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Articles 1 - 30 of 111
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
The Influence Of Economic Performance In The 2014 Midterms: A Gubernatorial Tutorial, Justin M. Markon
The Influence Of Economic Performance In The 2014 Midterms: A Gubernatorial Tutorial, Justin M. Markon
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
Who is responsible for the state economy, and does it matter in electing the state chief executive? Until now, numerous researchers have examined the influence of the economy and other factors in gubernatorial elections. However, the most recent studies at the state level did not include economic conditions or found them to be insignificant. This project will examine the thirty-six gubernatorial elections in 2014 and analyze both national- and state-level economic indicators. After investigating the economic performance factors in relation to the election results, it appears that economic conditions did not influence vote choice in the November 2014 gubernatorial elections, …
Legislated Equality: Gender Quotas In A Latin American Context And The Story Of Mexico, Joe Dingmann
Legislated Equality: Gender Quotas In A Latin American Context And The Story Of Mexico, Joe Dingmann
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
Female legislators are becoming much more common and so are legislative acts focusing on increasing the number of women in elected bodies. These acts are an attempt at creating rules, designed in a positive way, to foster social change and fix one of the most predominant issues in society. A prevalent strategy for greater female representation in decision-making bodies is electoral gender quotas. Electoral gender quotas are one method that attempts to raise the descriptive representation (raw numbers) of women in elected within legislative bodies. These quotas have been enacted around the world beginning in the early 1990s. Because electoral …
Examining The Effect Of Religion On Economic Growth: A Partial Replication And Extension, Sophia M. Korman
Examining The Effect Of Religion On Economic Growth: A Partial Replication And Extension, Sophia M. Korman
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
Economic growth is the fundamental measurement that assesses a country’s productive capacity in terms of goods and services. It is conventionally estimated using the percent rate of increase in GDP per capita and is correlated with numerous factors in society, among which include quality of life. For example, one application of GDP per capita is as a primary indicator of standard of living. However, although GDP per capita is a reliable determinant of the level of development in a country, it is certainly not the only way to measure well-being. For instance, it fails to capture many important aspects of …
Why States Seek Membership In Supranational Institutions, Kathrine (Katie) Tillman
Why States Seek Membership In Supranational Institutions, Kathrine (Katie) Tillman
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
International institutions allow for increased connections between states. The number of a specific type of institution, supranational, has been on the rise and these institutions are taking on more powers once held by states. This study seeks to explain the motivating factors behind states’ decisions to join supranational institutions. In order to do this, I will focus on two states’ decisions to join the European Union, Austria and Poland. Perception of economic benefits, desire to join a common identity, and the desire to join security alliances will be analyzed as explanatory variables for the states’ decision.
Who Will Make The Cut? Gender Bias And Contrast Effects In Hiring Behavior, Molly L. Sullivan
Who Will Make The Cut? Gender Bias And Contrast Effects In Hiring Behavior, Molly L. Sullivan
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
The present study examined stereotypical beliefs and contrast effects resulting from gender biases and their influence on hiring behavior. College student participants were asked to evaluate a male or female job candidate who was either applying for a feminine or masculine position. Additionally, the applicant’s altruistic behavior was manipulated to either oppose or conform to the stereotype that women are more helpful than men. The results were not consistent with hypotheses. No evidence was found to support the idea that men and women are more likely to be hired for stereotypically gender-congruent positions, or that contrast effects mitigate these outcomes. …
Globalization And The Sex Trafficking Industry: Examination Of Effects On Regional Value Chain Operations, Mary R. Gilbertson
