Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis And Examination Of Consensus Attacks In Blockchain Networks, Thomas R. Clark

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

This paper examines consensus attacks as they relate to blockchain networks. Consensus attacks are a significant threat to the security and integrity of blockchain networks, and understanding these attacks is crucial for developers and stakeholders. The primary contribution of the paper is to present blockchain and consensus attacks in a clear and accessible manner, with the aim of making these complex concepts easily understandable for a general audience. Using literature review, the paper identifies various methods to prevent consensus attacks, including multi-chain networks, proof-of-work consensus algorithms, and network auditing and monitoring. An analysis revealed that these methods for preventing consensus …

An Overview Of Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Searching For Balance Between The Positive And Negative Effects, Courtney K. Fusting

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) is the behavior of taking on extra roles in the workplace outside of one’s explicit duties. There are many reasons why one may be motivated to aid his/her organization in this way. Motivation may come through one’s personal values towards volunteerism, desire to build social capital, increase in self-esteem and flow, or even due to the commonality of organizational citizenship behavior among the workplace culture. Contributing to one’s workplace through OCB has the potential to positively impact an individual. However, taking on too many extra roles in the workplace can become detrimental. Role overload, stress, and …

Recruiting And Talent Acquisition Strategies In The Hospitality Industry During The Great Resignation, Kristen E. Poggi

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The Great Resignation, which stemmed from the Covid-19 pandemic, has impacted many businesses within the United States. With the nation's quit rate reaching all-time highs, businesses are struggling to retain and attract new employees. This is especially seen within the hospitality industry. The industry has been struggling to reach sufficient staffing levels while people are excited to travel and utilize these hospitality businesses after the global pandemic. To learn more about this issue and to gain awareness, I have conducted a literature review of the current research about this topic. I have also conducted my own research by interviewing three …

Medical Interpreters' Work Impact On Their Lives: Understanding Medical Interpreters' Work Experience, Nicholas M. Herrarte Smith

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Medical interpreters in the US are crucial health workers that specialize in facilitating communication between non-English-speaking patients and English medical professionals. Although much research has been done regarding the positive impact of professional medical interpreters on LEP (limited English proficient) patients' health, it is less known how medical interpreters’ lives are impacted in this line of work. Thus, this study was aimed at gaining a better understanding on the impact that this line of work has on the lives of medical interpreters. For this study, a survey was created with questions regarding demographics, interpretation’s certification process, interpreter’s satisfaction/experience, and mental …

Climate Change Message Framing, Death Anxiety, And Conspiracy Beliefs Impact On Individual Emotions, Cognitions, And Future Behavioral Intentions, Shanna E. Castellucci

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Prospect theory highlighted that individuals are more sensitive to loss frames than gain frames. However, previous literature involving message framing, emotion, and behaviors found that gain frames have more of an impact on whether an individual will engage in desired behaviors. The purpose of this experiment was to analyze the relationships between message framing, death anxiety, conspiracy beliefs, and future behavioral intentions. Participants were randomly assigned to the framing condition: either in the loss frame group or in the gain frame group. There were three hypotheses tested in this study. The first predicted that individuals receiving the loss frame would …

Implications Of Inclusive Postsecondary Education Programs (Ipses) On Quality Of Life For Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Sarah K. Eggleston

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Students with intellectual disability (ID) who are aging out from qualifying for special education services through the public school system often encounter difficulty in the transition to early adulthood. While students with disabilities in Virginia have access to employment and transition services to aid them in seeking job placement, some students with ID still carry aspirations of going to college like many of their peers without disabilities. College is an experience that allows emerging adults to gain independence, social skills, pivotal identity development, and opportunities to explore academic and professional interests, while increasing their qualifications for more competitive employment. In …

Analyzing Motivation And Sense Of Belonging Belonging In Cs1 Review Sessions, Cory Longenecker

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The Computer Science Department at James Madison University has a Teaching Assistant program which aims to help students succeed in early-level Computer Science courses. Part of this program is a review session, the Fourth Hour, which provides students extra help on the concepts taught each week in class. Historically, attendance at this review session has been low. Because of this, the study aimed to increase attendance by motivating students through interventions, primarily offering quiz retakes to students who attended. Additionally, this study looked at the reported sense of belonging for participants who attended.

