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Liberty University

Masters Theses

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Shared Values Society: On The Inability To Validate Beliefs And Its Effect On Pluralistic Governance, Tanner L. Smith Feb 2024

The Shared Values Society: On The Inability To Validate Beliefs And Its Effect On Pluralistic Governance, Tanner L. Smith

Masters Theses

The nature of truth affects beliefs in such a way that all worldviews are left on a level playing field, each with no more of an objective claim to truth than any other. As a result, no one worldview has an intrinsic right to dominate the government or, through it, other worldviews. Furthermore, philosophical secularism’s noble notion of protecting individual freedoms by limiting the influence of moral values in the government has led to a loss of intergroup bonding and a value vacuum in public life. At the same time, because beliefs constitute some of the most profound aspects of …


We Don’T Talk About Influence: An Analysis Of Disney’S Encanto & Its Influence On Viewers’ Perceptions Of Colombian Culture, Olivia Grace Keyser Feb 2024

We Don’T Talk About Influence: An Analysis Of Disney’S Encanto & Its Influence On Viewers’ Perceptions Of Colombian Culture, Olivia Grace Keyser

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study, “We Don’t Talk About Influence: An Analysis of Disney’s Encanto & Its Influence on Viewers’ Perceptions of Colombian Culture,” was to analyze the way Colombian culture is presented in Disney’s Encanto as well as to determine whether viewers of Encanto learn and develop a favorable view of Colombia and Colombian culture after watching the film. In this qualitative research study, 20 participants completed two questionnaires, which were used to determine their perceptions of Colombian culture prior to and after watching Encanto. The collected data was analyzed through the lens of the communication strategy of entertainment-education. …


Training Considerations For The Identification And Investigation Of Human Trafficking Cases In Law Enforcement: A Case Study, Emilie O. Coleman Feb 2024

Training Considerations For The Identification And Investigation Of Human Trafficking Cases In Law Enforcement: A Case Study, Emilie O. Coleman

Masters Theses

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to identify the need for specialized training in identifying and investigating human trafficking cases to be provided to law enforcement officers. Approximately 40 million people are victims of human trafficking, and the numbers continue to grow each year. Front-line officers are generally under-prepared to recognize and handle human trafficking cases which shows the need to provide effective and appropriate training to help identify victims and investigate human trafficking cases. Research to provide a solution is guided by a qualitative case study investigation for the purpose of developing and proposing actionable changes law …


Tiktok’S Influence On Generation Z Female’S Comparative Behavior, Brookelynn Dinkler Jan 2024

Tiktok’S Influence On Generation Z Female’S Comparative Behavior, Brookelynn Dinkler

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to address TikTok’s role in the comparative behaviors among Generation Z females. This study specifically evaluated the communication of society’s perception of beauty standards and how it resonates with and influences TikTok users. A qualitative approach was taken to gain a better understanding of the lived experiences of participants and fill the gap in qualitative media effects research. The research question being addressed was: How has TikTok influenced society's idea of physical beauty and body image concerns among Generation Z females? Through the lens of social comparison theory, the research found that the application …


Media Dependency In Gen Z Christians, Emma Jolie Best Jan 2024

Media Dependency In Gen Z Christians, Emma Jolie Best

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study “Media Dependency in Gen Z Christians” is to understand and explore the way Gen Z Christians utilize different forms of media as it relates to their faith. This quantitative research approach focused on the extent to which Gen Z Christians utilize extra-biblical and biblical media, which media they are more likely to consume, and which media they prefer. This research provides insight for the audience in terms of the habits of weekly Gen Z media usage and reliance in a digital media-emersed world, as well as insight into the way that Christian Gen Z learns …


Sustainable Solution For Plastic Waste Management And Education Campaigns To Mitigate Plastic Consumption And Foster Behavior Change, Mayowa Akande Dec 2023

Sustainable Solution For Plastic Waste Management And Education Campaigns To Mitigate Plastic Consumption And Foster Behavior Change, Mayowa Akande

Masters Theses

The issue of plastic waste has become a significant environmental concern in contemporary times. Given the escalating rates of plastic production and consumption worldwide, an urgent need is to implement effective strategies to manage plastic waste. This article aims to investigate sustainable strategies for managing plastic waste through an analysis of existing research and exemplary approaches in the domain. This research assesses diverse methodologies, such as recycling, waste minimization, biodegradable substitutes, and policy interventions, and appraises their efficacy, obstacles, and prospects for enduring sustainability. The results of this research emphasize the significance of inclusive and cohesive approaches that engage various …