Globalization And The Sex Trafficking Industry: Examination Of Effects On Regional Value Chain Operations, Mary R. Gilbertson
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
The purpose of this paper is to examine sex trafficking as a profitable, international, and illegal industry. One goal of this paper is to explain what sex trafficking is and how it differs from other industries. Sex trafficking is an underground activity and its growth worldwide since the 1980s has had a destructive impact on global societies and economies. Beyond this, the study wants to show that, aside from moral and socio-cultural implications, that sex trafficking is indeed an industry, with a structure not so different from other industries. Understanding sex trafficking as an industry is critical to understanding how …
Breaking News: A Woman Is Running, Bridget F. Cummings
Breaking News: A Woman Is Running, Bridget F. Cummings
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
As women are still underrepresented in legislative offices, it is important to examine the road it takes for them to get there. Many scholars have explored gender bias in the media when covering female candidates for elected office. Fowler and Lawless (2009) uncover bias in media coverage of candidates between 1990 and 1997 in Looking for Sex in All the Wrong Places: Press Coverage and the Electoral Fortunes of Gubernatorial Candidates. This paper replicates the method used by Fowler and Lawless (2009) to examine gubernatorial candidates between 2008 and 2014. The independent variable in my research is the gender bias …
Factors Influencing The Likelihood Of Using Religion As A Coping Mechanism In Response To Life Event Stressors, Nicole R. Cornell
Factors Influencing The Likelihood Of Using Religion As A Coping Mechanism In Response To Life Event Stressors, Nicole R. Cornell
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
Stress is an aspect of daily life. Stressors can be mentally taxing to an individual and cause negative effects when it comes to health. To combat stress, most individuals implement one or more personal coping mechanisms. However, though individuals may encounter similar stressors in life, each person combats the accompanied stress in vastly different ways. In some cases, individuals turn to religion to make sense of their circumstances and buffer their stress (Nash 2006; Jacobson, et al. 2006). Most previous research has looked at whether religion functions as an effective coping mechanism while not necessarily addressing why certain people use …
Estimating Earnings Differentials Among Military Veterans, Shawn M. Tangen
Estimating Earnings Differentials Among Military Veterans, Shawn M. Tangen
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
This thesis analyzes whether the decision to enter the military offers a different investment in human capital as indicated by the civilian earning of veterans. Using seven one month samples from the Current Population Survey, I run three linear regressions to compare the earnings of veterans by gender, the earnings of female veterans and non-veterans, and the earnings of male veterans and non-veterans. It appears that, between 2005 and 2013, veterans enjoyed a wage premium which existed for both male and female veterans. These results suggest that military service acts as a screening device or a bridge to employment in …
Hardiness: The Key To A Well-Adjusted College Experience, Amanda M. Munsterteiger
Hardiness: The Key To A Well-Adjusted College Experience, Amanda M. Munsterteiger
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
Hardiness is a personal attribute commonly sought in the workplace and greatly valued in students of all ages. This study examined hardiness in relation to stress, happiness, and gender. Ninety undergraduate students from two colleges in the Upper Midwest completed standard surveys on these constructs. It was hypothesized that hardiness would be negatively correlated with stress and positively correlated with happiness. It was also hypothesized that females would report higher hardiness scores than males. The first two hypotheses regarding stress and happiness were tested with bivariate correlations and were found to be significant (p < .01). These results were consistent with previous research findings. The test of the third hypothesis, by means of an independent t-test, unexpectedly revealed—contrary to the hypothesis—that males were hardier than females. Few previous studies have been conducted on the relationship between gender and hardiness. There are limitations in this study, such as sample variability and internal consistency levels, which hinder its external validity.