We made three conclusions from survey data …

Student-Led Success: Improving Attendance And Learning At Fourth Hour Review Sessions, Andrew C. Gilbert

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

This research continues the work of Gilbert et al. [1] by translating the “Fourth Hour” review session materials from Java to Python, keeping the focus on common misconceptions in the literature, continuing to use Peer Instruction (PI), and addressing two issues in the previous study: low attendance and short-term learning outcomes during the session. [2] The “Fourth Hour” is a review session designed to support students taking CS1 who may have missed class or need to review the previous week’s material. This review session is an hour long and is offered twice a week with the same material so more …

Chinese Strategic Partnerships: A New Form Of Alliance Politics, Sean L. Starkweather

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

During the 14th National Party Congress in 1992, Jiang Zemin declared that China would never seek alliances nor pursue hegemony. Indeed, since 1961, China has formed formal alliances with mutual defense clauses with only two countries: North Korea and the Soviet Union. Given the US’ alliance network, which extends deep into East Asia and Oceania, many scholars predict that China would seek similar security arrangements to deter potential aggression. However, very little research has been conducted to answer the question of why China has remained persistent in rejecting alliance formation as a viable strategy despite popular notions of increasing Chinese …

"Domestic Terrorism" Or "Political Protest?": Partisan Cable News Framing Of The January 6 Attack On The U.S. Capitol, Alexandra M. Stover

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, was a historical event that received widespread media attention in the days and weeks that followed. This study focuses on the differential framing techniques used by Fox News and CNN, specifically, in their coverage of January 6. Additionally, this study addresses the differential framing techniques used across different shows on the same network: “commentary-based” shows and “information-based” shows. In doing so, this research builds upon the vast body of pre-existing news media framing research. This study finds that the differences in framing are more pronounced between Fox News and CNN …

Communicating Across The Pond: Evaluating Perceptions Of Dialectal Divergence Among American Student Sojourners In England, Katherine T. Peppiatt

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Although at first glance the differences between British English and American English seem trivial, “apartment” vs. “flat” or “color” vs. “colour," these dialectal divergences immediately create an othering effect. Subtle changes are representative of the deeper implications of this issue; altered language impacts perceptions about the validity and correctness of a written work. My research seeks to understand how the differences between British English and American English impact American student sojourners during an abroad experience in England. Examining how American sojourners perceive dialectal differences and adapt their written rhetoric to match that of a British audience offers valuable insight into …

Intergenerational Trauma In The Developing Student And Interventions Used, Malea G. Laquihon

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The purpose of this review was to identify studies that focus on supporting students with intergenerational trauma (IGT) and the interventions used to minimize the effects of this type of trauma. To do this, we conducted a systematic literature review that identified 16 articles addressing IGT and its impact on school-age children or their parents. In the results of this systematic review, the authors of 12 studies reported the interventions had a positive impact on the participants in their studies. Limitations of the current review, the literature base, and implications for future research are presented.

Pandemic Reflections: Stories Of National Ffa Student Leaders During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Theresa Seibel

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic were felt by most every individual in the world, and the effects of the pandemic will have implications for years to come. Even still, it becomes necessary to capture the work and impacts of this life experience of those who lived and led during such a time. The National FFA Organization, with its student leadership, continued to deliver its mission of the organization during the pandemic. This project aimed to develop a digital narrative to contribute to the historical record of FFA officers’ experiences in the National FFA Organization during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The …

Sequencing An Inserted Concatemer In Caenorhabditis Elegans Strain Hlh-29::Gfp, Simon T. Anderson

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Hairy/Enhancer of Split (HES) proteins and their homologs play vital roles in the development of animals, and in the regulation of cancer and other diseases. HLH-29 is an REF-1 family protein and a Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of human HES proteins. A transgenic animal model has been developed to facilitate analyses of this protein, containing an inserted concatemer of the green fluorescent protein reporter gene, regulated by the hlh-29 promoter, and a mutant rol-6 allele. Though the strain has been used previously, the location and structure of the insertion has been unknown. Sequencing of the whole hlh-29::gfp genome with high-molecular weight …

Loving The Skin You’Re In: The Mediating Role Of Internalized Racism Between Skin Color Satisfaction And Self-Esteem, Lauryn A. Miller

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Colorism is discrimination against individuals with darker skin, with preference afforded to those with lighter skin (Hunter, 2007). To study colorism, researchers have looked at concepts that colorism influences, such as skin color satisfaction, internalized racism, and self-esteem (Coard et al., 2001; Maxwell et al., 2015). The current study determined if internalized racism acts as a mediator between skin color satisfaction and self-esteem in Black participants since internalized racism influences both (David et al., 2019; Maxwell et al., 2015). I also determined if skin color acts as a moderator, explaining differences in the effect of skin color satisfaction on internalized …

The Catholic Paradox Of Villette, Kevin R. Bie

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Villette, published in 1853, was Charlotte Brontë’s last novel. Brontë explores both narrative and religious complexities through her narrator, Lucy Snowe. Orphaned Lucy Snowe embarks on a new life in a predominantly Catholic country where her Protestant identity is challenged. Catholicism is presented as a temptation for Lucy. Brontë reveals Lucy’s story through her notable fictional autobiography structure, but Lucy Snowe complicates the relationship between narrator and reader. Lucy explicitly capitalizes on the structure of fictional autobiography, critiquing her narration and fostering a personal relationship with the reader.