The Waiting Period Of Death Row Inmates, Ashlee Patino Nov 2023

The Waiting Period Of Death Row Inmates, Ashlee Patino

Masters Theses

The death penalty is the highest form of capital sentencing and punishment in the United States. Since 1973, a little less than half of U.S. states are responsible for passing death sentences and executions. Nevertheless, the growing number of death row inmates is at an all-time high since the late 70s (DPIC, 2022). Although academia and scholarly research has advanced the general understanding of death penalty sentencing, racial disparities resulting in a death sentence and execution has not been studied as comprehensively. Despite the strides in progress made by academia and scholarly research on the death penalty, there are areas …


The Healing Power Of Creative Storytelling: Utilizing Fiction As A Means Of Therapy In The Writer/Reader Relationship, Alicia Rose Klepper Oct 2023

The Healing Power Of Creative Storytelling: Utilizing Fiction As A Means Of Therapy In The Writer/Reader Relationship, Alicia Rose Klepper

Masters Theses

What if we wrote the challenging portions of our lives as comedies or the boring parts as grand adventures? What if we recast painful experiences into creative stories that allow us to live in proximity to our circumstances and not be overwhelmed? Storytelling is how we bridge our lives with creativity as a way to heal from the past, process the present, and hope for the future. This thesis explores how the tradition of creative storytelling has evolved to enable writers and readers to uncover and connect elements of life that would otherwise be too painful to process. By bridging …


Framing Roles Of Protagonists And Antagonists In Visual Media, Jonas Braden Larson Sep 2023

Framing Roles Of Protagonists And Antagonists In Visual Media, Jonas Braden Larson

Masters Theses

Many characters and stories have been interpreted over the past few thousand years. Humans are innate storytellers and make connections through various communication methods. Heroes and villains have affected many lives and given people a lens through which to view the world. The perception of stories and their characters in the visual media may not be as subjective as many people think. The framing communication theory was used to study the perception of audience member’s view of protagonists and antagonists in a visual story. Two short films were produced and screened to an audience that filled out surveys on their …


Mindfulness To Reduce Math Anxiety And Improve Math Performance, Hannah E. Murch Sep 2023

Mindfulness To Reduce Math Anxiety And Improve Math Performance, Hannah E. Murch

Masters Theses

Math anxiety, the negative emotional response to math, is a common educational issue observed globally and across many grade levels. Additionally, it negatively impacts math performance and constrains long-term math achievement. Anxious ruminations strain mental resources and encourage avoidance behaviors such as procrastination. The prevalence and detrimental influence of math anxiety necessitate that educators mitigate math anxiety’s negative impact in the classroom. Previous research suggests interventions emphasizing mindfulness, which is the intentional awareness of the present moment, can combat the ruminations of math anxiety. When complemented with interventions on growth mindset, which is the belief that intelligence can grow and …


The Evolution Of The Artesh: 1980 To Present, Ryan Charles Touchstone Jul 2023

The Evolution Of The Artesh: 1980 To Present, Ryan Charles Touchstone

Masters Theses

Despite the large media coverage around Iran’s military actions, the role of the Artesh in Iran’s national security structure is often unmentioned. Looking at the evolution of the Artesh since the fall of the Shah of Iran, this study uses firsthand accounts, recent research, and governmental statements and reports to trace the Artesh’s journey to present day. It examines several battlefield successes and failures during the Iran-Iraq War to gauge the ability of the Artesh to adjust in a wartime environment. These adjustments are mixed with some valuable lessons being implemented to later battles while other important lessons remained unapplied. …


How Do International Students In A University In The United States Relate Their Cultural Identity To Fashion Trends, Kharen Alejandra Martinez Murcia Jul 2023

How Do International Students In A University In The United States Relate Their Cultural Identity To Fashion Trends, Kharen Alejandra Martinez Murcia

Masters Theses

International students who move to the United States must endure the challenge of adapting to a new culture. Understanding different aspects of how the adaptation process works is essential to create better avenues to connect with these students as they go through the acculturation process. This research focuses on how international students communicate their cultural identity through clothing choices. This study followed a qualitative method through in-depth interviews with ten participants from eight countries. Participants answered questions regarding motivation, cultural adaptation, clothing adaptation, and cultural identity and expression. Findings show that participants consider clothing communicates something about themselves and their …


