Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Praise In The Collegiate Classroom: How Narcissism, Entitlement, Empathy, And A Desire For Fame Impact Student’S Preferences For Praise, Alexandra Crissman

Student Scholar Showcase

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between personality traits, namely narcissism, entitlement, empathy, and a desire for fame, and a preference for public praise in a student population. Past research has shown that those who are higher in narcissism are also higher in entitlement and that these rates have been rising with future generations. Past research has also indicated a negative relationship between narcissistic tendencies and empathy, inferring that those higher in narcissism tend to score lower on empathy measures. In this study, undergraduate students were surveyed online to determine scores on four measures of traits …

East Vs. West And Its Relationship With Violence Among College Students And Myanmar, Bryce Davis

Student Scholar Showcase

With over 10 million men and women being targeted by domestic violence every year it has increased the need for research on the issue. Previous research has been conducted on how various crimes involving interpersonal violence can occur. The current study looks to expand on this previous research by assessing how interpersonal violence can occur. The study examines Eastern and Western cultures and how they can impact interpersonal violence. Previous research has shown that people born in eastern countries such as Asia have more of an acceptance of dating violence and rape. One hundred and thirty-six participants participated in the …

The Mind And Crime: Criminal Victimization, Age, And Psychological Wellbeing, Alana Compton

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The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between crime victimization, age at the time of victimization, and psychological health. Past research has shown that crime victimization has been linked to higher levels of depression and suicidal ideation, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders, and that those who experience a traumatic event as a child are influenced more negatively than those who experience trauma as an adult. Undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty and staff were surveyed to determine their experiences with crime, age, and levels of depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorder symptomology, and resilience. The …

Are They Mad At Me? Examining Methods Of Communication And Emotional Attribution, Meagan Fowler

Student Scholar Showcase

Communication via online methods has increased in popularity over the years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. While convenient, there are many downfalls to computer mediated communication (CMC) including an increased risk of misinterpreting a message. The present study aimed to determine the effects of communication medium and speaker gender on tone interpretation and emotional reactions. The medium of CMC (email, phone call, video call) and gender of the speaker (male, female) were manipulated to test for differences in perceptions of tone. Participants also reported their own emotions following reception of the message. It was found that medium has a significant …

Mapping The Impact Of A Trailway System On The Amount Of Trash Present Within Two Watersheds Of Lynchburg City, Virginia, Lillian Smith

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Transportation of trash debris within water systems is a prominent occurrence which has been linked to natural and artificial processes such as wind, rain, and littering. Recreational areas, such as activities along greenway trails, have been determined to be a source of debris found in waterways. This study examines whether the presence of an established recreational trail system limits trash accumulation in the entirety of a watershed. Trash data collected at Blackwater Creek, which contains an established trail system, was compared to trash data collected at Fishing Creek, containing a non-established trail system, to answer this hypothesis. A distance of …

"It's Not What It Looks Like!": Motivations And Responses To Infidelity, Jessica C. Cochrane

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The topic of infidelity is taboo and often perceived negatively, however, it still occurs frequently. What motivates people to commit infidelity? How do people respond to infidelity committed by those they know? This paper takes the opinions of college-aged subjects into consideration through use of paper surveys to discover how young adults perceive infidelity; both why it gets committed and how they would respond to such an act. Subjects were grouped into sex, classification, whether they have committed infidelity or not, and whether they have been cheated on or not. The results that were found were not all expected. It …

The Impact Of Female Militia Units On Women’S Rights In Society, Grace Ball

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The question raised is, can women gain equality within the government, society, and culture due to their participation in militia units during times of revolution. This thesis evaluates the case study of Syrian Kurdish women fighters between the time frame 2011 to 2021. In particular the paper will analyze the Women’s Protection Unit which is composed of female Kurdish fighters, who fought against ISIS and the Syrian government. Previously, Kurdish women have a documented history of oppression due to their gender. In their society, culture, and government, females have been suppressed from equality. The study will analyze if women can …

Effects Of Exercise On Fear Behavior In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Tyler Kuni

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The experiment shows the response of zebrafish when they are exposed to environments stimulating fear and how exercise will affect the behaviors of the fish in those environments. It is predicted that the behavior of fish receiving exercise before fear conditioning will show less behaviors associated with fear and anxiety. The subjects were exercised in a large water pump apparatus that creates a current for the fish to swim against, and then they were used in a classical fear conditioning protocol. Zebrafish behavior is recorded before and after fear conditioning is conducted. The speed of the subject’s swimming along with …

