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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Fomo And The Image Of The Self: From College Campuses To Madison Avenue, Rachel Mcdermott Jun 2017

Fomo And The Image Of The Self: From College Campuses To Madison Avenue, Rachel Mcdermott

Honors Theses

FoMO (Fear of Missing Out) is a modern social expression used in reference to an individual emotional experience generally associated with social media. This anthropological dissertation aims to explore the emotional expression of FoMO in relation to society and the self. The study begins with an analysis of academic literatures on emotions the self and cultures such as social media. Social media culture enables the self to be created and maintained in accordance to the societies interpretation of the ideal self. This ideal self perpetuates emotional reactions such as FoMO. Based on guided interviews with advertisers this thesis examines the …


An Economic Analysis Of Civil War: How Constitutions And Ethnic Diversity Impact Internal Conflict, Zachary Roth Jun 2017

An Economic Analysis Of Civil War: How Constitutions And Ethnic Diversity Impact Internal Conflict, Zachary Roth

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the connection between ethnic diversity and constitutional structures on the incidence of civil war. The following paper will bridge the gap between existing economic literature on constitutions and the existing work on civil wars. The main economic theory behind civil war is a cost-benefit analysis. Costs of civil wars include raising an army supporting the army economic losses due to conflict and the lives lost in the fighting itself while the main benefit is the gains of governing. The other main economic theory to civil war is game theory exploring how the two sides engaging in civil …


New York State's Zero Emission Credits: Exploring The Drivers And Significance Of Nuclear Energy Subsidization In The Empire State, Michael R. Sciascia Jun 2017

New York State's Zero Emission Credits: Exploring The Drivers And Significance Of Nuclear Energy Subsidization In The Empire State, Michael R. Sciascia

Honors Theses

This thesis reviews New York State's recently announced subsidization of nuclear energy, which has been a subject of dissent due to its cost, propagation of nuclear activity, and potential unlawfulness in its influence on competition within wholesale energy markets. Examining the structure and recent trends within New York's energy market and their effect on the state's nuclear energy industry will provide insight into the necessity of such subsidization in preserving in-state nuclear generation. Through an analysis of the expected costs, economic impact, and influence on statewide carbon emissions, the true significance of this legislation and New York's motivations behind its …


The Impact Of Wealth And Sentiment On Consumption: Before And After The Great Recession, Joshua Schwartz Jun 2017

The Impact Of Wealth And Sentiment On Consumption: Before And After The Great Recession, Joshua Schwartz

Honors Theses

I study the impact of consumer sentiment and the wealth effect on aggregate U.S. consumption before and after the Great Recession. First I will introduce a background of the 2008 financial crisis and some major factors leading up to it. I will discuss both the Michigan Consumer Sentiment index as well as the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence index. I will also discuss several measures of net worth relevant for my study. Second I will discuss the relevant literature and the main findings that correspond to my thesis. Third I will present the methodology used for my thesis and the several …


An Evaluation Of Reforms That Aim To Address Political Polarization, Alexander Spyropoulos Jun 2017

An Evaluation Of Reforms That Aim To Address Political Polarization, Alexander Spyropoulos

Honors Theses

The topic of political polarization in America is one that has increasingly become of interest to scholars and political pundits alike, particularly as the American political system has begun to feel the effects of higher levels of polarization in government. These affects include, but are not limited to, a state of gridlock in Congress, increased hostility between the two parties both in and out of government, and an erosion of bipartisanship. The focus of my research was to evaluate some of the main proposed reforms that aim to address political polarization to determine which single reform was most worthwhile of …


Invisible And Incarcerated: Women In A Male Dominated U.S Prison System, Emily Spidle Jun 2017

Invisible And Incarcerated: Women In A Male Dominated U.S Prison System, Emily Spidle

Honors Theses

This paper investigates how the contemporary U.S. penal system impacts women given that female imprisonment rates have skyrocketed over the last several decades. Notably the U.S. has increased the rate of female incarceration at double the rate of male incarceration. However female prisoners have been rendered largely invisible under the umbrella of the criminal justice system in both scholarly discourse and policy. Drawing on the broad characteristics and trends that encapsulate the female prison population it is examined that women face unique challenges within the system. Pathways of crime illustrate the interlocking nature of poverty abuse mental illness and drug …


The Effectiveness Of Narrative Transportation Varies By Product Type And Gender, Junwen Su Jun 2017

