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Articles 1 - 21 of 21
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
A Campaign For Male Beauty: The Influence Of Advertisement On Dimensions Of Male Body, Michelle Meehan, '09
A Campaign For Male Beauty: The Influence Of Advertisement On Dimensions Of Male Body, Michelle Meehan, '09
Honors Projects
Distorted body image perception is a growing problem in today' s society, with advertisements that display a "thin-ideal" having a significant effect on the issue. Recent advertising campaigns have been designed to improve self perceptions of body image and are now the fo cus of research. Dremonas (2008) concluded from her research of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, that such a campaign actually decreased self perceptions of body esteem in females. Adding to the research of Dremonas (2008), the present study utilized 50 male, undergraduate students to examine the effects of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty on men. …
Is Competitive Behavior Controlled By Its Consequences? The Effects Of Omission Training On Competitive Behavior In Rats, Melinda Mallory, '09
Is Competitive Behavior Controlled By Its Consequences? The Effects Of Omission Training On Competitive Behavior In Rats, Melinda Mallory, '09
Honors Projects
Recent research has examined competitive behavior in rats. When multiple rats are placed in an open field with a single feeder delivering pellets on a Variable Interval Schedule, the rats typically engage in a competitive wrestling response near the feeder tube. This response has been observed in several different experiments, but little is known about its specific nature. One possibility is that the response is a traditional operant. Although there is no explicit contingency with reinforcement, rats that do not engage in the response are unlikely to consume pellets. Alternatively, the competitive response might represent a species-specific foraging mode, controlled …
Adopted Children"S Outcome As Young Adults In Regards To Educational Attainment And Income, Nicole K. Spear, '09
Adopted Children"S Outcome As Young Adults In Regards To Educational Attainment And Income, Nicole K. Spear, '09
Honors Projects
This study explains the differences between the outcomes for children adopted by the age of two in comparison to biologically raised children using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. It analyzes the educational attainment and income earned through a competing effects framework. The Family Background Effect measures the positive effects caused by higher than average socioeconomic status of the average family with adopted children. The Family Background Effect contrasted with the negative Adoption Effect caused by a number of different factors that could work against an adopted child. Using linear regression analysis, the study finds that the Family Background Effect …
Surveillance And Foucault: Examining The Validity Of Foucault's Notions Concerning Surveillance Through A Study Of The United States And The United Kingdom, Sharif Shawki, '09
Surveillance And Foucault: Examining The Validity Of Foucault's Notions Concerning Surveillance Through A Study Of The United States And The United Kingdom, Sharif Shawki, '09
Honors Projects
Once the new surveillance systems become institutionalized and taken for granted in a democratic society, they can be used for harmful ends. With a more repressive government and a more intolerant public-perhaps upset over severe economic downturns, large waves of immigration, social dislocations, or foreign policy setbacks-these same devices easily could be used against those with the 'wrong' political beliefs, against racial, ethnic, or religious minorities, and against those with life-styles that offend the majority.
How The Individual Differences Of Subordinates Within The Workplace Predict Leadership Style Preference And Organizational Commitment, Elizabeth A. Rupprecht, '09
How The Individual Differences Of Subordinates Within The Workplace Predict Leadership Style Preference And Organizational Commitment, Elizabeth A. Rupprecht, '09
Honors Projects
The connection between leader and subordinate is a crucial one for businesses. One reason this connection is crucial is that many subordinates see the business through the eyes of their managers or super-ordinates. Leaders with certain abilities and attributes can help employees feel more comfortable with their work environment. Different subordinates in specific work environment situations may desire different attributes in a leader. Conversely, individuals with specific personality attributes and a similar work environment may, therefore, desire the same type of leader. The following study will attempt to describe the relations between subordinates' personality characteristics, gender, job stereo typicality and …
Does Perfecting Your Day Keep The Doctor Away?: Examining The Roles Of Affect And Coping In The Association Between Perfectionism And Physical Health, Carly A. Visk, '09
Does Perfecting Your Day Keep The Doctor Away?: Examining The Roles Of Affect And Coping In The Association Between Perfectionism And Physical Health, Carly A. Visk, '09
Honors Projects
This study proposed a structural model in which the association between perfectionism and physical health is mediated by positive and negative affect and coping strategies. A sample of 119 Illinois Wesleyan undergraduate students completed questionnaires that assessed perfectionism, affect, coping strategies, physical health, and preventative and risky health behaviors. Results offer partial support for the proposed model and include the following: maladaptive perfectionism is related to the experience of more physical health symptoms, and this relation is mediated by negative affect and maladaptive coping. Adaptive perfectionism is related to the performance of more preventative health behaviors, mediated by positive affect; …
Can Resource Mobilization Predict The Level Of Success Among Social Movement Organizations?, Kathryn Brannan, '09
Can Resource Mobilization Predict The Level Of Success Among Social Movement Organizations?, Kathryn Brannan, '09
Honors Projects
This paper is a series of case studies of social movement organizations within the AIDS Awareness Movement of the 1980s. By examining ACT UP, the Names Project, and Gay Men's Health Crisis, we see that resource mobilization theory can help explain varying levels of success among SMOs that worked in the same context and within the same subculture. Internal organization, networking, innovation and the use of violence are all strategies which are found to be insignificant in explaining the success of each SMO. This paper shows the predictive ability of resource mobilization theory. It closes with suggestions for future work, …
Presidential Success In Congress: Factors That Determine The President's Ability To Influcence Congressional Voting, Christine Gibbs, '09
Presidential Success In Congress: Factors That Determine The President's Ability To Influcence Congressional Voting, Christine Gibbs, '09
Honors Projects
This study examines the factors that contribute to presidential success in Congress. Results show that, overall, presidential popularity, the president's party's margin of control in Congress and the misery index positively and significantly affect presidential success in Congress, whereas party unity, presidential effort and saliency are, overall, not significant determinants of success. The study also demonstrates that the honeymoon period does not increase a president's success rate. The results indicate that these variables interact differently within foreign policy than domestic policy and in the Senate than the House.
