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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Articles 1 - 16 of 16

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Social Media And Negative Aspects Of Well-Being: Does Fomo Play A Role?, Casey J. Mcandrew Jan 2018

Social Media And Negative Aspects Of Well-Being: Does Fomo Play A Role?, Casey J. Mcandrew

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a relatively new concept, however researchers have found that FOMO and social media use cause negative aspects of well-being, such as depression, anxiety, stress (Alabi, 2013; Alavi, 2011) and lack of academic motivation (Jacobsen and Forste, 2011). When using a correlational design, the current study examined the associations between social media engagement and negative aspects of well-being, while also examining the mediating role of FOMO between these variables. Participants (198 college students, M = 19 years old, 86 percent female, 74 percent Caucasian) completed online surveys, where participants reported on their levels of social …


Partisan Attachment And Conspiracist Predispositions, Robert Stephen Earnest Jan 2017

Partisan Attachment And Conspiracist Predispositions, Robert Stephen Earnest

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

Conspiracy theories have increasing relevance in American politics. In the age of the internet, where rumors and their associated conspiracy theories are transmitted and received at much higher frequencies than was previously capable, people can be led to believe in ideas that erode their trust in government and its decision makers. This undermines America's capacity for self-governance. In this proposal, I articulate a model that fully explains conspiracist thinking in the context of American politics. I suggest that two domains—partisan attachment and underlying conspiracist predispositions—determine whether an individual will accept or reject a conspiracy theory. To measure the effects of …


The Effects Of Military Budget On American Perception, Charlie Hollis Whittington Jan 2017

The Effects Of Military Budget On American Perception, Charlie Hollis Whittington

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

How do Americans' perception of a state formulate based on the state's military expenditure? Conventional research theories indicate that Americans might feel a shared political culture with other democratic nations. Such feelings of solidarity may engender Americans' trust and favorability of some states' military development, but provoke negative feelings toward others. Using data mostly from Gallup and the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, this study examines Americans' attitudes toward major states' in the world (vis-à-vis military expenditure).


Mandation Of Two Police Officers Per Patrol Unit And The Impact Of Diversity, Jolito Rivera Jan 2017

Mandation Of Two Police Officers Per Patrol Unit And The Impact Of Diversity, Jolito Rivera

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

The purpose of this research is to explore the operation of police patrol units. Many police patrol units currently lack diversity as well as accountability on police officers. The first phase of correcting the deficits of the patrol units is identifying pros and cons of the current police patrolling methods. The second phase involves alternative solutions that could be put in place to create safer and more efficient police patrolling units. I analyze these solutions to determine why they would be positive and what restrictions prevent them from being feasible. In the final phase of the paper, I present a …


Toggling The Switches, Zach Thomas Jan 2017

Toggling The Switches, Zach Thomas

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

In this paper, I use Richard Lanham's work within the field of rhetoric to explore the rhetorical implications of multilingualism and code switching. Specifically, I will discuss and question some of the basic assumptions of employing another language: What is at stake when we communicate with others in another language, especially native speakers? How might using an L2 language and recognizing/using different dialects within that language cause a speaker to reconsider their native tongue? What does the presence of numerous regional peculiarities and nonstandard varieties within languages say about our desire for "ideal" or "standard" speech?


A Double-Sided Mirror: "Otherizing" And Normalizing The Silenced Voices Of Appalachian Women, Ashley Canter Jan 2016

A Double-Sided Mirror: "Otherizing" And Normalizing The Silenced Voices Of Appalachian Women, Ashley Canter

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the Appalachian region was not only exploited for capitalistic gains, but also put on display by outsider voices for being home to a supposed "backwards" and "barbaric" culture. Appalachians experienced exploitation working in mines and other industries that only benefitted those receiving the resources of the mountains. A once self-sustaining, individualized culture was now forced to be dependent and suffer through the "otherization" of its own people. Voices hidden in the murky skies and distant mountains of Appalachia were not only silenced, but more hauntingly, they were spoken for, manipulated, and marginalized. …


Communication And Citizen Participation In Southern Local Politics: A Disconnect Between Municipalities And Constituents, Rachael B. Houston Jan 2016

Communication And Citizen Participation In Southern Local Politics: A Disconnect Between Municipalities And Constituents, Rachael B. Houston

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

Despite the fact that 96 percent of all political contests in the United States are for local offices, citizens are far more likely to participate in national elections and forgo exercising their voice in local politics. And, although academic literature has focused extensively on citizen participation at the national level, local-level democracy has often been neglected. This neglect may be caused by a lack of interaction between constituencies and city mayors and managers. Without effective communication between both groups, citizens will be unaware of opportunities to affect social and fiscal policies in their communities. Scholars know little about the perceptions …


Norway's Prison System: Investigating Recidivism And Reintegration, Meagan Denny Jan 2016

Norway's Prison System: Investigating Recidivism And Reintegration, Meagan Denny

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

Recidivism rates are high in most Western countries and, as prisons in these countries become overcrowded, the resources meant to enhance reintegration of inmates into society can be inadequate or nonexistent. On the other hand, Norway has one of the lowest recidivism rates among Western nations, at approximately 20 percent. Norway also has, along with other Scandinavian countries, a unique approach to its prison system. This paper discusses the exceptionalism associated with Norway's prison system and explores the reasons behind its low recidivism rates, with a focus on the encouragement of reintegration of inmates into society. With the educational opportunities …


