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Market Concentration: The Effects Of Technology, David Janashvili '02
Market Concentration: The Effects Of Technology, David Janashvili '02
Honors Projects
Market concentration is often viewed as an important indicator of monopoly power, which makes it a key aspect for analyzing antitrust and other cases. A good understanding of what market concentration is and how it arises is crucial to policy decision making, especially in today's world where large corporations often tend to dominate the business scene. In this paper I investigate how factors accounting for technological change affect market concentration holding constant the effects of other recognized determinants of concentration.
The Effects Of Malpractice On Medical Specialties, Melinda Mannlein '02
The Effects Of Malpractice On Medical Specialties, Melinda Mannlein '02
Honors Projects
"Tort law refers to the set of legal rules and practices that govern wrongful injuries to persons or property" (Culyer & Newhouse, 2000). In today's world, individuals highly utilize the law as a resource for blame and compensation. One of the best demonstrations of this mentality is the reaction of some Americans to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. For instance, in Florida, two men filed a $1.1 trillion lawsuit against Osama bin Laden, claiming that his terrorist acts threatened them with personal injury and forced them to re-fortify their bomb shelters. Additionally, they accuse bin Laden of causing …
Bubble Mania Or Not?, Justin Leverton '02
Bubble Mania Or Not?, Justin Leverton '02
Honors Projects
While many economists define a "bubble" as a deviation from stock market fundamentals, Charles Kindleberger defines a bubble as an upward price movement over an extended range that tends to implode (Kindleberger 1996). An extended negative bubble is a crash. The nature of these beasts makes them very important to the investor. Business schools teach students about the efficient market hypothesis and the economically rational individual. Bubbles make investing difficult because prices deviate from their fundamental valuations. If market fundamentals can not predict prices, the investor is forced to learn new ways of investing.
See Jill Paint: An Experiment In Queer Film, Sarah M. Aubry '02
See Jill Paint: An Experiment In Queer Film, Sarah M. Aubry '02
Honors Projects
My film, See Jill Paint, is an exploration of the possibilities for non-oppressive, nonviolent objectification. I started with a strong desire to focus a short movie around the application of colorful paint to nipples and the surrounding areas; as I progressed towards that goal, I questioned how the project might correspond or conflict with the radical gender politics that I value. In sexist objectification, people (mostly women) are perceived as being only visual objects at the expense of their subjectivity. I think it is possible to draw attention to bodies as objects and simultaneously affirm the complexity of the embodied …
The Demand For Marijuana, Cocaine, And Heroin, Katherine Hampson '02
The Demand For Marijuana, Cocaine, And Heroin, Katherine Hampson '02
Honors Projects
In the last fifteen years, the "War on Drugs" has led to a large increase in the incarceration of individuals due to drug use. Drug-related convictions have increased at a faster rate than convictions for violent crimes (Reid, 2000). The severity of the epidemic is obvious in California where 75% of incarcerated individuals are there due to drug-related convictions. As the drug problem worsens, police find themselves shifting their focus away from violent and serious property crimes. In addition, the influx of drug-related convicts has caused the parole rate for other inmates to increase, sending violent criminals away from prison …
English Language Proficiency And The Earnings Of Mexican Immigrants, Jeremy Sanford '02
English Language Proficiency And The Earnings Of Mexican Immigrants, Jeremy Sanford '02
Honors Projects
Since 1965, the US has seen increasingly large numbers of immigrants crossing its borders. Indeed, more immigrants are arriving now than at any point in the past; the 1990's saw a higher number of immigrants enter the US than any previous decade (INS 1999). A disturbing corollary to the recent explosion in immigration is the corresponding decline of immigrant earnings relative to the earnings of natives. A cursory glance at the literature strongly suggests the changing national origin of immigrants as the main cause of this relative earnings decline. As a prime example, Mexican immigrants now outnumber any other national …
Analysis Ofthe Future Tense In Two Argentinean Cities, Denise E. Miller '02
Analysis Ofthe Future Tense In Two Argentinean Cities, Denise E. Miller '02
Honors Projects
The Spanish language has many dialects throughout the world, which vary on phonological, morphological, syntactic, and lexical levels, among others. The Argentinean national dialect of Spanish readily distinguishes itself from others primarily through: (a) the use of vos instead of tit as the 2nd person singular subject pronoun, (b) the use of the [~] and [i] phonemes instead of the peninsular standard [y], and (c) the use of lunfardo, a national form of slang originated in Buenos Aires. Not only does vos replace tit as a subject, but it also has its own series of verb conjugations, specifically in the …
The Effects Of Family, Social And Background Factors On Children's Educational Attainment, Megan De Serf '02
The Effects Of Family, Social And Background Factors On Children's Educational Attainment, Megan De Serf '02
Honors Projects
In a perfect world, children of all races, socioeconomic backgrounds, and family types would not only have the opportunity to receive a higher education, but they would also take full advantage of these opportunities. The educational level of children in the ghettos of Chicago or St. Louis would be equal to their suburban counterparts. However, it is not a perfect world, and educational attainment of children and young adults from varying backgrounds differ greatly.