The Effect Of Quantitative Easing On U.S. Stock Prices And Wealth Inequality, Griffin W. Phillips

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My thesis will investigate and try to find a casual relationship between Quantitative Easing, or “QE”, and the U.S. stock market since 2003. The secondary effects will then be investigated to see if stock prices impact wealth inequality. To find the causal relationship between the two a regression model will be used. It predicts the magnitude of effects for QE and other variables that may impact stock prices. Since 2007-2009, the Federal Reserve has used QE as a means to spur economic growth. This expansionary monetary policy has impacted many financial markets including the U.S. stock market. Finding the extent …

Effect Of Knowledge On Perception Of Others’ Disordered Eating Behavior, Allison I. Robinson

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The purpose of this study was to determine if educational interventions on eating disorders impacts individuals ability to detect eating disorders in others. This study also examined the eating attitudes of athletes and non athletes. One hundred and thirty three undergraduate college students were randomly assigned to a condition, either receiving education on eating disorders or student athletes. After the educational condition, participants were asked to complete the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT; Garner & Garfinkel,1979). Participants then read a vignette of a student athlete which described an athlete suffering from disordered eating behaviors, participants were then asked questions to determine …

Communication & The Body Positivity Movement, Alyssa Cannaday

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The Body Positivity Movement has gained a presence on social media. In this study, social media outlets were examined (such as Twitter and Instagram) to explore the communication within the movement, both from those advocating body positivity and from individuals responding in the comments. A variety of respondents, most of whom were women, give a broad perspective of the movement as a whole. Some respondents who contribute their viewpoints have educational backgrounds in counseling or work in the field. Themes uncovered in this study reveal the Body Positivity Movement to be welcoming, open minded, and expressive of messages of self-love …

The Process Of Radicalization: Understanding The Road To Terrorism, Matt Slade

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This thesis attempted to create a better understanding of how the transition from Islamic and right-wing radicalization to violent terrorism occurs in Western countries. The hypothesis that was tested was that the greater level of radical actions an individual takes part in based on their extreme views, the greater likelihood that they will participate or attempt to participate in violent terrorism. There are eight fanatical behaviors that have to be combined with three contextual factors in order for a radical extremist to be pushed towards violence. This research added on to the Fanaticism school of thought that has been under-researched …

“You Are Sexist!” “No, I’M A Sports Reporter.” An Analysis Of Females’ And Males’ Portrayal In Print Media, Lauryn Beam

Student Scholar Showcase

Media itself has always been an outlet for the public. It has been used for entertainment, information, and a societal tool from the time when it was first advancing. Sport media is a genre all its own. There has always been a gender divide in sport and sport media. For this critical study, print media sources from different outlets were analyzed to compare two female athletes against two male athletes. The athletes being compared were Serena Williams and John McEnroe, as well as Brandi Chastain and Nicolas Anelka. Each article was analyzed for how the journalist portrayed the athlete, in …

Working In A Man’S World — What, Like It’S Hard?: The Perception Of Female Attorneys In The Media, Emily Russell

Student Scholar Showcase

Abstract

The legal drama television series Blue Bloods, The Practice, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, The Good Wife, How to Get Away with Murder, and Ally McBealfollow the various roles of a female attorney. For this study, these six television series were analyzed in order to identify the media’s perception of female attorneys. By completing a critical analysis of the aforementioned series, a multitude of perceptions based on gender was identified. Five themes occurred from those perceptions: physical attributes, relationships, work environment, litigation tactics, and personality traits. While some of these perceptions were positive, the media …

The Effects Of Cognitive Stimulation Of Instagram On Anxiety, Fear Of Missing Out, Memory, And Self-Esteem, Anna Destino

Student Scholar Showcase

With the increasing use of social media in the daily lives of undergraduate college students, it is important to investigate the effects of social media on anxiety level and memory. The current research considered the effect of overstimulation of social media, specifically Instagram, on anxiety level, self-esteem, fear of missing out, and memory. Lillard and Peterson (2011) found that overstimulating children’s televisions shows, such as SpongeBob, negatively impacted children’s impulsive behaviors and attention. Participants were divided into the control (coloring on an Ipad) or experimental (Instagram stimulation) group and after a set of pre-test questions regarding self-esteem and anxiety, participant …