The Effectiveness Of Narrative Transportation Varies By Product Type And Gender, Junwen Su

Honors Theses

Previous studies had explored that narrative transportation increases affectivity and decreases cognitive responses. Specifically in the context of advertisement narrative transportation was found to increase product and brand evaluation and therefore was considered as an effective promotional strategy for marketers. In the current study we examined the direct impacts of narrative advertisement on people's positive affectivity critical thinking ability and brand evaluation and how the impacts differed between females and males and also between people assigned to read ad of spontaneous product and deliberative product. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of four types of radio transcript: narrative spontaneous …


Is Graduate School Worth It? Evaluating The Return On Investment In A Master's Degree., Kevin Paltat Tran Jun 2017

Is Graduate School Worth It? Evaluating The Return On Investment In A Master's Degree., Kevin Paltat Tran

Honors Theses

Pursuing a college degree is one of the most expensive financial investments that an individual makes during their lifetime. While several elements contribute to the increasing cost of obtaining a bachelor's degree research indicates that the wage premium of a college degree remains highly beneficial. Over a lifetime a bachelor's degree has an estimated worth of $2.8 million with a wage premium that is 84% greater than individuals holding just a high school diploma. The tremendous monetary returns and economic opportunities that are associated with a bachelor's degree lead to the question as to whether an advanced degree is necessary …


Fair Labor Practices: Are Workers Truly Protected?, Xiaofei Xie Jun 2017

Fair Labor Practices: Are Workers Truly Protected?, Xiaofei Xie

Honors Theses

Private businesses often claim that they employ fair labor practices and care about employees' well being. However, firms may face contradictory situations since fair labor practices can result in cost increases and lower profit. In this thesis, I examine historic and contemporary workers’ conditions and fair labor practices. Workers’ conditions during the Industrial Revolution and the basis of relevant Marxist theories are examined. Contemporary labor practices are also examined and a secondary analysis of data on worker attitudes in two major companies is conducted. Results and discussion suggest that although progresses in worker conditions have been made, there still needs …


Friend Or Foe: The United States Military Bases In Okinawa South Korea And The Philippines, Caochong Zeng Jun 2017

Friend Or Foe: The United States Military Bases In Okinawa South Korea And The Philippines, Caochong Zeng

Honors Theses

Pax Americana has been not only established by the policy-makers in Washington but also sustained by the global presence of G.l.s. Until 2015, 150,560 U.S. military personnel were stationed in over 150 countries with Japan the Middle East and Germany hosting the most American soldiers. To accommodate American troops overseas, U.S. military installations have also been constructed on foreign lands to achieve regional stability and to implement the U.S. grand strategy. The co-existence of the American military and the local society however has been problematic - social economic and environmental conflicts between bases and locals have plagued the relationship. Criminal …


Psychiatric Disorders Memory And The Future: The Effect Of Anxiety And Depression On Self- Defining Memory And Self-Defining Future Projections, Sarah Irvine Jun 2017

Psychiatric Disorders Memory And The Future: The Effect Of Anxiety And Depression On Self- Defining Memory And Self-Defining Future Projections, Sarah Irvine

Honors Theses

Prior research has found that depression affects how individuals recall self-defining memories by preventing individuals from properly encoding and retrieving memories, resulting in a suspected inability to recall specific events and information (Conway, 1990). The current study aimed to replicate this finding and to examine whether this phenomenon exists within those with higher levels of anxiety, a concept not previously studied. Fifty-three participants were asked to recall two self-defining memories (Singer & Blagov, 2000) and forty- seven participants described where they saw themselves two years from now in order to determine whether depression and anxiety affect future projections as well …


Pesadillsen El Mar: Retorno A Hansala Y La Inmigración Marroquí En España, Kent Curran Jun 2017

Pesadillsen El Mar: Retorno A Hansala Y La Inmigración Marroquí En España, Kent Curran

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the underlying themes and motives of Retorno a Hansala a 2008 Spanish film directed by Chus Gutierrez. Political and economic instability have contributed to migration across the world making the topic relevant and important. In the film Gutierrez focuses on migration from Morocco to Spain. Although only 14 kilometers separate the two countries thousands of migrants die every year attempting to reach Europe. In Spain many citizens feel as though they do not have a lot in common with their southern neighbors. Even though the country is now mainly Catholic Spain has a rich Islamic history that …


La Humanización Del Otro Inmigrante En Tres Libros Álbum De España Y Estados Unidos, Kathryn K. Evans Jun 2017