Czech Voucher Privatization: A Case Of Decision Making Under Uncertainty, Katia Hristova '02
Czech Voucher Privatization: A Case Of Decision Making Under Uncertainty, Katia Hristova '02
Honors Projects
Voucher privatization, a kind of large-scale privatization, was of special importance. It was conducted by the Czech Government in order to redistribute property among the population in a situation of complete lack of domestic private capital. All citizens over the age of 18 had the opportunity to obtain a voucher book. However, by providing little information about the process, the Government was really aiming only at the knowledgeable citizens who would be successful entrepreneurs. Voucher privatization was also thought of as a way to speed up the transition in the economy.
The Relationship Between Economic Freedom And Soci-Economic Development, Anisha Madan '02
The Relationship Between Economic Freedom And Soci-Economic Development, Anisha Madan '02
Honors Projects
The concept of economic freedom is not a novel one in economic theory. Since the time of Adam Smith, if not before, economists have believed that the freedom to choose and supply resources, compete in business, trade with others, and secure property rights are central ingredients of economic progress (North and Thomas, 1973). Adam Smith (1776-1937) explained how the invisible hand of the marketplace enhanced the wealth of nations. David Ricardo (1821-1912) advocated free trade as a means of producing economic growth. Milton Friedman said, "I believe that free societies have arisen and persisted only because economic freedom is so …
Multicultural Education In Head Start Classrooms, Cynthia Czerwin '02
Multicultural Education In Head Start Classrooms, Cynthia Czerwin '02
Honors Projects
This research is used to determine whether Head Start addresses the cultural needs of its diverse clientele or if it assimilates its clients into the mainstream culture. It is based on the concept that culture affects how children learn. Culture is acquired through social interactions with parents and other social institutions. The connection of culture and learning is explained in the theories of Cooley, Mead, and Vygotsky. Cooley and Mead have two main theories of socialization; both examine how one acquires culture through social interactions. Vygotsky's theory describes how children develop cognitively. His theory is also based on social interactions.
Development Of A Data Acquisition And Analysis System, Michael V. Mores '02
Development Of A Data Acquisition And Analysis System, Michael V. Mores '02
Honors Projects
Plasma is the fourth and least understood state of matter. A more complete understanding of this state of matter has numerous practical applications, including fusion energy, space travel, materials synthesis, and thin film deposition. As such, there is an obvious motivation to study this state. To do this, we have constructed a radio-frequency plasma device at Illinois Wesleyan University. I have developed a data acquisition using LabVIEW software that can digitize eight analog signals, saving the data to disk for later analysis. I have also written analysis software using LabVIEW to extract meaningful information from Langmuir Probe Trace.
Design And Construction Of A Radio Frequency Plasma Device, Matthew Highland '02
Design And Construction Of A Radio Frequency Plasma Device, Matthew Highland '02
Honors Projects
We have constructed a radio frequency plasma device to study a wide range of phenomena including, power coupling between the plasma and the antenna and wave propagation. Our system includes a high vacuum chamber with mechanical and diffusion pumps, a radio frequency source magnetic field coils and a matching network.
The Benefit Of Code Switching Within A Bilingual Education Program, Susan Pollard '02
The Benefit Of Code Switching Within A Bilingual Education Program, Susan Pollard '02
Honors Projects
In this study, I explore the effects oftwo types of education (bilingual and immersion) on Spanish dominant students in two cities in the U.S. Specifically, I examine the role of codeswitching (the use of both Spanish and English within the same discourse) in bilingual and immersion settings. I explore the effects of code switching on bilingual students and whether subject matter can be discussed more effectively in classrooms where code-switching is allowed and encouraged due to the language freedom it provides.
