Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Senior Honors Theses

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication Type

Articles 1 - 30 of 408

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

What It Means To Be Gifted: Quantitative Analysis Of The Characteristics Of Gifted Students, Ben Ellis Aug 2024

What It Means To Be Gifted: Quantitative Analysis Of The Characteristics Of Gifted Students, Ben Ellis

Senior Honors Theses

Past research has studied giftedness from theoretical, educational, and practical perspectives. The theoretical perspective informs an understanding of how gifted students uniquely comprehend and process information. The educational perspective informs the context surrounding gifted students in the educational environment. The practical perspective informs techniques and curricula that are effective in educating gifted students in a way that is tailored to their distinctive social and emotional characteristics. Together, these three perspectives provide an understanding of the unique characteristics of gifted learners. However, there remains a gap between developing this hypothetical understanding of giftedness in the literature and empirically testing this understanding …


Experiences Of Dyslexic Students Learning A Second Language: A Review Of The Literature, Lauren Ricci May 2024

Experiences Of Dyslexic Students Learning A Second Language: A Review Of The Literature, Lauren Ricci

Senior Honors Theses

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to explore the experiences that college students with dyslexia face learning a second language in the classroom setting while studying at a private institution in Central Virginia. This literature review offers an analysis of the scholarly research related to this topic. The processability theory is discussed in the first section, followed by a review of recent literature on how dyslexia affects the brain’s processing, specific experiences of students, and how to best support these students in second language acquisition (SLA). Lastly, the literature surrounds phonological processing, working memory, specific struggles in the …


An Analysis Of Strength Training Implementation In Ballet, Claire Hoover May 2024

An Analysis Of Strength Training Implementation In Ballet, Claire Hoover

Senior Honors Theses

Ballet, a style of dance that is known for its 180-degree external rotation, extreme precision, discipline, and aesthetics, is an athletic activity that is undertaken by many young people, particularly females. Although ballet has many athletic components, recent studies have shown there are a variety of weaknesses that impact its participants, including the female athlete triad, lack of lower extremity muscular strength, risk of injury, and overtraining. According to recent research, strength training, although not historically paired with ballet, could minimize ballet dancers’ deficiencies by increasing muscular strength and reducing risk of injury and incidence of the female athlete triad. …


The Evolving Crime Of Sex Trafficking, Madison Krause Apr 2024

The Evolving Crime Of Sex Trafficking, Madison Krause

Senior Honors Theses

Human trafficking is a global crime that occurs in all countries regardless of status or rank. It victimizes both genders and all age groups. The two most common types of human trafficking are for the purposes of forced labor and commercialized sexual exploitation. The demand for commercialized sexual exploitation has increased throughout the United States. Technology and social media have enhanced and made the ability to commit sex trafficking easier and more efficient. The ties between pornography and sexual exploitation have also had an impact on sex trafficking recruiting and grooming.


The Alexander Technique Applied To Dance And The Choreographic Process: Freeing Physical Expression From Trauma-Based Tension, Julia Johnston Apr 2024

The Alexander Technique Applied To Dance And The Choreographic Process: Freeing Physical Expression From Trauma-Based Tension, Julia Johnston

Senior Honors Theses

Ballet, contemporary, and modern dancers have expressed incurring trauma during their training and professional dance experiences; in a 2020 survey, 41% of professional dancers and 30% of ballet students reported experiencing or witnessing sexually inappropriate behavior in their respective workplaces and schools (DDP). This is just one example of a potential source of trauma for dancers. The physiological effects of trauma cause physical effects, creating tension in a dancer’s body. Dance relies on physical expression, the expression of thought and feeling through movement, to connect with the audience. Trauma-based tension inhibits a dancer’s range of physical expression and connection to …


Improving Student Engagement Despite Lowering Attention Spans In The Classroom, Kaycee Lee Apr 2024

Improving Student Engagement Despite Lowering Attention Spans In The Classroom, Kaycee Lee

Senior Honors Theses

Attention spans have been decreasing throughout society for many years, partially due to the constant increase of technological advances. The average human attention span of eight seconds is particularly concerning to teachers and others in the classroom. It does not seem that the average attention span is ever going to increase, so teachers must implement intentional methods and strategies within their classroom to keep their students’ attention. Physical activities, technology and hands-on supports, small group instruction, shorter lessons, making intentional mistakes, flexible seating, and differentiated instruction are all strategies supported by research to improve student engagement within the classroom. Every …