This thesis analyzes the Catholic paradox in Charlotte Brontë’s Villette by …

Intercorrelations Between Essentialist Beliefs And The Social Identities Of Religion, Political Affiliation, And Nationality, Truman Deree

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

In this study, I investigated the relationships between political identity, religious identity, and national identity, as well as related attitudes about essentialism. I hypothesized that having essentialist attitudes about one identity group will correlate with having essentialist attitudes about other identities. I also predicted that the more important an identity is to one’s sense of self, the more likely they will be to hold essentialist attitudes about that identity. Finally, I predicted that having a Republican identity positively correlates with essentialist views of one’s national identity. In this paper, I discuss the theoretical basis, as well as the method, sampling …

Dynamic Measures Of Referential Communication Reveal Hidden Pragmatic Strengths For Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mariana Schreuders

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The ability to communicate effectively and efficiently while maintaining mutual understanding is a fundamental aspect of human-to-human interaction. Studies have shown that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face challenges in areas of social communication skills, such as aspects of referential communication; or the ability to refer to things in such a way that a listener will know what the speaker is describing. The current study used data from a preexisting Barrier study to compare the referential communication abilities of school-aged children with ASD to those of neurotypical children (NT). Referential communication was observed during a barrier task, where participants …

Equality Across The Pond: An Analysis Of Marriage Equality Between The United States And The United Kingdom, Angel Santiago

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Throughout history, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) have faced criticism and backlash for limitations on marriage equality. Within the last two decades, there have been many initiatives put into place to combat the marriage equality dilemma. I will be conducting two case studies on prominent social movements within the US and UK. Within the UK, I will be examining the Stonewall organization and the LGBT Foundation; and within the US, I will be examining the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. This root of the dilemma spurs mainly from human …

Neoliberalism And Perceptions Of Charitable Food Assistance Recipients, Lucas G. Hopper

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Previous research has suggested that recipients of charitable food assistance experience stigma and may be seen as undeserving. Neoliberal worldviews have also been identified in discourse around charitable food assistance (CFA) and CFA settings, and tied to stigma and undeservingness. However, there is relatively little research on the context of CFA overall and a paucity of research that has examined the relationship between these factors of CFA perceptions, particularly in individuals who are not directly involved as recipients or volunteers. This study consists of a quantitative survey administered to 266 psychology students at a large university measuring their perceptions of …

Statistical Analyses Of Hemp Cannabinoid Test Results, Rachel J. Stegmeier

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Cannabis sativa L. is a flowering plant used for recreational and industrial purposes that produces a class of compounds called cannabinoids. Industrial hemp is a strain of Cannabis sativa L. that has been propagated to have a low Δ 9 tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹THC) and a high cannabidiol (CBD) content. With recent advancements in legislation, farms are now growing hemp for fiber, CBD production and other hemp derived product purposes but crops risk being destroyed if THC content levels exceed the current maximum legal limit of 0.3%. For the present study hemp samples were dried, ground, extracted with various alcohols, …

Pre-Pulse Inhibition In Mutated Mice: Studying Compromised Microglial Cells To Discover New Genetic Connections To Autism, Bailey R. Kramarik

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Microglial cells “play a pivotal role in refining neural networks during early critical periods” (Gabriele & Gray, 2020, p. 1). A disturbance in the functioning of these microglial cells contribute to specific characteristics of some neurodevelopmental disorders- including autism spectrum disorder. In this study, we used a mouse model to study disruptions in cell activity, as understanding the biological and genetic background of autism spectrum disorder could help us provide better treatment and therapy options to those diagnosed.