The Use Of A Genetic Algorithm To Evolve Networks For A Natural Language Processing Task, Alexander E. Dimov '02
The Use Of A Genetic Algorithm To Evolve Networks For A Natural Language Processing Task, Alexander E. Dimov '02
Honors Projects
In this project a novel approach was taken for performing a natural language task. The task requires a neural network to predict the grammatical category of the next word in a stream of sentences. There are two main reasons why this task is interesting. In natural language processing, it is sometimes very difficult to determine the grammatical category of a word in a sentence when that word could belong to different grammatical categories depending on the context. For example, the word "run" can either be a noun or a verb in a certain sentence. The ability to correctly determine the …
My Little Force Explodes: A Re-Creation Of The Assembly Of Emily Dickinson's Fasicicle 18, Katie Brokaw '02
My Little Force Explodes: A Re-Creation Of The Assembly Of Emily Dickinson's Fasicicle 18, Katie Brokaw '02
Honors Projects
It is hard to recall my exact first encounter with Emily Dickinson. In some ways, I feel as though I have always known her. I remember quoting A word is dead! When it is said, / Some say. / I say is just / Begins to live / That day to my Junior High language arts class. Throughout the years, Dickinson has grown with me, in me. In the summer of 2000, I began an independent study focusing on ED's fascicles. It was during that summer that I chose to focus on F.18, by virtue of the fact that it …
The Cellular Divide: A Comparative Analysis Of Mobile Phone Usage In Spain And The United States, Deborah J. Slezak '02
The Cellular Divide: A Comparative Analysis Of Mobile Phone Usage In Spain And The United States, Deborah J. Slezak '02
Honors Projects
The usage of mobile phones has dramatically increased in the past decade, narrowing the boundaries of size, space, and time. It is this "death of distance" that will be the single most important economic force shaping all of society over the next half century. The economic prosperity of the United States has contributed to the increase in this "luxury" telecommunication device, but how can the rapid increase in European countries with lower per capita incomes such as Spain be explained? The purpose of this paper is to examine mobile phone usage and penetration rates in the United States compared to …
Masculine Threat And Anti-Gay Attitude, Chad Corbley '02
Masculine Threat And Anti-Gay Attitude, Chad Corbley '02
Honors Projects
In a pretest, male and female participants completed the PAQ, a measure of self perceived masculinity and femininity. Only male participants (though they were not aware of this fact) were contacted to return for the second part of the study. Participants were hooked up to psychophysiological recording equipment and took part in one of three conditions. In the masculine threat condition, they took a test ostensibly measuring masculine knowledge and received false negative feedback. In the general threat condition, participants took a test ostensibly measuring general knowledge and received the same feedback. The no threat or control condition was exactly …
The Effects Of A Parent-Child Communication Activity On The Worries Of Siblings Of Children With Autism, Sara M. Irwin '02
The Effects Of A Parent-Child Communication Activity On The Worries Of Siblings Of Children With Autism, Sara M. Irwin '02
Honors Projects
This study was designed to obtain objective results about the effects of two different parent-child activities on the siblings of children with autism. Participants were eighteen 6-13 year-old siblings of children with autism and their parents. One group of parent-child pairs completed a workbook focused on autism-specific worries, while another group of parent-child pairs played board games together. The children in each group completed a questionnaire about their autism-related worries at the end of the activity. Results demonstrated that the workbook was useful in making parents more aware of specific worries that their children have as shown by a strong …
Examining The Cognitive And Physiological Processes Underlying Traumatic Disclosure, Anna Carlson '02
Examining The Cognitive And Physiological Processes Underlying Traumatic Disclosure, Anna Carlson '02
Honors Projects
The aims of this research were to examine the cognitive and physiological reactions associated with the disclosure of a traumatic event. Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory (Epstein, 1991; 1998) suggests that there are two separate modes of information processing. One is the rational mode that is based on logic and the other is the experiential mode that is based on emotions and heuristics. The way these two modes of processing may be related to disclosure was examined using 60 undergraduate students at Illinois Wesleyan University. Participants engaged in one of four writing conditions; a trivial topic, the emotions surrounding a traumatic experience, the …
Gender Differences In Depression In Hiv-Infected Patients, Sarah L. Beyers '02
Gender Differences In Depression In Hiv-Infected Patients, Sarah L. Beyers '02
Honors Projects
Gender differences in an HIV-infected population living in downstate Illinois are examined. Depression is measured using the CES-D screening tool. Statistical tests are run on both quantitative and qualitative data in order to determine if a gender difference exists. The difference in CES-D scores was not found to be statistically significant. Possible explanations for this finding are suggested. These explanations include: population demographics, small sample size, and effects of medication.