Autism And The Body Of Christ: Understanding, Accommodating, And Accepting Autistic Believers In The Church, Kaitlyn Cook Apr 2024

Autism And The Body Of Christ: Understanding, Accommodating, And Accepting Autistic Believers In The Church, Kaitlyn Cook

Senior Honors Theses

Autism is a neurotype that causes a different set of strengths and weaknesses and thus should be embraced and accommodated within the church. Not only are autistic believers able to grasp Christian concepts, but they also have different perspectives and skills that can be instrumental in building up the church. Promoting a correct view of autism and accommodating neurodiversity within the church will allow autistic believers to follow God’s command to be part of a body and build up the church. The church can employ several strategies to create an accessible environment for believers on the spectrum, including creating sensory-safe …


Can Time Really Heal: The Long-Term Impacts Of Joint Custody Arrangements, Savannah Mccullough Apr 2024

Can Time Really Heal: The Long-Term Impacts Of Joint Custody Arrangements, Savannah Mccullough

Senior Honors Theses

Due to a growing diversity of family structures, children grow up in a variety of living arrangements, especially if their parents are separated or divorced. The most common solution for these divorced families is joint custody or dual-residence arrangements, where children spend up to 50% of their time in each parent's household. The current literature on the effects of joint custody arrangements shows mixed results for children's overall adjustment and well-being, which seem to depend more on moderating factors like the child's age, exposure to interparental conflict, and parent-child relationship quality. This thesis reviews the existing literature on the advantages …


Transgenderism And Pronouns: Assessing The Communication Practices Of Christian College Students, Danielle Malanowski Apr 2024

Transgenderism And Pronouns: Assessing The Communication Practices Of Christian College Students, Danielle Malanowski

Senior Honors Theses

The issue of transgenderism has been part of prominent public and academic discussions in recent years, and ought to be addressed by communication scholars. One area of communication research that is missing from the current body of literature is the use of preferred pronoun usage among religious groups, particularly Christians. This study offers insight into this issue through a qualitative survey of the perspectives of Generation Z college students attending a Christian university. This survey was then analyzed via thematic coding through the lens of Communication Accommodation Theory. Results indicate these students have varying approaches to communicating with and about …


The Driving Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Global Expansion, Aleksandra Drozd Apr 2024

The Driving Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Global Expansion, Aleksandra Drozd

Senior Honors Theses

The invention and continual growth of artificial intelligence (AI) on the global stage have significantly shaped the world’s economies, governments, societies and their cultures. The new industrial revolution and the subsequent race of the world’s leading powers have led to increased international joint efforts and exchange of information, simultaneously reducing barriers to trade and communication. Meanwhile, emerging technologies deploying AI have led to changes in human behavior and culture and challenged the traditional nation-state model. Although several implications of the proliferation of AI remain unknown, its widening application may be tied with accelerating globalization, referred to interchangeably as global expansion. …


The Church And Sexual Socialization: A Practical Guide Equipping Youth Ministers To Aid Lgbtq+ Students, Connor Kennedy Apr 2024

The Church And Sexual Socialization: A Practical Guide Equipping Youth Ministers To Aid Lgbtq+ Students, Connor Kennedy

Senior Honors Theses

Sexual socialization is the process by which people learn about their sexual desires and identity. This paper displays the process of sexual socialization as it specifically relates to the youth in the United States. The need for authority on the matter of LGBTQ+ beliefs is established through a biblical worldview. The gap between the church and gender and sexual minority youth is wide, and the problem must be addressed. The author then provides a process and set of beliefs that any youth minister should hold if they desire to aid LGBTQ+ students.


A Phenomenological Study Of The Cross-Cultural Transitions Of University-Level Missionary Kids, Naomi Walter Apr 2024

A Phenomenological Study Of The Cross-Cultural Transitions Of University-Level Missionary Kids, Naomi Walter

Senior Honors Theses

The cultural identity and transitions of a Third Culture Kid (TCK) is often a matter of discussion and debate. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand the factors that influence the identity and the cross-cultural transitions of university-level TCKs, with a specific focus on Missionary Kids (MKs). The study involved semi-structured interviews of seven undergraduate university students, over the age of 18 and currently involved in the university's Missionary Kid Scholarship program. Results revealed several key themes including identity, community, and friendship expectations that influenced the transition process. Participants generally displayed a positive transition, and the findings provide …


Counseling And Mental Health Stigma Among College Students: An Examination Of Gender, Mattie Albright Apr 2024