Rhetoric In The Mass Media: Terrorism Or Freedom Of Speech?, Carolyn Rhoades Jan 2016

Rhetoric In The Mass Media: Terrorism Or Freedom Of Speech?, Carolyn Rhoades

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

Terrorism is a widely debated topic on social media networks such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. This is due to the fact that a high percentage of users rely on sites such as Twitter and Facebook as a news source for developing stories and information. In a study conducted in 2015 by Pew Research Center, in association with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, research found that 63 percent of Facebook users and 63 percent Twitter users depend on these social networks for their news, which is a substantial increase from 2013. This paper presents a rhetorical analysis …


Specters Of Nature; Or, From Metaphor To Murder: The Nonhuman-Animal In Rash's Serena, Pat Siebel Jan 2015

Specters Of Nature; Or, From Metaphor To Murder: The Nonhuman-Animal In Rash's Serena, Pat Siebel

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

This paper explores the marginalized roles of the non-human animal throughout Ron Rash's 2008 novel, Serena, by classifying various types of animal occurrences into three categories: "The Metaphorical," "The Authentic," and "The Murderous," to investigate their role(s), significance, and signification in the text.


Identity Crafting: Reading The Agency And Art Implicit In Selfies, Margaret Nichols Jan 2015

Identity Crafting: Reading The Agency And Art Implicit In Selfies, Margaret Nichols

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

The aim of this article is to unravel the craftsmanship of online identities implicit in taking and sharing selfies and to measure the immediate or resulting violence by imposed definition upon the subject-photographer. This paper especially focuses on the identity building of young women on the social networking platform Instagram. Crucial to the research are Susan Sontag's work on photography philosophy relating to violence inflicted upon subjects, Gregory Ulmer's work on electracy, and Liana De Girolami Cheney's research into artistic conventions of self-portraiture dating back from the Renaissance to the present. The highly constructed nature of selfies, an emerging art …


The Pit Bull's Discourse: An Examination Of Discursive Construction, Karen Jennings Jan 2014

The Pit Bull's Discourse: An Examination Of Discursive Construction, Karen Jennings

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

Since the early 1980s, news reporters have used the pit bull as a scapegoat to get media attention by plastering the frightening image of a snarling, bloody dog across all news outlets. Over the years, the pit bull's image has suffered major blows to its already battered reputation with every new "dog attack" news story published. Each reporter's word choice, in both past and present news stories, has an effect on the reader's perception of the topic. By analyzing several unrelated stories about pit bulls, both good and bad, I reveal how word choice alone shapes a reader's perception while …


Education, Employment, And Coastal Carolina University: What Are Ccu Students' Plans After Graduation?, Tom Fernandez Jan 2014

Education, Employment, And Coastal Carolina University: What Are Ccu Students' Plans After Graduation?, Tom Fernandez

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has shown that while unemployment amongst young college graduates is high, joblessness decreases as students pursue post-baccalaureate degrees. With national unemployment near eight percent, it is important for college students to consider what obstacles they may face when entering the workforce. Challenges may include sociohistorical factors like parental educational attainment, socioeconomic factors, and obstacles surrounding various forms of human capital. This study predicts the decisions Coastal Carolina University (CCU) students will make post-graduation based upon four elements: parental education, academic achievement, paid work, and faculty-student interaction. I surveyed a random sample of CCU students to …


The Globalization Of Human Rights In Post-Genocide Rwanda, Sadara Shine Jan 2014

The Globalization Of Human Rights In Post-Genocide Rwanda, Sadara Shine

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

In the past two decades, Rwanda has been through major changes, from a conflict-ridden society with deep divisions between the two main ethnic groups–Hutus and Tutsis–to a case of impressive economic growth. Despite the progress, deep divisions and human rights issues exist. To avoid the recurrence of any conflict, both state and non-state actors are playing varied roles in a post-genocide Rwanda. Based on both primary and secondary sources, this article argues that in an era of globalization and postgenocide in Rwanda, non-state actors like international non-governmental organizations have the most impact in the preservation of human rights. So, in …


Who's Allowed To Ride The Short Bus? Un-Defining Disability, Hannah Widdifield Jan 2013

Who's Allowed To Ride The Short Bus? Un-Defining Disability, Hannah Widdifield

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

This article uses personal testimony as a vehicle for deconstructing the theory and literature of disability studies. The definition of disability is traced from the term's origins to its present-day representations in popular culture, and I end with a look toward the future of the subject in academic settings and in society at large. The fictional character of Artie Abrams is considered alongside the real-life figure of Oscar Pistorius in an attempt to analyze the dangers and motives behind stereotypes surrounding the "disabled character." Throughout the article, anecdotal excerpts are included to emphasize the importance of the personal perspective in …


Midterm Elections Used To Gauge President's Reelection Chances, Desmond D. Wallace Jan 2012

Midterm Elections Used To Gauge President's Reelection Chances, Desmond D. Wallace

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

Since 1952 there have been thirteen instances in which the incumbent president's party lost seats in the House of Representatives in a midterm election. Researchers have created two competing theories to explain this trend. The surge-and-decline theory argues that the reasons for causing high voter turnout in a presidential election are absent in a midterm election, leading to a decline in voter turnout and subsequent losses by the president's party. The other theory, the referendum theory, argues that losses suffered by the president's party are due to the president's performance and the performance of the economy. When it comes to …