Trust On The Internet: A Virtual Reality?, Adam Clark, '09
Trust On The Internet: A Virtual Reality?, Adam Clark, '09
Honors Projects
Social capital has recently gained popularity, but it is not a new topic. The relationship between civic engagement and trust has been well tested, and it has been used in the past to help diagnose the well being of a society. Unfortunately with evolving technology, some of this research may be now obsolete. The Internet has changed the way that people communicate and learn. Since the Internet has reached such high proliferation rates, especially among the younger generations, it is likely to have an effect on the relationship between civic engagement and trust. Using NES survey data from 1996 to …
Why Can't We Be Friends?: The Effects Of Disclosure And Severity On Typical Students' Attitudes Toward Peers With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jacqueline M. Dowjotas, '09
Why Can't We Be Friends?: The Effects Of Disclosure And Severity On Typical Students' Attitudes Toward Peers With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jacqueline M. Dowjotas, '09
Honors Projects
The autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are characterized by deficits in social interaction, communication, and restrictive and repetitive behaviors and interests. Although many children with autism desire social interaction, they tend to have a difficult time mastering conversation skills and socially appropriate behavior. In addition, they have fewer and lower quality friendships when compared to typical peers, and they often face negative stigma from their typical peers. The current study was used to investigate typical students' attitudes toward hypothetical peers with varying degrees of ASDs. Participants (N = 61) read and responded to vignettes that depicted adolescents, in which severity of …
The Effects Of Coaching Feedback On Perfectionism And Disordered Eating In College Athletes, Natalie E. Chase, '09
The Effects Of Coaching Feedback On Perfectionism And Disordered Eating In College Athletes, Natalie E. Chase, '09
Honors Projects
Feedback given to athletes by their coaches is a topic that has not been extensively researched in terms of its effect on perfectionist tendencies and disordered eating in athletes. It is important to reduce factors that are associated with disordered eating before the overt disordered eating behaviors can develop into a more severe clinical-level eating disorder. In investigating these links, parallels were drawn between research that has shown negative effects from harsh parental feedback to hypothesize about the effects of coaching feedback. The hypotheses examined include: I. Feedback from coaches that is interpreted by athletes as harsh, ego-involved, or highly …
The Effects Of Medial Septal Modification On The Theta Rhythm Of The Amygdala, Colleen E. Mcshane, '09
The Effects Of Medial Septal Modification On The Theta Rhythm Of The Amygdala, Colleen E. Mcshane, '09
Honors Projects
The theta rhythm is a 3- 1 2 Hz electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillatory phenomenon that has been recorded from the hippocampus of small animals during large motor movements, periods of arousal, and memory tasks. Theta denotes the amount of brain synchrony occurring, with higher theta amplitude corresponding to more synchrony among individual neurons. The proposed pacemaker of the hippocampal theta rhythm is the medial septal area (MSA), which consists of neurons that fire rhythmically in frequencies corresponding to the theta rhythm. Despite the proven physical connection between the MSA and the amygdala, there is uncertainty as to whether the MSA serves …
Access And Innovation: A Study Of Two Ngo Schools In North India, Christy Ivie, '09
Access And Innovation: A Study Of Two Ngo Schools In North India, Christy Ivie, '09
Honors Projects
Using data collected from two NGO schools in North India, this study presents two case studies that will shed some light on how NGOs in India are increasing access and innovation in the primary education system. By comparing and contrasting the two organizations, this study will also highlight the diversity of NGOs involved in primary education in India. Instead of making broad generalizations about the role and contributions of NGOs in primary education in India, this study aims to provide perspectives on two different organizations and raise questions about NGO schooling in India.