Counseling And Mental Health Stigma Among College Students: An Examination Of Gender, Mattie Albright

Senior Honors Theses

Male perceptions of masculinity are commonly studied in the psychological world as inhibitors to seeking mental health help or counseling. This research proposal addresses the roles of gender-role conflict and self-stigma of help-seeking in how they predict the male tendency to seek help at lower rates than females. The sample being analyzed in this study will consist of male and female students in the psychology department at Liberty University. Participants will complete the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale (SSOH), the Gender-Role Conflict Scale I (GRCS-I), and the Attitude Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale (ATSPPHS). Results will explore which factor …


Rainbows Around The Throne: Theological Aesthetics In Evangelism To Same-Sex Attracted Men, Austin Tucker Kemp Apr 2024

Rainbows Around The Throne: Theological Aesthetics In Evangelism To Same-Sex Attracted Men, Austin Tucker Kemp

Senior Honors Theses

Cultural barriers and worldview differences between American evangelicalism and the LGBTQ+ movement have historically hindered evangelism to same-sex attracted men. Although recent Christian theologians have offered wisdom for including same-sex attracted believers in the church and for combating prevailing secular worldviews, evangelistic strategies to reach gay unbelievers remain underdeveloped. This thesis identifies five desires common within the population of same-sex attracted men (beauty, friendship, romance, sexuality, and masculinity) and proposes a method of evangelism which targets these desires using theological aesthetics to communicate the beauty of the gospel creatively and compellingly. A focus on aesthetic apologetics, aesthetic community, and aesthetic …


Bureaus Of Ungentlemanly Warfare: Comparing The Roles Of Women In The Special Operations Executive And The Office Of Strategic Services During World War Ii, Adaline Nolley Apr 2024

Bureaus Of Ungentlemanly Warfare: Comparing The Roles Of Women In The Special Operations Executive And The Office Of Strategic Services During World War Ii, Adaline Nolley

Senior Honors Theses

In 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill created the Special Operations Executive. The SOE was one of the first government agencies to recruit female spies. In 1941, United States President Franklin Roosevelt commissioned the Office of Strategic Services, which also employed women. The organizations approached the concept of female agents differently. The OSS maintained female staff in domestic offices, but employed foreign women as agents. The SOE recruited women to go abroad, as they were less suspicious than men in occupied territories. The study of female staff in the OSS and the SOE allow historians to understand roles of women …


Crispr, Omega, And Fanzor: Mixed Blessings Of Genome Editing Technology, Haeun Tae Apr 2024

Crispr, Omega, And Fanzor: Mixed Blessings Of Genome Editing Technology, Haeun Tae

Senior Honors Theses

A little more than a decade ago, CRISPR-Cas system was identified as a potential gene editing tool. This RNA-guided DNA cleavage system, which naturally provides immunity to the prokaryotic host cell, has been engineered since for its application in agriculture, genomic screening, and hereditary genetic disorder treatment and cures. Recently, a eukaryotic CRISPR-Cas-like system, Fanzor, was reported, under a new class of the RNA-guided system (termed OMEGA). The discovery has increased the potentials of genetic modification more than ever, while simultaneously increasing the need for ethical considerations and guidelines. The history, structure, and functions of the two RNA-guided systems, as …


Mindfulness And Teacher Stress, Burnout, And Depression Among K-12 Teachers, Macy Woods Apr 2024

Mindfulness And Teacher Stress, Burnout, And Depression Among K-12 Teachers, Macy Woods

Senior Honors Theses

Across school districts, teachers face high stress levels, inhibiting their ability to engage effectively with and teach students. Teachers can learn and utilize effective strategies to offset the difficulties of the profession. School districts often encourage and provide stress-reduction training for teachers; a new stress-reduction technique is known as mindfulness. Mindfulness is a cognitive skill that encourages internal and external awareness of emotions, feelings, and surroundings; it presents to be a beneficial strategy for increasing well-being in many professions. The present study, conducted among K-12 teachers in East Tennessee, will investigate the relationship between teacher mindfulness and each factor of …


Christian Code Of Silence: The Church’S Current Response To Clergy Sexual Misconduct And Potential Improvements Utilizing Principles Of Restorative Justice, Skya Lau Apr 2024

Christian Code Of Silence: The Church’S Current Response To Clergy Sexual Misconduct And Potential Improvements Utilizing Principles Of Restorative Justice, Skya Lau