The Interplay Between Language And Culture In J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth, Mackenzie Wangberg Jun 2023

The Interplay Between Language And Culture In J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth, Mackenzie Wangberg

Masters Theses

The construction of detailed languages was a lifelong passion of J.R.R. Tolkien. While creating the world of Middle-earth, he assigned different languages to the various cultures which inhabit this fantasy landscape. He carefully matched languages and cultures to try to elicit particular responses from his audience. It is well known that J.R.R. Tolkien wanted certain languages of Middle-earth to sound beautiful and others to sound ugly. Research so far, however, has not answered why the specific phonemes, or sounds, which Tolkien chose for these languages might cause the specific reactions he intended. I have used Tolkien’s influences to explain why …


Student Expectations From Faculty Based On Their Enneagram, Kate Clinton Ndikumagenge Jun 2023

Student Expectations From Faculty Based On Their Enneagram, Kate Clinton Ndikumagenge

Masters Theses

In this study, the researcher uses the Enneagram to examine whether students’ expectations of faculty change during a crisis. This mixed methods study used surveys to collect data from full-time students from higher education institutions. The data was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the COVID-19 pandemic was used to predict students’ expectations of faculty during any crisis. The overall goal of this study is to understand whether students’ personality types affect how they expect faculty to act during a crisis and whether their expectations were met during a crisis. The results indicate that students’ Enneagram types affect their perception …


Hello There: An Integrative Framing Analysis Of The Disney+ Series Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hannah Grace Sawchuck May 2023

Hello There: An Integrative Framing Analysis Of The Disney+ Series Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hannah Grace Sawchuck

Masters Theses

The effective communication of emotions within audio-visual content, such as film, was one of the most important aspects that needed to be considered when creating such content. Within the field of communication, there was a limited amount of research that existed on the communication of emotions in film. This was a problem as such content is becoming more prevalent in society. Knowing how those emotions were created and developed would allow communication scholars to better understand how to effectively elicit emotions from their own audio-visual content. By examining a well-known series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, scholars could see how different aural and …


An Analysis Of Nonverbal Communication Behaviors Enacted By Christian Worshipers Of Various Denominations, Holly Alexandria Vasiliki Smith May 2023

An Analysis Of Nonverbal Communication Behaviors Enacted By Christian Worshipers Of Various Denominations, Holly Alexandria Vasiliki Smith

Masters Theses

This study seeks to determine how members of different denominations use nonverbal communication in their worship practices within the Christian faith. Previous studies have looked at specific elements related to music, classified the common behaviors and beliefs of denominations, and provided descriptions of nonverbal communication cues. However, no study has looked at the intersection of these factors. In order to determine how members of different denominations use nonverbal communication in their worship practices, a qualitative data gathering method in the form of an open-ended survey was distributed to 40 participants of a preliminary screening survey, providing 26 responses. Participants were …


Living The Dream- A Rhetorical Analysis Into The Morgan Wallen Racial Slur Scandal Through William Benoit’S Image Reconstruction Theory, Dylan Joseph Singletary May 2023

Living The Dream- A Rhetorical Analysis Into The Morgan Wallen Racial Slur Scandal Through William Benoit’S Image Reconstruction Theory, Dylan Joseph Singletary

Masters Theses

Public figures often find themselves in controversies that result in a damaged image. In the field of communication image repair is conducted as a form of crisis communication. William Benoit’s image repair theory views image repair through specific strategies which are mortification, corrective action, denial, evasion of responsibility, and reducing offensiveness. Benoit’s image repair strategies can be found through country music star Morgan Wallen’s rhetoric in his attempts at image repair through the four artifacts. Results of the rhetorical analysis of the artifacts show that image repair strategies work better for certain situations. Benoit’s image theory is supported by Wallen’s …


Promoting Mental Treatment In The Arab World, Aya Emam Hassanein May 2023

Promoting Mental Treatment In The Arab World, Aya Emam Hassanein

Masters Theses

This study investigates why mental health has been neglected in the Arab world and what strategies could be used to promote it and break the stigma associated with mental disorders. The literature review reveals that the most prominent barriers preventing mental treatment in the Arab world are cultural stigma, poverty, illiteracy, false beliefs regarding the causation of the illness, conflicts in countries, and a scarcity of mental health services and research. The review also discusses the most common mental illnesses in the Arab world and how the culture affects the process of treatment. Additionally, it discusses the possible solutions proposed …


The Grade Is The Message: An Analysis Of The Grading Structure’S Effects On Student Grade/Learning Orientations, Grant Lynn Rye May 2023