The Effects Of Framing On Perceptions Of Others, Emily Brown, Ashley Kohinke

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The purpose of this study was to further research the effects of framing social issues (privilege or discrimination) on racial attitudes and willingness to confront prejudice. In our study, we used two dependent measures, the Race Implicit Attitudes Test (IAT) and the White Privilege Attitudes Scale (WPAS). Participants were separated s into three conditions: framing discrimination (group 1), framing white privilege (group 2) and a control group (group 3). A pretest-posttest design was used to examine if scores on the WPAS and Race IAT would change when participants were given statements framed towards white privilege and discrimination. A control group …

How Competing With Male Athletes Affects The Way Female Athletes Perceive Their Worth As An Athlete, Cierra Brown

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This research aims to discover what female athletes thought about playing with male athletes and how that may affect their perceptions on themselves. To figure out the different perspectives on the subject, articles were utilized in the study and female athletes on a liberal arts college campus in Central Virginia as well. Some of these articles include, Mixed-team Sports: Why Gender Doesn’t Matter and Why Co-Ed Sports Leagues Are Never Really Co-Ed . For the research it was important to formulate a survey for a women’s basketball team, women’s soccer team, and women’s lacrosse team at a liberal arts college …

Age Status Effects On Female Silk Production And Male Courtship Response In Dolomedes Scriptus, Joseph Osborne

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Female Dolomedes scriptus, the striped fishing spider, serve as model organisms exhibiting pheromone production as a means of chemical signaling. Previous work has shown that male fishing spiders are responsive to female silk, and preferentially court in the presence of silk from mature virgins. In our research, we hypothesized that mature females produced larger quantities of silk than penultimate females in an attempt to elicit greater male mating response. Female spiders of both age statuses were kept for two days in a gridded tank. Sub-sampling of silk lines that crossed a random portion of the grid produced results signifying …

The Role Of Income Inequality As A Predictor Of Per Capita Gross Domestic Product, Daniel Friedberg

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The role of income inequality in relation to gross domestic product is of great importance in modern time. Income inequality is a pressing phenomenon in the fields of economics, politics, and sociology, while Gross Domestic Product is the benchmark statistic in measuring the health of any economy. But how well does income inequality serve as a predictor for the level of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) GDP per capita within a nation? This cross-sectional study determines that the GINI Index has no significant statistical relationship with PPP GDP per capita level. While income inequality is a major economic variable that contributes …

Effects Of Reading Poetry Versus Facts On Level Of Anxiety, Sedona Mccabe

Student Scholar Showcase

A large number of the United States’ adult population are affected by anxiety disorders, about 18.1% in any given year (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2018). The primary goal of the research was to study the effects of poetry on anxiety, furthermore, to test if poetry had an effect on anxiety levels and if there was a difference in the effect of poetry on anxiety levels of participants with high and low anxiety levels. Forty college-aged participants read 6 short poems and 6 interesting facts and completed a self-report of anxiety. Heart rate and skin conductance (GSR) were measured …

Socioeconomic Influences On Property Crime Rates: A Study In Virginia's Counties, Mary Passley

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Most research on factors and causes of crime, whether property or violent crime, focuses on individuals’ behavior or their surrounding environment. In this research, I explore the idea of socioeconomic factors correlated to property crime. I conducted a retrospective design to fully explore United States Census data and crime data gathered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics to discover statistically significant variables connected to property crime. Significant findings were shown by average people per house and retail sales per capita in all counties. Additional significant findings were percent employment change and percent with high school degree or higher in low …

Effects On Exposure Of Symbols Of Political Affiliation And Race On Perceptions Of White Privilege And Anti-Black Discrimination, Hannah Knechel

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Research has shown that the race of experimenters can affect perceptions that participants have, but political affiliation has not been studied. It has been found that the higher someone’s denial of white privilege is, the less likely they are to advocate or support moves towards racial equality. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of symbols of political affiliation and race on a perceptions of white privilege and anti-black discrimination. Participants were undergraduate students, age 18 or older. To manipulate the variables, experimenters were either black or white females who wore either a Black Lives Matter shirt, …