Examining Tufte's Political Business Cycle Under An Adaptive Expectations Framework, Anna Konradi, '09
Examining Tufte's Political Business Cycle Under An Adaptive Expectations Framework, Anna Konradi, '09
Honors Projects
Given that the executive branch's party desires reelection and that the economy is an important variable in the eyes of the electorate, to what extent has the president and his party been able to exert influence over economic variables in the months preceding an election? Much of the existing literature suggests that there may be an important cyclical pattern between the four-year election cycle and economic variables such as real GDP growth and real disposable income. Using data from the Council of Economic Advisors and the Presidential Elections dataset, this paper finds moderate evidence for the existence of a political …
Determining The Future Income Of College Students, Paul Oehrlein, '09
Determining The Future Income Of College Students, Paul Oehrlein, '09
Honors Projects
Many people invest a lot of money in order to go to college with the hope that they will eventually be rewarded with higher salaries. This paper attempts to determine what aspects of college are most important in determining the future income of students. In particular, this paper studies whether GPA is an important determinant of income as well as whether some majors are better investments than others after controlling for other factors. In addition, the effect of math and verbal ability on income and how they interact with different fields of study are studied. The data comes from the …
Explaining Human Influences On Carbon Dioxide Emissions Across Countries, Karin Peterson, '09
Explaining Human Influences On Carbon Dioxide Emissions Across Countries, Karin Peterson, '09
Honors Projects
Global climate change is a vital issue facing the planet today, posing significant risks to both humans and the natural environment. This dangerous phenomenon is largely caused by the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, resulting from such activities as energy production and vehicle travel This paper examines the factors leading to differences in carbon dioxide emissions among countries, including income, energy use, and government institutions. A crosssectional regression indicates that an inverted-U relationship exists between per capita income and carbon dioxide emissions, but that the turning point at which pollution begins to decrease occurs at a very high …
Predicting Major League Talent Through The First-Year Player Draft, Kevin Slattery, '09
Predicting Major League Talent Through The First-Year Player Draft, Kevin Slattery, '09
Honors Projects
The Major League Baseball first-year player draft is a relatively unexplored topic. Until two years ago it was not even televised, even though other major spoils drafts like basketball and football are major television events. I predict the probability of reaching the major leagues and the probability of a player "making it big" in the major leagues for a player drafted based on a series of variables, like draft position, whether a player is lefthanded, and the schooling the amateur has received. This should help a team determine which players are most risky, and which players are most likely to …
Length Of Contracts And The Effect On The Performance Of Mlb Players, Katie Stankiewicz, '09
Length Of Contracts And The Effect On The Performance Of Mlb Players, Katie Stankiewicz, '09
Honors Projects
The goal of any professional athlete is to receive a multi-year contract that guarantees them a salary for multiple years. However, a concern that fans, coaches and owners all share is that when a player receives a multi-year contract they may have a strong incentive to shirk. Shirking is when a player purposely does not perform to the best of his ability and may occur when a player has a guaranteed salary. The goal of this paper is to determine if a Major League Baseball player with a multi-year contract will show any pattern of shirking throughout the contract. Each …
When Is A Terrorist Not A Terrorist?: American And Chinese Media Portrayals Of The Chinese Uighur Minority Pre And Post 9/11, Anna File, '09
When Is A Terrorist Not A Terrorist?: American And Chinese Media Portrayals Of The Chinese Uighur Minority Pre And Post 9/11, Anna File, '09
Honors Projects
Over the past sixty years the Uighur population in China has faced a variety of complex issues, both domestically and internationally. In large part due to their geopolitical positioning as inhabitants of Xinjiang Province as well owing to several issues with their Muslim faith, Uighurs have constantly been at odds with the Communist traditions imposed upon them by the central Chinese government. Not only do problems with their religion affect them nationally, but more recently with the trend towards suspicion of Muslim groups by Westerners, the Uighurs are in a seemingly helpless position. This paper hypothesizes however, that this has …
Surrogate Freedom: Transmitting Democracy To The Soviet Union And Eastern Bloc, Lauren Nelson, '09
Surrogate Freedom: Transmitting Democracy To The Soviet Union And Eastern Bloc, Lauren Nelson, '09
Honors Projects
While currently relocating to a building away from the center of Prague, since 1995, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has been headquartered in the former Czechoslovakian parliament building. The former President of Czechoslovakia, Vaclav Havel, invited the radios to move from Munich to Prague and occupy the parliament building for a symbolic dollar a year rent. This gesture of historical irony is especially appropriate in considering the history of international radio broadcasting: a building representative of Communism was converted into the headquarters for radio stations extolling the benefits of democratic media. This symbolic move signifies one of the paradoxes of …
Explaining Ethnic Peace: The Importance Of Institutions, Rebecca Tong, '09
Explaining Ethnic Peace: The Importance Of Institutions, Rebecca Tong, '09
Honors Projects
This paper examines the cause of ethnic peace, and subsequently, the cause of ethnic violence. Varying theories explain ethnic violence: primordialism, instrumentalism, and constructivism. The question central to this study is how master narratives, scarce resources, and democratic institutions have influenced the occurrence of ethnic violence. Small n comparison is used to analyze two pairs of sub-Saharan African nations in order to control for other explanatory variables: (1) Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana, and (2) Kenya and Tanzania. In each pair, one nation is relatively peaceful and the other relatively violent. Drawing from ethnographic research papers, and news sources this paper …