Senior Honors Theses

The prevalent and pervasive issue of clergy sexual misconduct within the Christian church has been perpetuated under a code of silence through the use of perverted Scripture to support its tactics. By departing from biblically aligned principles, and silencing the victims and protecting the offenders, the church’s current response has detrimental effects, calling into question the moral standing of the church. However, by practically implementing the principles of community, accountability, and forgiveness found in restorative justice and interpreting them through a biblical lens, the church can begin to improve their response. In dismantling the code of silence, the church can …


The Influence Of Texting On Perceived Warmth: The Role Of Punctuation And Emoji, Elizabeth Mathews Apr 2024

The Influence Of Texting On Perceived Warmth: The Role Of Punctuation And Emoji, Elizabeth Mathews

Senior Honors Theses

Technology Mediated Communication (TMC) has become an essential part of interpersonal communication. Punctuation and emoji are major vessels of nonverbal communication in texting. The impact of punctuation and emoji use on perceptions of warmth was tested with 291 residential undergraduate students at Liberty University who were at least 18 years old. Through an online questionnaire, participants read a series of text messages with a randomly assigned condition of having either punctuation and emoji, punctuation and no emoji, no punctuation and emoji, or no punctuation and no emoji. Results indicated a significant main effect for the presence of emoji on perceived …


Public Opinion And Its Potential Impact On The U.S. Supreme Court, Savannah Medlin Apr 2024

Public Opinion And Its Potential Impact On The U.S. Supreme Court, Savannah Medlin

Senior Honors Theses

The Supreme Court of the United States has a fundamental role in the interpretation of the Constitution and the configuration of the legal landscape of the country. But, while the Framers isolated the Court from political pressures, the Court is not removed from the impact of public opinion. This essay considers the effect of public opinion on Supreme Court rulings by reviewing studies and cases to discover the part public opinion plays in the courtroom. My findings imply that public opinion impacts the Court. There are limited ways by which the Court can prevent this impact. I emphasize that the …


Conflict In The Congo: A Critical Assessment Of Section 1502 Of The Dodd-Frank Act, Rodney Ford Apr 2024

Conflict In The Congo: A Critical Assessment Of Section 1502 Of The Dodd-Frank Act, Rodney Ford

Senior Honors Theses

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the poorest and most troubled nations in the world. With a convoluted and often tragic history, a significant cause of economic underdevelopment and political instability in the Congo has been the illicit expropriation of the country’s vast reserves of high-value minerals. In the early 2010s, Congress attempted to address the “conflict minerals” dilemma through the enactment of Section 1502 of the Dodd Frank Act. The conflict minerals rule aimed to break the supposed link between the illegal exploitation of minerals and the perpetuation of violence. Drawing upon books, journal articles, research …


The Development Of A Social Media Strategy For The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights, Natalie Ritter Apr 2024

The Development Of A Social Media Strategy For The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights, Natalie Ritter

Senior Honors Theses

In this thesis, an examination is conducted on the design, development, process, and execution of a social media strategy for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights, a junior hockey team composed of 16-20 year old players based in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The strategy takes into consideration not only the extraordinary role that social media can play in the success of a team’s overall development and marketing plan, but also the team’s specific mission and objectives as well as the intricacies that come with media within the sports industry. An in-depth literature review discusses the importance of a social media strategy and how an …


Dehumanization And Medical Abuse: Understanding Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy And Physician Liability, Michelle Deutsch Jul 2023

Dehumanization And Medical Abuse: Understanding Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy And Physician Liability, Michelle Deutsch

Senior Honors Theses

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP), according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is a relatively rare psychiatric disorder and form of child abuse wherein a caretaker will either purposefully induce real symptoms to make their child appear gravely sick or fabricate false medical symptoms, even in the absence of external rewards. It remains difficult to diagnose perpetrators of MSBP because the caretaker’s extreme concern for their child’s supposed ailments is rationalized as caring and devoted. However, the victim may suffer grievous physical and psychological damage, including death. Thus, it is pivotal that medical professionals and forensic evaluators …


Developmental Coordination Disorder: An Overview Of Motor Learning, Etiology, And Intervention Strategies, Allyson Waller May 2023

Developmental Coordination Disorder: An Overview Of Motor Learning, Etiology, And Intervention Strategies, Allyson Waller