Happiness And Time Preference: An Empirical Analysis Of Individual Happiness And Information On Intertemporal Choice And Delaying Gratification, Daniel Flesher
Happiness And Time Preference: An Empirical Analysis Of Individual Happiness And Information On Intertemporal Choice And Delaying Gratification, Daniel Flesher
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
Individuals tend to discount the future, meaning they value a reward more in the present than the same reward in the future. Research indicates there are several consequences to the rate one discounts the future, suggesting those who value the future more have better life outcomes. Because of the ramifications of such decisions, this study explores the dynamic of the relationship between discounting and one’s happiness. Participants indicated an indifference point for given present values for given time periods in the future, using both money and periods happiness as hypothetical rewards. These indifference points allow for the calculation of various …
U.S. State Social Spending And Economic Growth, Chris Heitzig
U.S. State Social Spending And Economic Growth, Chris Heitzig
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
U.S. state social spending has increased both as a percentage of national GDP and a percentage of the national budget since 1960. Growth in spending across states, however, has not been uniform. Those advocating for more conservative spending argue that large social expenditure budgets dampen the growth of society as a whole. In this paper, I examine the effect that state social spending has on the growth rate of personal income per capita. I follow the model proposed by Peter Lindert (2004), who studied the relationship between social spending and economic growth at the national level. I examine the period …
The Determinants Of Chinese Household Saving During 1978-2012, Nan Zhi
The Determinants Of Chinese Household Saving During 1978-2012, Nan Zhi
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
This project focuses on how the household saving ratio changes from 1978-2013 in China and what factors caused the changes. Based China’s household saving rate changes from 1953-2000 by using the framework of the life-cycle hypothesis, Modigliani concluded that the rate of growth income and the demographic structure are the major determinant of the rate of private saving. This project attempts to extend Modigliani’s research using the data after 2000 and take changes of Chinese policy and additional factors into consideration. Estimates of coefficients of saving function will be obtained by using OLS method to analyze the relationship between household …
The Differences In Self-Esteem, Family Functioning, Parenting Styles, And Conscientiousness Between Hmong And Caucasian Individuals, Kayla Bolland
The Differences In Self-Esteem, Family Functioning, Parenting Styles, And Conscientiousness Between Hmong And Caucasian Individuals, Kayla Bolland
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
The current study sought to reveal relationships between self-esteem, conscientiousness, perceived parenting styles, and family functioning among Hmong (N = 42) and Caucasian (N = 45) populations. A convenience sample of undergraduate college students participated in an online survey. Utilized measures included the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Family Assessment Device, the Parental Authority Questionnaire (short version), the International Personality Item Pool Conscientiousness Scale, and a demographic questionnaire. The results revealed no significant difference in self-esteem or general familial stress between Hmong and Caucasian individuals, but Caucasian individuals were found to be more conscientious and have more familial role …
Relational Self-Construal Moderates Relationship Between Relational Success And Self-Esteem, Katelyn Thoresen
Relational Self-Construal Moderates Relationship Between Relational Success And Self-Esteem, Katelyn Thoresen
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
This study examined the role of the relational self-construal, the degree to which people incorporate close relationships into their self-concept, in the Sociometer Theory, which claims that self-esteem is the output from relational acceptance or rejection. I hypothesized that (a) the relational self-construal will moderate the relationship between loneliness and self-esteem, and (b) the relational self-construal will moderate the relationship between the quality of relationships and self-esteem. A total of 183 undergraduates completed a series of online questionnaires. I found a significant negative correlation between loneliness and self-esteem. I also found that for women, but not men, the relational self-construal …
Truth In Sight: The Effect Of Physical Cues On Emotion, Daniel R. Green
Truth In Sight: The Effect Of Physical Cues On Emotion, Daniel R. Green
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
This study explored whether an actor taking a physical pose, normally associated with a specific emotion, affected the emotional state of an actor and whether this state was observable as well as transferable to an observer in an empathic fashion. The study consisted of 53 students from CSB/SJU obtained through convenience sampling. Dyads of the participants where observed who alternated in the roles of actors, who took on a posture normally associated with an emotion, and observers, who watched the pose taken by the actor. There were two conditions. One denoting confidence and one denoting sadness. Actors had their faces …
Media Manipulation Or Economic Decline? Explaining The Rise Of Nationalism Within Bosnia Herzegovina, Rachel Mullin
Media Manipulation Or Economic Decline? Explaining The Rise Of Nationalism Within Bosnia Herzegovina, Rachel Mullin
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