The Grade Is The Message: An Analysis Of The Grading Structure’S Effects On Student Grade/Learning Orientations, Grant Lynn Rye

Masters Theses

This qualitative study was undertaken to study the medium of the grade in education contexts under the assumptions made within the field of media ecology. The goal of this study was to build on previous research that has identified that learning-oriented students are better set up for success in the classroom than grade-oriented students. With this in mind, this study aims to identify, from the student perspective, what different aspects of the grading system communicate to students that they should value in the classroom, especially in regard to grade-oriented or learning-oriented mindsets. After conducting interviews with current students from a …


Cross-Cultural Travel: A Study Of How International Travel At A Young Age Impacts Communication Skills As An Adult, Allison Grace Clark May 2023

Cross-Cultural Travel: A Study Of How International Travel At A Young Age Impacts Communication Skills As An Adult, Allison Grace Clark

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study “Cross-cultural Travel: A Study of How International Travel at a Young Age Impacts Communication Skills as an Adult'' was to gather the perception of the weight of impact that traveling to foreign countries throughout childhood carries upon the individual later in life. This qualitative research approach focused on individuals who have spent extended periods of time in foreign cultures around the globe and with the inhabitants thereof, and assessed through interviews how past intercultural experiences through childhood contribute to effective engagement and communication throughout adulthood. This research provides insight for the audience in terms of …


Mirroring Jesus’S Prayerful Approach To Interactions With Dissatisfied Followers Through The Lens Of The Modern Worship Pastor, Bryant Timothy William West Apr 2023

Mirroring Jesus’S Prayerful Approach To Interactions With Dissatisfied Followers Through The Lens Of The Modern Worship Pastor, Bryant Timothy William West

Masters Theses

This study shows the life and mission of Jesus through His interactions with conflict and will show how worship pastors can apply these lessons to the church. Detailing Jesus's prayer life and His approach to interacting with others, examining the approach worship leaders should have when interacting with similar people. The report will concentrate on three areas of study, including Jesus's prayer life, his ministry, and how the worship pastor can create a church that parallels Christ. Jesus' ministry and discussions with the Pharisees show worship pastors how they should approach church members. This discussion is due to the struggles …


Personal Touches: Translation Poetics In Chinese Translations Of Shakespeare Plays, Gabriella Smith Jan 2023

Personal Touches: Translation Poetics In Chinese Translations Of Shakespeare Plays, Gabriella Smith

Masters Theses

Translation, rather than a process of equivalency, requires linguistic and cultural mediation on behalf of the translator. Thought of in this way, the translation process becomes a process of rewriting to fit the sociolinguistic context, and the translator becomes the most important factor in determining how well a translation can fill in gaps present in the knowledge of the target audience. To provide a better understanding of how those with no training in translation seek to fit a translation to the linguistic audience they are provided, I conducted a study of two native bilingual Chinese students on the Wadsworth version …


Hey Girl, Feel My Thesis. Know What It's Made Of? Research Material., Mya Lynn Pritts Dec 2022

Hey Girl, Feel My Thesis. Know What It's Made Of? Research Material., Mya Lynn Pritts

Masters Theses

As Generation Z becomes the newest generation to enter adulthood, it is valuable to understand their thought processes and communication patterns. Individuals of Generation Z are known to be digital natives, as they were born into a world of technology with the internet at their fingertips. Understanding Generation Z's use of memes is an area where little research has been done so far. The purpose of this study was to determine how Generation Z interprets and communicates with memes on the internet and social media platforms. Unlike previous research, this study analyzed the participants' perceptions, which further contributes to an …


“Americanized” Worship In Brazilian Churches, Leon C. Neto Dec 2022

“Americanized” Worship In Brazilian Churches, Leon C. Neto

Masters Theses

Motivated by the marketability of high-profile artists and bands, Christian churches worldwide may see the inclusion of profit-driven worship songs as a recruiting tool for their communities. This process of globalization or "Americanization" around the world, propagated by mass media, is yet to be thoroughly investigated. This trend is likely decreasing the use of indigenous styles in Christian worship. The primary purpose of this current study is to produce scientific data suggesting that “Americanized” worship is a trend in Brazil and is affecting the production of indigenous worship repertoire. An online questionnaire was developed and applied to Brazilian worship leaders. …


Bibliotherapy In The Helping Professions: A Heuristic Model For Intervention Design, Natalie Marie Haney Dec 2022