Illumination And Food Deprivation As Determinants For Hoarding In Golden Hampsters, Erin Smith '02
Illumination And Food Deprivation As Determinants For Hoarding In Golden Hampsters, Erin Smith '02
Honors Projects
It is important for animals to adapt to changes in food availability in order to survive. Hoarding is one method of accomplishing this and the golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is particularly adept at hoarding. Previous literature suggests a connection between hoarding and stress. To further examine this connection, the present study looked at the effects of illumination and food deprivation on the hoarding behavior of male golden hamsters. The within-subjects design allowed each of the 12 subjects to be tested in each of the 4 conditions: 1) illumination and food deprivation, 2) illumination and no food deprivation, 3) food deprivation …
Evaluating The Collaborative Efforts Of Teachers And Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum, Lindsey Vacco '02
Evaluating The Collaborative Efforts Of Teachers And Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum, Lindsey Vacco '02
Honors Projects
Educators have emphasized the importance of parent involvement in the educational process for decades. The definitions of parent involvement, however, have changed over time with a current emphasis on genuine parent-school collaboration where parents are seen as partners in their child's education. Such collaboration is especially crucial when the children have special needs, such as those on the autism spectrum. Autism spectrum disorders pose unique challenges to the home-school relationship in part due to the child's communication and social impairments. This study is part of a larger, ongoing study examining home-school relationships between parents and teachers of children with autism …
Cultural Scripts Of Parental Intervention In Conflict, Kristina L. Mcdonald '02
Cultural Scripts Of Parental Intervention In Conflict, Kristina L. Mcdonald '02
Honors Projects
Parents frequently intervene in the conflicts that children experience with other peers. The work of Ross, Hastings and their colleagues has alerted researchers to the possibility that parents engage in such intervention in part to teach children lessons. Ross and her colleagues have focused on the role of such intervention for teaching children rules about possession and property rights. Whereas property rights might be particularly salient in cultures such as the European-American subgroups in the U.S. that emphasize individualism and market forces, this might be less salient in other cultures. Many of the cultural groups in Indonesia emphasize collectivism, social …
Constructing A Common Ukrainian Identity: An Empirical Study, Igor Khrestin '02
Constructing A Common Ukrainian Identity: An Empirical Study, Igor Khrestin '02
Honors Projects
This study will examine the factors influencing the construction of a common national identity in Ukraine. The uniqueness of the Ukrainian case stems from its oppressive Russian-dominated past, its communist experience, and a weak role of nationalism prior to independence. Until 1991, Ukraine lacked the necessary components to be considered a successful nation-state. Literally translated as "borderland," Ukraine has never had a readily-identifiable common territory or a common people. Harsh assimilatory policies of its rulers have left a sharply divided society, with differing languages, customs, and conflicting identities. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the state of Ukraine proclaimed its independence …
A Question Of Motivations: Determining Why Donor Countries Give Aid, Sarah Fuller '02
A Question Of Motivations: Determining Why Donor Countries Give Aid, Sarah Fuller '02
Honors Projects
Despite the fact that foreign aid has been around in its present form since World War II, foreign aid analysis, especially from the donor's point of view, has been and continues to be highly contested. In 1992, the United Nations claimed that "ODA [Official Development Assistance] allocation is 'strange and arbitrary'" and "ODA is determined not by the needs of developing countries, but by the fluctuating goodwill of the people and their parliaments in the rich countries. As a result, it is largely ad hoc and unpredictable" (United Nations Development Programme, 45). This statement cannot, however, explain why Africa is …