The mutated mice in this experiment have microglial cells with “compromised fractalkine signaling” (Gabriele & Gray, 2020, p. 4-5). We studied multimodal …

A Historical Analysis Of Brand Activism And Its Impact On Company Success, Katy Sharon

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Corporate activism is a growing area of study that has become more important as the political climate becomes increasingly divided. This project evaluates how corporate activism affects company success. Four significant political events were chosen and within each event two to three companies with varying responses were analyzed to determine best practices for organizations looking to engage in corporate activism in the future. Going forward, companies should deliberate with employees and upper-level management to determine the best course of action, respond to the event in a timely manner, acknowledge previous company actions that may contradict its current position, and lastly, …

The Ncaa's Rise To Absolute Power And Confronting Its Distortion Of Amateurism, Terek J. Kirsch

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

This paper examines the progression of the intercollegiate athletic space, from a small regatta in 1852 to the massive athletic environment we know now in contemporary society. It finds the National Collegiate Athletic Association snared in a trap of circular logic that has been closing in on it since its conception, as it has defined collegiate athletes as amateurs and then proceeded to argue for amateur status for those athletes because of the definition that it wrote. This paper concludes in its final two chapters, after analyzing the recent Supreme Court case NCAA v. Alston, and the Name, Image, and …

To The Shores Of Tripoli: A Barbary Retrospective, Kathleen J. Brett

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The First and Second Barbary Wars were incredibly influential in shaping the diplomatic and military tactics of the early United States. These wars were fought against the Barbary states of Tripoli, Tunis, Morocco, and Algiers, located on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. The First Barbary War lasted between the years of 1801 to 1805. The First Barbary War began due to the United States’ desire to no longer pay tribute sums to the Barbary states, along with an increase in the number American merchantmen captured and enslaved by the Barbary states. Tripoli served as the primary aggressor in the …

Analyzing Insurgent Activity In The Cabo Delgado Province Of Mozambique, Alayna N. Stormer, Amanda Brotemarkle, Virginia Mcdaniel

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Al-Sunna Wa Jama’a (ASWJ), a violent Islamic Insurgency within the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique, is likely to continue to exercise control and pose a strategic threat to United States (US) interests and possessions in the region due to violence, various illegal activities, and exploitation of regional humanitarian crises. Based on trend analysis, it is likely that these activities will contribute to an overall continuation of ASWJ’s influence. We also considered the true ideological nature of ASWJ and whether or not they have ties to other well known terrorist organizations. We utilized two methods, indicator analysis and strategy assessment, our …

“For The Best Interest Of The Patient And Of Society;” Sterilization In Virginia’S Mental Institutions In The 20th Century, Grace M. Gordon

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The science of eugenics, or classifying and grouping people into the categories of genetically “inferior” and “superior” for the purpose of better breeding, thrived during the first decades of the 20th century in Virginia. The first recorded instance of eugenic sterilization in a Virginia Mental Institution occurred in 1915 by Dr. Albert Priddy. In 1924, the combined efforts of Dr. Joseph DeJarnette and Dr. Albert Priddy resulted in the passage of a state-sanctioned eugenic sterilization law that was later deemed constitutional in 1927 by Buck v. Bell. The 1924 law gave Western State Hospital, Central State Hospital, Eastern State Hospital, …

Circular Economy And The Potential For Extended Producer Responsibility Policies, Erin Quinn

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

This thesis was developed based on an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Policy briefing I created during my internship at RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) during the summer of 2021. This project expands upon the work created during the internship. It examines the connection between circular economy and EPR policies, as well as how they can create effective strategies for waste reduction and recycling in the U.S. It demonstrates how the current linear economic system under which the U.S operates and its connection to single-stream recycling are inefficient at best. The thesis then describes how a circular economy (CE) …

How Do Co-Curricular Mentorship Programs Meet The Social-Emotional Needs Of Immigrant And Refugee Youth? A Case Study From Harrisonburg, Virginia, Katherine M. Clayton

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Immigrant and refugee youth are at greater risk of encountering the following stressors: trauma, acculturation, resettlement, and isolation. If neglected, these stressors can prove detrimental to one’s social-emotional wellbeing. Although a newcomer’s successful adaptation is often measured in terms of their academic success, social-emotional wellbeing and academic achievement are intertwined. Thus, a focus on social-emotional wellness for newcomer students benefits both the students and the school systems. Co-curricular mentorship programs can be utilized by schools to meet the social-emotional needs of their newcomer students. The Peer Leaders Program (PLP) of Harrisonburg, Virginia offers one such approach. Based on trauma-informed peer …

U.S. Extremism And Media: How The New Age Of Politics Speaks To Media Usage, Josephine R. Haneklau

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

On January 6th, 2021, the nation watched from their television screens as a group of extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. An interesting emotion fell over the U.S. public – it was both shocking and not shocking at all. The attack on the Capitol was a by-product of years of internal division, catapulted by Trump’s presidency. Between racial divisions and the progression of Black Lives Matter, the advancement of COVID and its governmental policies, and Trump’s divisive nature of president at a peak, it seemed almost inevitable that an offense like this would occur.

As political conversations …