La Humanización Del Otro Inmigrante En Tres Libros Álbum De España Y Estados Unidos, Kathryn K. Evans

Honors Theses

In both the United States and Spain both of which have higher rates of immigration than emigration the media and many government officials promote anti- immigrant sentiment as part of a nationalistic ideology. Nationalism which uses xenophobic rhetoric to unify and advance the citizens of one country at the expense of all others allows governments businesses other institutions and individuals to discriminate against "inferior" foreigners who are seen as a threat to national identity security and prosperity. The opposing ideology cosmopolitanism views all of humanity as one entity arguing that man-made borders between countries irrelevantly divide people who are in …


The Consequences Of And Factors Affecting Perceptions And Use Of Technology, Patrick Gardner Jun 2017

The Consequences Of And Factors Affecting Perceptions And Use Of Technology, Patrick Gardner

Honors Theses

Technology and its impacts on society are the subject of constant debate. Technology has been influential in creating a global economy, which has given people more time for leisure activities. However, technology has also produced unintended by-products, including issues such as a dependence on foreign nations for commodities like food. Analyzing both the positive and negative consequences of technology can help people better understand both its regional and global impacts. In turn, this knowledge can help us make more beneficial choices regarding how we use technology moving forward. This thesis explores how technology positively and negatively affects society, and will …


American Patent Law: Liberal And Republican Theories Of Governance, Benjamin A. Fay Jun 2017

American Patent Law: Liberal And Republican Theories Of Governance, Benjamin A. Fay

Honors Theses

This paper explores the history of American patent law in relation to classical liberalism and classical republicanism. In a basic sense liberalism emphasizes the importance of individuals, while republicanism underscores individual sacrifice for the good of the community. A patent creates a temporary monopoly privilege for an individual to encourage disclosure of his invention to the public. On the one hand, patent law exists to protect an individual's claim to his invention. On the other hand, patent law exists to facilitate the transfer of ideas into the common knowledge pool. In this way, a patent balances an individual's property right …


Love Thy Attachment Figures As Thyself: Self-Esteem Predicts Deviations In Adult Attachment Security, Molly Rosenthal Graether Jun 2017

Love Thy Attachment Figures As Thyself: Self-Esteem Predicts Deviations In Adult Attachment Security, Molly Rosenthal Graether

Honors Theses

As we expand our close relationship (attachment) bonds from parents and caregivers to friends and romantic partners, some of us become more secure, while others become more insecure. What determines the direction in which our security deviates? The present study looks at whether self-esteem and worldview systems can account for deviations in security across partners, in both a college sample and a (more generalizable) online sample. Participants who were more secure in their friendships and romantic relationships than in their relationship with their parents/caregivers had higher self-esteem. The impact of worldviews, measured by the extent to which participants used several …


Do Elderly Workers Crowd Out Younger Workers In The United States?, Jing Jin Jun 2017

Do Elderly Workers Crowd Out Younger Workers In The United States?, Jing Jin

Honors Theses

This paper investigates the often repeated 'lump of labor' theory that the increasing labor force participation of older workers negatively impacts the labor market activity of younger workers. Using the panel data spanning from 1998 to 2015 from the Merged Outgoing Rotation Groups of the Current Population Survey, this paper employs time-series state-level regressions to determine the extent to which such 'crowding out' exists in the United States. Existing studies show little evidence of substitution between young and old workers. In contrast to previous studies, this paper controls for differences in individual educational levels by disaggregating the labor force sample …


Sight Is A Faculty; Seeing, An Art: George Perkins Marsh, The Classical Environment, And 19th-Century Conservation Policy, Sara Miller Halsey Jun 2017

Sight Is A Faculty; Seeing, An Art: George Perkins Marsh, The Classical Environment, And 19th-Century Conservation Policy, Sara Miller Halsey

Honors Theses

This thesis examines George Perkins Marsh, renowned as the father of conservation, his work Man and Nature (1864), and his use of Classics to make the suggestion that America, like the Roman Empire, would decline as a result of human caused environmental degradation. Marsh uses specific authors and passages from antiquity to make his claim more meaningful to his contemporaries, contributing to the significant impact that he had on America's first round of conservation policy. Marsh was raised in Vermont and observed the negative effects of continued land exploitation, which he further confirmed after he spent time in the Mediterranean …