Bibliotherapy In The Helping Professions: A Heuristic Model For Intervention Design, Natalie Marie Haney

Masters Theses

I propose a new approach to examining bibliotherapy’s usefulness in the community-based care of individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), focused on producing a heuristic that benefits helping professionals who offer non-clinical and non-psychiatric services. Meant for writers designing bibliotherapy interventions in the helping professions, I conceptualize bibliotherapy in a model against the backdrop of community-based care’s history. A model has the potential to allow each writer to conduct situation-specific inquiry, invent bibliotherapy intervention designs suited to the unique needs of the profession’s help-seekers, and reflect on knowledge generated for intervention reiteration. Referring to Dewey, Rosenblatt and Barnlund to create …


Childhood Food Insecurity In Rural America: Raising Awareness And Inspiring Action Through Art And Design, Julie Hansen Olson Dec 2022

Childhood Food Insecurity In Rural America: Raising Awareness And Inspiring Action Through Art And Design, Julie Hansen Olson

Masters Theses

Children go hungry in America every day, particularly in rural communities, where statistics show food insecurity to be as high as 17%. This means one in six children in rural communities lacks nutritionally adequate food or the ability to acquire it on a daily basis. In one of the wealthiest countries in the world, this appalling statistic is unacceptable. But how do we mitigate food insecurity for children and its resulting effects on a child’s physical, mental, and social development? This project proposes to educate, raise awareness, and inspire and/or enable action by all stakeholders to reduce food insecurity, specifically …


New Models For Worship: Music Education Philosophy In The Multiculturally Fragmented Sanctuary, Sandra Diana Constanze Hendricks Aug 2022

New Models For Worship: Music Education Philosophy In The Multiculturally Fragmented Sanctuary, Sandra Diana Constanze Hendricks

Masters Theses

Worship seems to have been approached from theological and sociological perspectives but not through the lens of ideas and frameworks in music education philosophy. This study uses a survey of scholarly works to examine the influence these ideas and frameworks could have on the event of worship leading regarding changes to the agency of fragmented and multicultural worship identities. The study is based on a model of transformative historical research. It analyses ideas and frameworks of music education theory in the context of Christianity in the post-structuralist era. The results and interpretation confirmed that the application of tendential rhizomatic models …


Pay-To-Play: A Quantitative Analysis Of Opportunity, Achievement, And Parental Motivation In Youth Club Soccer, Alec Joseph Golini Aug 2022

Pay-To-Play: A Quantitative Analysis Of Opportunity, Achievement, And Parental Motivation In Youth Club Soccer, Alec Joseph Golini

Masters Theses

In the last twenty years, the youth sport experience in the United States has been shaped by a family’s ability to pay. Under the pay-to-play model in American youth sports, advancing to the highest levels of the game not only requires the standard expenditures, but significant investment which accounts for coaching, equipment, travel, training, and other resources. Previous research on the topic has analyzed the impact of income, educational attainment, and race and ethnicity on access to elite-level sports opportunities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the pay-to-play model and factors associated with athletic outcomes at three youth …


How The Power Of Film Inspires Christianity, Stephanie Mullins Sellers Aug 2022

How The Power Of Film Inspires Christianity, Stephanie Mullins Sellers

Masters Theses

Ruthie’s Game is a screenplay designed to repeat supernatural episodic events, which, according to research, may act as foundations for faith systems because watching films is a prayerful act, and the more it is repeated the longer the brain stores the memory. The thesis explores how Christian messages are received through film with a brief on the science behind the brain’s activities and how it reflexes film’s episodic events for later use. Testimonies, interviews, and personal comments show an audience seeking secular films with intellectual storyline and with no preaching to the choir. Ruthie’s Game shares Christian messages in an …


Police Education And Its Influence On Traffic Enforcement Performance, Shatavia Monique Kennedy May 2022

Police Education And Its Influence On Traffic Enforcement Performance, Shatavia Monique Kennedy

Masters Theses

In demanding occupations, the preference for formal education is presumptive when improving competency and workmanship. This study assesses the correlation between college education and traffic enforcement performance within a local police department in Aberdeen, North Carolina. In this study, performance strictly refers to issued traffic citations and traffic enforcement. The research consisted of a secondary analysis (public records) using qualitative data. Data were collected to determine which officers issued the most traffic citations from the highway patrol unit from January to June 2021. Second, qualitative data were collected via an interview with one of the department officers to obtain demographic …