The Importance Of Home Style To Congress Today, Stephen Ruppel

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In this research I will revisit Richard Fenno's 1970 analysis on the home style of members of the House of Representatives. In "Home Style" Fenno observes members of Congress and how they work in DC as well as in their district and with their constituents and he analyzes how important home style is to each member. In this analysis I will use electoral margin, terms served, distance from DC to district, amount of money spent on franking, and amount of money spent on travel to compare how each member deals with his or her home style. I will be using …

A Socioeconomic Valuation Of Urban Wetland Ecosystems And Policy Recommendation For College Lake, Michael Dunmyer

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The current dilemma of College Lake offers a unique case study for how urban ecosystems can not only subsist within cities but provide pivotal functions for them as well. With the potential for a dam-breaching storm event increasing in possibility with each passing year, concerns regarding the structural integrity of the College Lake dam in Lynchburg, VA have arisen. Such concerns have led the City of Lynchburg to consider reinforcement or removal of the dam in order to mitigate flood risks along the Blackwater Creek floodplain. Since its formation following the installation of the Depression-era dam, however, College Lake has …

Summer Of Sidewalks: Accessing Lynchburg's Walkability And Planning Within Community Development In Lynchburg, Virginia, Lauren Fishbein

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For an urban community to be sustainable, it must also be accessible to community members across all socio-economic groups. Due to the current trends in development, communities are beginning to re-evaluate their transportation options. Urban planners are beginning to discourage ‘single family vehicular' reliance and explore other facets such as; public transportation, safe bike lanes and safe sidewalks. Safe, connected and maintained sidewalks can have many benefits including public health, environmental and economic advantages. I interned with City Planning, a department within Community Development in Downtown Lynchburg, and aided their goals to edit the zoning ordinances to make sidewalks a …

Topical Analysis Of The Enron Emails Using Graph Theory, Casey Kalinowski

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The Enron Scandal of the early 2000s shook the financial world. The subsequent investigation of the Enron Corporation resulted in the arrests of many top-level executives, but are these employees the only ones responsible for the wide scale fraud in the company? A topical analysis of a social network of over 150 employees of the Enron Corporation using Graph Theory could result in new findings or prove that the investigators were correct in their original findings. The research is a retrospective analysis of a corpus of over 500,000 emails from more than 150 employees and top-level executives of the Enron …

The Effect Of Exposure To Symbols Of Political Affiliation And Race On Perceptions Of White Privilege And Anti-Black Discrimination, Hannah Knechel

Student Scholar Showcase

No abstract provided.

Exploring Victim Precipitation In Internet Crimes Against Children, Bryce L. Coulter

Student Scholar Showcase

In the past decade, reports of online child sexual exploitation have significantly increased. The purpose of this study is to explore how Internet technology has influenced the family structure resulting in the increased vulnerability of juveniles. The Family Systems theory provides rationale as to how the nurturing relationship between juvenile and parent can be reversed. The conceptualized ‘role reversal’ is characterized by parents consistently seeking nurture from their child results in the neglecting of their own child’s development. A secondary data analysis of 356 online child sexual exploitation case files from 2007 to 2014 was utilized to explore victim precipitation …

Hollywed: Product Placements In American Wedding Films, Charlotte A. Galamb

Student Scholar Showcase

My study examines wedding fashion product placement in feature films from 1989 to 2017. My research will provide a brief history of product placement as well as address expert’s understanding of the effectiveness of product placement. A study on fashions surrounding the year the film’s gown reached box offices will ask if films have a demonstrable impact on the wedding fashion industry.

Foreign Aid Allocation And Impact In Latin America And The Caribbean (Lac): A Cross-Country Analysis Of Foreign Aid Impact On Gdp Per Capita And Life Expectancy., Ancito Etienne

Student Scholar Showcase

The research paper I will be presenting does an empirical study of the impact of foreign aid on life expectancy and GDP per capita in Latin America and the Caribbean using a panel dataset of 22 and 20 countries, respectively, dated from 1996 to 2014 to perform two distinctive regressions using the OLS method. In addition, an exploration of the impact of GDP per capita on life expectancy was conducted to determine whether there was a cause and effect phenomenon. The findings suggest that foreign aid does not seem to have a positive impact on either GDP per capita or …