Monstrous Mothers: The Politics Of Forced Mothering, Gillian Henry Jun 2017

Monstrous Mothers: The Politics Of Forced Mothering, Gillian Henry

Honors Theses

Can a woman be a woman without being a mother? By studying the control of women's bodies around reproduction, my work elucidates the insistence on women becoming "good mothers" for society. Is the childless woman a monster? Analysis of the Medea trope identifies that the most monstrous woman of all is thought to be the woman who kills her children. And while white women fight for reproductive choice, women of color fight for reproductive freedom, as coercive policies such as forced sterilization deprive women of color as even being considered as potential mothers. Society's insistence on women fulfilling their destiny …


Acquirer Shareholder Value Creation In United States Mergers & Acquisitions, Kristen K. Landre Jun 2017

Acquirer Shareholder Value Creation In United States Mergers & Acquisitions, Kristen K. Landre

Honors Theses

Mergers and acquisitions remain the primary corporate growth strategy for executives around the world. While deals continue to rise in popularity, their success in generating value for participating firms remain uncertain. A vast majority of merger and acquisition research focuses on this disparity and considers whether they create or destroy value for stakeholders. In this thesis, I examine the value generated to shareholders by US acquisitions and mergers announced between 2005 and 2009. Utilizing the event study methodology, I evaluate cumulative abnormal returns (CAR) for acquiring firms to analyze the wealth effects of merger and acquisition announcements. CAR is a …


Fitness And Exercise As Linked To Overall Stress And Physiological Stress Responses, Justine Monthony Jun 2017

Fitness And Exercise As Linked To Overall Stress And Physiological Stress Responses, Justine Monthony

Honors Theses

Exercise negatively correlates with physiological stress responses, but there is less research on short-term stress hormones for this response. For this thesis, I hypothesized that exercise and fitness levels would be negatively correlated with perceived stress and with physiological stress from a standard stressor. Undergraduate college participants reported their chronic stress, current mood, past week’s physical activity (amount and intensity), perceived physical fitness, and demographic characteristics. Participants also engaged in a social stress task, on which they had limited time to prepare a speech with no notice or resources that was given in front of peers who were ostensibly analyzing …


Macho Men: Male Body Image In 21st Century America, Allison N. Michaelis Jun 2017

Macho Men: Male Body Image In 21st Century America, Allison N. Michaelis

Honors Theses

There is a myriad of research on women’s body image, and discourse on this subject has become virtually normal; however, research on male body image is sparse, and is not openly discussed. The current study looks at factors that influence men’s body image and body image pathology, such as body distortion, steroid use, eating disorders and depression. Prior literature has identified gender, sexuality, race, and media exposure as key factors that influence men's perceptions and behaviors. This study found partial support that these factors play a role in men's body image. Specifically, gender, media images of the ideal men’s body, …


Impact Of The Nuclear Phase-Out In Germany: Examining The Costs And Benefits Of Aggresive Energy Policy In Relation To A Sustainable Future, David M. Olio Jun 2017

Impact Of The Nuclear Phase-Out In Germany: Examining The Costs And Benefits Of Aggresive Energy Policy In Relation To A Sustainable Future, David M. Olio

Honors Theses

The German nuclear phase-out legislation of 2011 will cause substantial changes in the country's energy mix, energy generation and electricity grid demands. The phase-out exists as part of the Energiewende, or energy transition, occurring in Germany where renewable energy has been subsidized to replace the share of nuclear energy, which is decreasing annually and moving towards a complete phase-out in 2022. This paper will analyze the benefits and costs of Germany's decision to phase out nuclear power. First, it will explore the dynamic history of German energy policy and discuss how a history of anti-nuclear sentiments led to the nuclear …


The Connection Between Gasoline Prices And Physical Activity: Potential Ways To Combat The Rise In Obesity, John Perrotti Jun 2017

The Connection Between Gasoline Prices And Physical Activity: Potential Ways To Combat The Rise In Obesity, John Perrotti

Honors Theses

It is widely understood that one of the most significant public health challenges in the United States is obesity which could rightly be considered an epidemic. Accompanied by billions of dollars in both explicit and implicit costs obesity places great strain on the health care system and economy as a whole. Years of scientific research has linked obesity to three main determinants: genetics over-eating and lack of physical activity. Recent research has introduced the study of the connection between the macro-economy and rates of physical activity thus linking economic variables to obesity. This paper investigates the connection between gasoline prices …