Senior Honors Theses

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by motor impairments resulting from disrupted communication between the body’s nervous system and muscular system. Individuals affected with this disorder struggle with several physical, neurological, and psychological challenges and deal with decreased functionality in activities of daily living (ADLs). Proposed intervention strategies for this population are aimed at the holistic development of a child’s motor coordination skills that enable them to participate in ADLs. Therapeutic approaches involving task-oriented elements help promote positive skill transfer to the context of a child’s daily environment. For the best results, formal treatment should be supplemented …


The Effect Of Running On The Onset And Development Of Osteoarthritis, Jordan Hekman May 2023

The Effect Of Running On The Onset And Development Of Osteoarthritis, Jordan Hekman

Senior Honors Theses

Osteoarthritis is a prominent and debilitating form of joint disease characterized by pain and deterioration of the articular cartilage and other tissues in the affected joint. Research has identified a variety of risk factors for osteoarthritis, including age, obesity, gender, previous injury, and occupation. The relationship between running and osteoarthritis is a topic of particular interest because of the prevalence of running as a simple and physiologically beneficial form of exercise. Increasing evidence suggests that recreational running has at worst no effect and at best a protective effect on joint and articular cartilage health in contrast to high-intensity professional/elite-level running …


The Impact Of Flight On Cabin Crew Wellness: A Literature Review, Ashleigh Roderick May 2023

The Impact Of Flight On Cabin Crew Wellness: A Literature Review, Ashleigh Roderick

Senior Honors Theses

Since its conception in 1903, aviation has captivated the attention of people across the globe and has been utilized in many sectors of society. Aviation related occupations pose a unique set of risks to those working in the field, health risks being one of the most prominent. Cancer, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal ailments, and genetic damage have all been studied as potential consequences of working in the aviation industry, as some studies indicate a higher prevalence of these issues in aviation employees. Apart from physiological issues, mental health issues have also been observed in those working in aviation. Mental health issues …


Recognizing The Unique Health Care Needs Of Pregnant Afghan Refugees, Catherine Mcelroy May 2023

Recognizing The Unique Health Care Needs Of Pregnant Afghan Refugees, Catherine Mcelroy

Senior Honors Theses

Healthcare providers in the US, specifically in areas of high refugee resettlement, have recently been overwhelmed by the recent influx of Afghanistan refugees. This increased demand has exposed the lack of culturally competent care that healthcare workers are able to provide, leading to the question: How can healthcare providers in the United States (US) recognize the unique health care needs of pregnant Afghan refugees? This research paper addresses the question through the collection of previous research surrounding medical care for pregnant Afghan refugees already in databases. First, background information was obtained about the situation from which pregnant Afghan women are …


Understanding Romania's Poverty: A Historical Overview Of Economics And Politics And Their Implications On Poverty Today, Benjamin Bucur May 2023

Understanding Romania's Poverty: A Historical Overview Of Economics And Politics And Their Implications On Poverty Today, Benjamin Bucur

Senior Honors Theses

Romania is a country with a high-income economy that is experiencing considerable growth following its economic reforms of earlier decades. With growth, tendencies for an unequal society are prevalent. Therefore, appropriate economic policies that are specifically targeted toward bottlenecks are essential. This thesis seeks to outline the major types of poverty in Romania while also offering actionable entrepreneurial and educational insights that practically combat poverty at its roots.


The Role Of Story In The Creation And Life Of Man, Leah Ginion Apr 2023

The Role Of Story In The Creation And Life Of Man, Leah Ginion

Senior Honors Theses

Story was created by God as a vehicle for the revelation and glorification of Himself. Man, made in the image of God, was created as an innate storyteller. The world was created through story, and story is how it progresses and is sustained. As such, story is the foundation of all culture and the most natural and effective method of human communication. Research points to all of man’s stories being derivatives of the Great Story: the metanarrative of Scripture. Exploring man’s relationship with story reveals his place within the metanarrative and ultimately provides evidence for the existence and active presence …


The Hidden Figures Of Cognitive Dissonance, Jennifer Berkebile Apr 2023

The Hidden Figures Of Cognitive Dissonance, Jennifer Berkebile

Senior Honors Theses

In utilizing cognitive dissonance theory (CDT) as postulated by Festinger (1957), this research sought to identify how European American (EA) superiors Paul Stafford and Vivian Mitchell were influenced by EA coworkers while interacting with African American (AA) subordinates Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan, respectively, within the film Hidden Figures. Based upon a thorough review of the literature on CDT and its relationships with racism and sexism, this research examined specific scenes in which the pair interacted individually and around coworkers before determining the impact of external interpersonal relationships upon the central biracial relationships. Conclusions demonstrated the key principle of …