North and South Korea were also explored, along with the advancement of technology. These points were considered in order to show …

The Effects Of Demographics On The Real Estate Market In The United States And China, Henry Li

Honors College Theses

This paper focuses on the demographic and economic factors that affect the changes in prices of the housing market. The study focuses on the United States housing market after its recent collapse due to the US financial crisis of 2008. It also looks at the Chinese housing market based on the determinants that are observed in the United States. It will also examine the after effects of the One Child Policy enacted in 1979 on the housing prices. The study will look at the current situation with the Chinese housing market and its similarities to the United States housing market …

College Students’ Attitudes Towards Adults With Developmental Disabilities: Does Direct Contact Make A Difference?, Caroline E. Greene

Honors College Theses

Data were collected from thirty college students who participated in an alternative break trip and approximately seventy college students who did not attend the trip. Study subjects served as counselors at a camp for adults with developmental disabilities. Data were collected using five measures: a) before the week started, students filled out a survey which questioned their comfort level and attitude when interacting with this population; b) this same survey was administered to a random sample of college students who did not attend the break trip c) at camp, students kept a journal throughout the week documenting their experiences; d) …

Identities And Inbetweens: The Vietnamese And Assimilation Strategies In Germany, Andrew C. Downs

Honors College Theses

Multiculturalism has met with opposition in Germany as many of its native citizens have expressed their dissatisfaction with the country’s immigrant population. The problem, however, really lies in the system of integration utilized by Germany. The German government claims multiculturalism has failed, yet the integration approach the country utilizes is actually somewhere between multiculturalism and assimilation. This research suggests that Germany has not attempted true multiculturalism. The supposed failure of multiculturalism is often blamed on the apparent unwillingness of immigrants to integrate, but Germans are hesitant to accept even the better integrated immigrant groups, such as the Vietnamese. To illustrate …

The Determining Factors Of U.S. Humanitarian Interventions: A Case Study Of Kosovo And Syria, Elijah J. Anderson

Honors College Theses

In 1999, the U.S. and NATO went to war against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia under the guise of a humanitarian intervention. American citizens outraged by images Kosovar refugees fleeing their homeland helped prompt this military action that eventually freed Kosovo from the grips of Yugoslavia. In 2011 Americans began to be exposed to images of Syrian war victims and refugees fleeing violence and persecution in Syria. The U.S., however, has remained militarily uninvolved in this conflict despite the mass scale of atrocities being committed by the Syrian government. Through this thesis I attempt to explain why the U.S. response …

Deterring Fraud: Police Investigations Into Embezzlement, Brandon Grossman

Honors College Theses

Embezzlement is a highly disruptive crime that comes with a large negative societal impact. This study was a secondary data analysis of embezzlement data from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for the years 2012-2013. Clearance rates were calculated and analyzed for general fraud related calls for service and for embezzlement cases specifically in order to determine what clearance rates were for the Las Vegas Valley and see if they are comparable to the national average. Data was analyzed within pie and bar charts to determine if the LVMPD is effectively solving embezzlement cases and see if cases with particular …

Examining The Success And Failure Of Multiethnic Coalition Governments In Sub-Saharan Africa: The Cases Of Kenya And Senegal, Emily Cunningham

Honors College Theses

This thesis is focused on multiethnic coalitions in Africa. Specifically, it seeks to identify the causal mechanisms at play in the formation of multiethnic coalitions and whether or not they succeed or fall apart. It also seeks to identify whether multiethnic coalition success or failure is related to the emergence or lack thereof, of violence. Case studies and process tracing are the primary methods of analysis, using Kenya and Senegal as cases under the most similar systems design. There is an examination of the actors involved in the formation of multiethnic coalitions in both nations, why the opposition coalitions fell …

Composting: Sustainable Efforts On A University Scale, Kacie L. Thorne Miss

Honors College Theses

The present study addresses cultural standpoints on solid food waste management into composting in the hopes of establishing food composting units on a university campus. The study addresses the cultural standpoints through qualitative data in relation to cultural, economic, and political spheres. The hypothesis for the study is the data will reflect a positive outlook in assessing the cost and benefits of composting units. The implementation of a food waste composting programs presents various costs and benefits in regard to economic and social needs that can have an impact on human interaction with the use of natural resources.