How in less than ten years does a country go from hosting the Olympics to using the opening ceremony stadium to bury bodies? In this paper, I seek to answer the question of why ethnic nationalism was able to gain such strong support in BiH following the collapse of Yugoslavia. I explore three possible explanations. The first focuses on the role of elite manipulation of the media in spreading nationalist narratives. The second, examines the impact of perceived economic woes along ethnic lines that led to scapegoating of other ethnic groups. The third offers a hybrid approach, proposing that perceived …
The Constitutive Nature Of Non-Profit Advertising And Its Effect On Agency: An Analysis Of The Campaigns Of Childfund International And (Red), Camry Martinez
The Constitutive Nature Of Non-Profit Advertising And Its Effect On Agency: An Analysis Of The Campaigns Of Childfund International And (Red), Camry Martinez
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
Many rhetorical scholars choose to study the persuasive effectiveness of an advertisement instead of the reality that the ad creates. While this is a beneficial endeavor, in the case of non-profit advertisements it allows for the meaning the advertisements create to be passed over. The meaning is assumed to be positive because the effect of the successful persuasion of the ad results in a beneficial outcome, helping others. The literature review examines rhetoric as constitutive, or capable of creating the meaning of the audience, and then explores how through this constitutive nature an advertisement can affect the agency of an …
Republicans In The Wild: Issue Realignment In The Republican Party On Public Land Policy, Stephanie Pinkalla
Republicans In The Wild: Issue Realignment In The Republican Party On Public Land Policy, Stephanie Pinkalla
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
The Republican Party is often seen as the bane of protective environmental policies, and is associated with opening public land in the West to private oil interests, endorsing pipeline construction on federal lands, and permitting road development in wilderness areas. Throughout history, however, the Republican Party has not always worked for such brazen anti-environment causes, and some of America’s most formative protective land policies emerged under Republican leadership. If this is the case, how has the Republican Party realigned on protective public lands policy in the Republican electorate, government, and party organization with time? This investigation reviews the proportion of …
A Lost Opportunity? Trade Between The United States And China, 1865-1914, Kathryn Gaydos
A Lost Opportunity? Trade Between The United States And China, 1865-1914, Kathryn Gaydos
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
American trade with Asia rose from 10% of total imports in 1870 to 15% in 1913. U.S. exports to China relative to the population quadrupled over this period as well. Scholars have studied U.S.-Japan trade for this period but have done little work on U.S.-China interactions. I therefore developed bilateral trade data for the United States and China from 1865 to 1914 and analyzed these data to reveal trade patterns and terms of trade between these two countries. The terms of trade improved for the U.S. between 1895 and 1913. Cotton manufactures and mineral oil were the United States’ key …
Examining The Rise Of Right Wing Populist Parties In Western Europe, John (Jack) Malone
Examining The Rise Of Right Wing Populist Parties In Western Europe, John (Jack) Malone
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
Over the last twenty-five years, right wing populist parties (RPPs) have become much more popular across Europe, even becoming the most popular parties in a select few countries. These parties run on a platform of being staunchly against immigration and multiculturalism, and are reactionary in general to any kind of social change. In this thesis I try to answer just why right wing populist parties have seen their popularity increase so dramatically over a relatively short amount of time. To do this, I will study shifts in voting behavior and voter attitudes across Europe by examining election results and survey …
Structural Change In The Demand For Housing Services And Policy Implications, Nhu Nguyen
Structural Change In The Demand For Housing Services And Policy Implications, Nhu Nguyen
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
This research paper estimates the demand for housing services across the United States and studies public policy implications based on estimation results. More specifically, the research paper examines the price and income elasticity of demand in the United States and tests for structural change in the demand for housing services between two different time periods. The empirical analysis on 33 Metropolitan Statistical Areas in 2005 and 2011 suggests that the demand for housing services is inelastic with respect to price per unit of housing services, and the income elasticity of demand has a relatively larger magnitude than the price elasticity …
Virtually Dead: The Extension Of Social Agency To Corpses And The Dead On Facebook, Adam Tucker
Virtually Dead: The Extension Of Social Agency To Corpses And The Dead On Facebook, Adam Tucker
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
Facebook and other social networking technologies are become vastly powerful and expansive social forces that are exerting an influence on corpses, the dead, and death communications. Since its invention in 2004, millions of users of Facebook have died, leaving durable profiles subject to the site’s changing regulatory policies and socially present for the network’s living users as well. Because of their ability to enmesh, mutate, and interact with the social interactions of the living—as well as their durability as a site of continuing bonds—Facebook profiles retain social agency consistent with the theories of agency of Alfred Gell (1998) and Bruno …
International Involvement In The State Consolidation In Bosnia And Herzegovina, Hannah Deblauwe
International Involvement In The State Consolidation In Bosnia And Herzegovina, Hannah Deblauwe
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