Brilliant Blues And Smooth Circles: The Makings Of A Brand, Arielle Singer Jun 2017

Brilliant Blues And Smooth Circles: The Makings Of A Brand, Arielle Singer

Honors Theses

A company’s brand is its identity. This research examines the creation of an effective brand, focusing specifically on the colors, logo and typography shapes, and taglines utilized by a successful company. The research is applied in two case studies: a large, well-established corporation (General Electric) and a start up company by two Union College seniors (STC). Color, shape, and tagline theory are analyzed to explain the brand changes made over the last century for General Electric examining their two main logo shifts and multiple tagline alterations. In the case study of STC, I work to create the ideal brand for …


Food Porn & A Snack: Investigating The Effect Of Mindset On A Taste Test, Kingshuk Mazumdar Jun 2017

Food Porn & A Snack: Investigating The Effect Of Mindset On A Taste Test, Kingshuk Mazumdar

Honors Theses

The hot/cool system framework represents a dichotomy within cognitive functioning that moderates the exertion of self-control. While the cool system can be described as a cognitive and emotionally stable construct that serves as the center for self-regulation and control, the hot system forms the basis for emotionality, passion, and impulsivity. Research evidence suggests that attentional priming towards hot or cool cognitions may have a direct and measureable influence on behavior in a variety of social psychological domains. The present study investigated the effect of attentional priming towards hot or cool systems on snack food consumption in 142 college students. Participants …


Internship Satisfaction And Educational Performance, Lauren M. Gibson Jun 2017

Internship Satisfaction And Educational Performance, Lauren M. Gibson

Honors Theses

This paper investigates the impact of internship satisfaction on educational performance, in particular GPA, and subsequent educational impacts, including changing a major and adding a minor post-internship. I conduct a survey to collect data on undergraduate students of different class years and majors. The survey asks students questions on their demographic background, their internship experience, and their GPA by year. I collect data on several measures of satisfaction including colleagues, work environment, work load, substance of work, and pay. Using the data I collect from the survey, I run cross-sectional regressions of demeaned GPA gap on satisfaction variables and control …


"We Poor Devils": The Interactions Shared Experiences And Differing Fates Of The Cheyenne Sioux Buffalo Soldiers And U.S. Army In A Post-Civil War America: 1865- 1890, Meghan Keegan Jun 2017

"We Poor Devils": The Interactions Shared Experiences And Differing Fates Of The Cheyenne Sioux Buffalo Soldiers And U.S. Army In A Post-Civil War America: 1865- 1890, Meghan Keegan

Honors Theses

As a real yet imagined place, the “American West” has a mythical aura surrounding it that hides a deeper reality of extreme violence and chaos. It is a place where great feats have been achieved and profound defeats have been suffered. The wars fought over control of the Great Plains lasted longer than any other armed conflict in United States history. From 1865 through 1890, the chaotic nature of seemingly unorganized warfare and the ensuing violence plagued the lives of those who, either willingly or not, took art. The two most recognizable and seemingly homogenous groups in this conflict were …


Bitcoin Volatility And Currency Acceptance: A Time-Series Approach, Francis Rocco Jun 2017

Bitcoin Volatility And Currency Acceptance: A Time-Series Approach, Francis Rocco

Honors Theses

Virtual currencies emerged in 2009 as alternatives to traditional methods of payment, offering faster transaction speeds and increased privacy. The prime example of these currencies is Bitcoin. Prior literature in the past five years has generally predicted that bitcoin would fail to supplant an existing widely traded currency, but the volatility of the currency has been decreasing since then. I test Dowd and Greenaway’s (1993) currency acceptance model using recent data on Bitcoin, including Bitcoin volatility. This paper will show whether Bitcoin's ability to act as a store of value and its level of price volatility affect the number of …


Net Neutrality: Policy And Stock Market Implications, Ian Bennett Jun 2017

Net Neutrality: Policy And Stock Market Implications, Ian Bennett

Honors Theses

From 2011 to 2015 the Telecommunications Industry faced changing FCC regulations that impacted daily business operations and stock price changes due to Net Neutrality. These changing regulations stemmed from rapidly morphing technology. The three types of firms in this study are Internet Service Providers (ISP's) Content Providers (CP's) who provide video streaming services and those who do not (ISP's CP's streaming and CP's not streaming). During this era the FCC went through two different regulation regimes of the Preserving the Open Internet order and the Open Internet: Bright Line Rules with two key court hearings in between. These key events …