Continuing To Foster: The Impact On Foster To Adopt Families, Mariann Torrence

Honors College Theses

Foster parents play a critical role in the life of children in foster care. Increasingly more foster parents are becoming the adoptive resource for these children. This exploratory qualitative study examines the lives of five foster families located in the southeastern part of the United States who have adopted at least one foster child and continued fostering other children in their home. The data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. This research fills a gap in the literature on how adoptive families are affected by the decision to continue fostering. Five main themes emerged from this study: Intention, Financial Incentives, …

Anger In The Courtroom: The Effects Of Attorney Gender And Emotion On Juror Perceptions, Christian B. May

Honors College Theses

This study sought to examine the effects of gender stereotypes of emotional expression on jurors’ perceptions of an attorney’s competence. Participants watched a video of a closing statement of a male or female attorney expressing either anger or neutral emotions and were asked to give a verdict and rate the attorney’s competence. Participants rated an angry male attorney highest in competence and an angry female attorney lowest in competence. Results also showed that participants who viewed a male attorney were more likely to attribute the attorney’s emotions to the situation compared to participants who viewed a female attorney. The implications …

Solving The Puzzle Of The Black Vote: Is Education Really The Missing Piece?, Xavier Robert Brown

Honors College Theses

Given the popular knowledge that with greater education comes the likelihood of higher voting participation rates among Americans, it is puzzling that African Americans have not been subject to a rise in voting participation that is equivalent to the increase in the rate of education attainment over the last four decades. This study is dedicated to explaining why education is a weak predictive factor for voting participation among African American voters. It ventures to suggest and support that communal factors tied to group membership exert a strong force on whether or not African American citizens vote.

Adoption Of Social Media Marketing Among Professionals, Liana Moran

Honors College Theses

Social media marketing is the professional use of social media websites such as Facebook for marketing purposes. This thesis project examines the adoption patterns and factors behind the decision to use social media marketing among professionals. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with business professionals from the real estate rental industry in Statesboro, Georgia, and analyzed the results and implications using thematic analysis. Everett Rogers’ diffusion of innovations theory provides the theoretical framework for the research with social media marketing being the innovation. The participants identified that observability, relative advantage and complexity/simplicity were major factors for adopting social media marketing. The …

Sex (Still) Sells: How Sex Trafficking In The United States And Thailand Perpetuates Minority Repression, Emily B. Hulsey

Honors College Theses

Human trafficking is the third most profitable illegal international trade behind drug and arms trafficking. Sex trafficking is the second largest subset of this illegal enterprise and soon may equal or surpass labor trafficking as the prominent subset. This research aims to address four integral components of the sex trafficking and forced prostitution trade: (1) to show how sex trafficking in Thailand is being used perpetually to repress minority women and their communities; (2) to show how sex trafficking of minors (ranging in age from 8-17) in Atlanta, Georgia is shockingly similar to sex trafficking practices in Thailand; (3) to …

The Effects Of Moderate-Intensity Acute Aerobic Exercise On Self-Disclosure, Brittany K. Woods

Honors College Theses

This study sought to determine whether a relationship exists between acute aerobic exercise, at moderate intensity, and self-disclosure due to a positive change in affect. Participants took a pre-test measure of mood, and the Exercise Group exercised for 25 minutes afterwards. The remaining participants, the Non-exercise Group, sat in the same room while the others exercised. The Non-exercise Group was told that they would exercise next, when really they would not. After the Experimental Group finished exercising, all participants took a post-test measure of mood as well as a measure of self-disclosure. Results showed that overall mood improved for those …