The world in the 20th century saw the rise of a new phenomenon: international development. Bosnia and Herzegovina after its war was one of the first nations to receive large-scale international aid in the form of development programs, ranging from reconstruction to economic development to state consolidation. Since 1996 many nations, NGOs, and inter-governmental organizations have been involved in the state consolidation of this Balkan nation of 3.6 million people. This paper looks at the relationship of the EU and USAID specifically and how they have impacted this nation. In order to accomplish that this paper will look at …
Civil-Military Relations In Emerging Democracies: A Case Study Of Turkey, Melissa Deorio
Civil-Military Relations In Emerging Democracies: A Case Study Of Turkey, Melissa Deorio
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
Within the study of democratic consolidation, the role of the military has been identified as an increasingly important aspect of a country’s ability to achieve democracy. The military plays a particularly influential role in countries in Latin America and the Middle East where country’s exhibit strong military traditions. This study of applies the theories of democratic consolidation and civil-military relations to Turkey, a country who has been able to make significant progress toward the end of military tutelage. Constitutional separation, punishment and national identity will be analyzed as explanatory variables for a lack of military intervention in Turkey during the …
Crime, Income Inequality, And Density At The Neighborhood Level, Andrew Hovel
Crime, Income Inequality, And Density At The Neighborhood Level, Andrew Hovel
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
An economic model of crime gives policymakers a basis to understand how income inequality and population density relate to crime at the neighborhood level. This study reveals a negative and significant relationship between population density in Census tracts and both property and violent crime rates. It finds ambiguous results that vary by city for income inequality. This cross-sectional analysis of Census tracts in Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas uses crime and demographic data from the National Neighborhood Crime Study. This study also yields interesting results about the importance of residential stability for crime prevention and comments on possible urban …
Birds Of A Feather: The Effect Of Negatively And Positively Valenced Similarities On Compliance, Hayley Van Gelder
Birds Of A Feather: The Effect Of Negatively And Positively Valenced Similarities On Compliance, Hayley Van Gelder
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
Previous research has shown that individuals have a tendency to prefer things and people related to themselves. I conducted a lab experiment to replicate previous findings in that individuals who believed they shared a similarity with someone would be more likely to comply with a request from that person, as well as show more feelings of liking towards that person. Additionally, the study sought to investigate if sharing a positively-valenced or negatively-valenced similarity with the requestor would affect the likelihood of individuals to comply with the request and the amount of liking felt towards the requestor. Although the manipulations of …
Are We More Racist Than We Think? Recognition Of Racism And Racial Microaggressions, Lydia Ricard
Are We More Racist Than We Think? Recognition Of Racism And Racial Microaggressions, Lydia Ricard
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
Racism is discriminatory behavior rooted in history and fostered by institutional power. Current theory and research posits that different types of racism have developed over time, such as overt, implicit, symbolic, and aversive racism. The concept of racial microagressions has developed from these theories. Microaggressions are defined by Sue (2010) as subtle and commonplace environmental, verbal, and behavioral indignities that convey negative, hostile, or derogative slights toward people of color. This study examines the ability to recognize racism, as well as relationships between the ability to recognize racism and factors of White privilege awareness, attitudes toward diversity, and ability to …
Together Building Imagination, Tbi Re-Defined: The Effects Of Theater On People With A Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Marcelline Gangl
Together Building Imagination, Tbi Re-Defined: The Effects Of Theater On People With A Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Marcelline Gangl
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
This study investigates the use of theater as a rehabilitation tool for people who have suffered a mild Traumatic Brian Injury (TBI). In this study, two middle aged women agreed to participate in theater workshops once-a-week for a 5 week period. The workshops focused on different areas of communication: eye contact, movement, spontaneity, creativity, diction, and volume of voice. Based on research done on how a TBI affects an individual, it was found that individuals who are living with a TBI say that they have a loss of socialization skills, a loss of social support and a feeling of being …
The Interaction Effects Of Aspects Of The Self On Mental Health In College Students, Elizabeth E. Peichel
The Interaction Effects Of Aspects Of The Self On Mental Health In College Students, Elizabeth E. Peichel
Honors Theses, 1963-2015
The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction effect of the personality traits of shyness and social support and identity style on the mental health issues of rumination, anxiety, and identity distress. I distributed surveys to a convenience sample of 188 college-age students at two single-sex, rural, Catholic schools. Although there were no three-way interaction effects of the variables as they relate to rumination, anxiety, and identity distress as hypothesized, there was a two-way interaction effect of shyness and social support of friends as they relate to rumination. Low shy individuals with high social support demonstrate lower rumination …