A Cultural Examination Of Hardiness: Associations With Self-Esteem, Wisdom, Hope, And Coping-Efficacy, Asea L. Gilmore

Honors College Theses

It is imperative that college students cultivate and exhibit traits associated with resilience to successfully complete their course of study and to protect themselves against the onset of mental health issues. This study aimed to examine positive psychology variables in relation to resilience in order to find variables that promote resilience in college students. Wisdom, hope, and coping self-efficacy were examined amongst 436 undergraduate students. Ethnicity amongst the sample consisted with 136 self-reporting as African American (31.9%), 264 self-reporting as European American (60.6%), 3 self-reporting as Asian (0.7%), 2 self-reporting as Native American (0.5%), and 28 self-reporting as biracial (6.4%). …

Effects Of Perceptual Fluency On Reasoning And Pupil Dilation, Juan Diego Guevara Pinto

Honors College Theses

Research on perceptual disfluency has examined the effects of perceptually demanding stimuli on information processing and reasoning, suggesting that disfluent stimuli elicit slower and more effortful processing. Recent criticism of perceptual disfluency, however, suggests that the effects disfluent stimuli have on processing are marginal, and that they are mediated by individual differences. Participants completed a computerized reasoning task presented in either a fluent (i.e., easy-to-read font) or disfluent format (i.e., hard-to-read font) while pupil diameter was measured by an eye-tracker system. Pupillometry is an established reliable measure of mental activity that reflects differences in cognitive load. Results showed no performance …

Rudolph Hoess: The Man Behind Auschwitz, Summer H. Fields

Honors College Theses

This thesis focuses on Rudolph Hӧss, who was the commandant of Auschwitz from May 1940 to November 1943. The introduction begins by presenting a historiography of Auschwitz and the following chapters focus on Rudolph Hӧss, the victims and an analysis on the motives for holocaust perpetrators. A developed body of research exists on perpetrators of the Holocaust and this thesis seeks to contribute to this body of scholarship by examining Hӧss’ diaries, and trial transcripts, as well as Holocaust survivor memoirs, to determine whether Hӧss may be appropriately labeled a “desk killer.”

Are There Cracks In The Democratic Peace?, James Farmer

Honors College Theses

The Democratic Peace Principle is both a well-documented and a heavily scrutinized element of International Relations theory. My research aims to further analyze the principle to determine more precise conditions under which conflict can arise between democratic states. More specifically, my research analyzes the amount of conflict between democratic states of differing military and economic capabilities in order to see if such dyads have different dynamics than dyads with comparable military and economic might. If there are differing degrees of the democratic peace based on factors such as military and economic strength, this could indicate where future wars between democratic …

Little Emperors And An Army Of Orphans: The Government’S Control Over The Idea Of Family In An Overpopulated World, Corinna L. Miller

Honors College Theses

This research elaborates on the connection between governmental policies for population control and the psychological effects felt by its citizens. Governments enact laws to form and shape their country, but when plans to benefit society as a whole overspill into the personal rights of families, there can be unforeseen consequences that span across cultural, economic and physiological wellbeing. These side effects can have debilitating outcomes for countless generations to come, even after the policy has been abolished. In an age where exponential population growth is a severe problem, this study attempts to understand what happens when governmental policies influence the …

Animals' Capability To Bond And The Implications That Follow, Falyn Goldfarb

Honors College Theses

This paper explores the ways in which humans have historically viewed animals, with a focus on Descartes theory automata. Further concepts of the problem of different minds, inherent value, empathy, love, friendship, grief, isolation, anthropomorphism, and biochemistry (focusing on oxytocin, cortisol and the prefrontal cortex) are all explored. Numerous literature reviews are used as examples to fight against the argument that animals are merely machines and can therefore be used and abused. Animal social bonds, including parent-child, purely social, and animal-human, are analyzed for their evolutionary and biological purposes in attempt to highlight the relationships that are not obviously valuable …