Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Fan-Funded Film: How Audience Participation Is Shaping The Future Of Motion Pictures, Renee E. Moody

Honors College

A look at intellectual property rights in the Internet Age. Fan-Funded Film examines the omnipresent issue of piracy and the financial strategy of crowdfunding. Both have existed in film for decades, but have increased dramatically in recent years. Through the use of several theories and real life examples, I explore the problem of piracy's popularity and how audience participation through crowdfunding could be the answer.

Silence Is The Loudest Sound, Emma Christian

Honors College

Rhinoceros poaching is an act of killing a rhinoceros in order to take its horn, which is then used for human consumption or for cultural traditions. Both the Asian and the African rhinoceros are targets because of the demand from China, Vietnam, Yemen, and other countries around the world. Traditional Chinese Medicine practice is the main demand for rhinoceros horn and this demand in rhinoceros horn has caused an increase in the black market. Conservation of the rhinoceros is decreasing primarily because the price of rhinoceros horn is more than double the average household income in South Africa, thus making …

Media Portrayal And Public Opinion On The Supreme Court, Patrick Hall

Honors College

Because the power of the Supreme Court rests on its acceptance as a legitimate institution by the people of the United States, understanding why people accept the Court is critical for maintaining the institution. This study explored the relationship between how media covers Supreme Court rulings and how public opinion of the Court changes afterward. A selection of cases, Griswold v. Connecticut, Roe v. Wade, Lawrence v. Texas, Hollingsworth v. Perry, and U.S. v. Windsor, articles from the New York Times, were analyzed to gauge whether the case and the Court were portrayed in either a political manner or in …

The Muslim Veil In America: A Symbol Of Oppression Or Empowerment?, Hannah Blakeman

Honors College

The purpose of this thesis is to look at Muslim women in America who veil and how Americans perceive them. The U.S. media has presented a common theme of negative stereotypes about women who veil, including the idea that they are oppressed or associated with terrorist groups. Here, I examine how Americans perceive beauty and how those perceptions may be associated with the negative images of Muslim women who veil. This thesis takes a look at the background of veiling within Islam, how Islam and veiling have been portrayed in the media, and how perceptions of beauty shape what Americans …

Bridging Gaps And Building Solidarity, Shannon Brenner

Honors College

Real innovation for a more sustainable and inclusive food system requires collaboration based on resilient relationships between a diverse range of community partners and across socio-economic boundaries. SNAP incentive programs at farmer’s markets are bridging gaps in food access and sovereignty for thousands of individuals across the country, but what are the far reaching implications of these programs in terms of a sustainable food system, especially in an uncertain economic landscape? Using the findings of a quantitative, interdisciplinary and community inclusive research project of the Community Supported Farmers’ Markets (CSFM), a SNAP incentive program organized by Food and Medicine in …

Correlates Of Disability In The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study, Grace Avakian

Honors College

The present study is designed to address disability. Disability is examined in relation to such mental health variables as depression, anxiety, and general well-being. Data is analyzed from the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study (MSLS); a 38 year study conducted by Dr. Merrill Elias and Dr. Michael Robbins. In the MSLS, symptoms of depression are measured by the Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale and the Zung Depression Scale, symptoms of anxiety are measured by the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and general well-being is measured by the General Well-Being Adjustment Scale. Disability is assessed by a self report questionnaire pertaining to common activities …

An Analysis Of The Basque Independence Movement And The Political Position Of The Basque Country Within The Spanish State, Ariel Bothen

Honors College

The Basque desire for independence or self-governance has been a part of Basque political culture since the medieval era. The Basques have a history of democracy and preserved their self-governance in the face of invasion and domination for many centuries. The purpose of this thesis is to track the movement to the current day and address what has become known as “The Basque Question”, which refers to what exactly Spain should do with its Basque population and the Autonomous region. I address the two major aspects of the movement, which include the Basque terrorist group known as Euskadi Ta Askatasuna …

Pius Xii On Trial, Katherine M. Campbell

Honors College

Scholars have debated Pope Pius XII’s role in the Holocaust since the 1960s. Did he do everything he could and should have done to save Jews? His critics say no because of antisemitism rooted in the traditional Catholic views. His defenders say yes and deny that he was an antisemite. In my thesis, I shall assess the arguments on both sides in terms of the available evidence. I shall focus both on what Pius XII did do and what he did not do and on the degree to which he can be held responsible for the actions of low-level clergy. …

Video Games As Free Speech, Benjamin Cirrinone

Honors College

The prevalence of video game violence remains a concern for members of the mass media as well as political actors, especially in light of recent shootings. However, many individuals who criticize the industry for influencing real-world violence have not played games extensively nor are they aware of the gaming community as a whole. First, this thesis aims to illuminate the chronological history of game distribution. Second, this thesis covers small segments of games of the modern age to illustrate the unique communicative mechanisms offered by games. Third, this thesis analyzes whether or not the industry should be regulated through the …

The Role Of Culture In Social Displacement: Afroreggae In The Favelas Of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Brianna Duhaime

Honors College

This thesis focuses on the work of AfroReggae, a non-profit, social organization that works within the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Unlike the state policies of the Police Pacification Units (UPP) that have existed in the favelas since 2008, AfroReggae is targeting the main cause of the favela’s problems: their social displacement. The favelas have been socially displaced from the rest of the city of Rio de Janeiro through decades of inequality and persecution. These stigmas create lived experiences of prejudice for favela residents, pushing them to the marginalized borders of their favelas in the hills of Rio, a …

Political Participation And Politics Of The Possible: A Comparative Case Study Of Political Activism In France And Maine, Jennifer Ferguson

Honors College

Political activism and political culture provide great insight into how movements not only form but attempt to enact change within society. However, political culture will vary by nation due to the divergent historical foundations and the use of tactics that resonate with citizens as the most effective way to promote change in a government. Therefore, it is critical to cross-nationally examine the effect that political culture can have on current social movements. In this thesis, I examine the impact of political culture on recent social movement activity in France and the state of Maine, with a focus on debates over …

The Effect Of Ketamine On Motor Coordination And Thermal Nociception In Ethanol-Withdrawn Mice, Jameson Ford

Honors College

No abstract provided.

Long Term Effects Of Chemotherapy On Cognition, Preventative Potential Of Antidepressants, Ryan Hall

Honors College

Each year, over 1.6 million people in the U.S. alone will be diagnosed with some form of cancer. With advances in treatment, survival rates have risen to nearly 65%. While remission and survival are the ultimate goals of treatment, it has become clear that many cancer survivors (estimates range from 15% to 70%) treated with chemotherapy experience significant, long-lasting cognitive impairment. This chemotherapy associated cognitive impairment is often called "Chemo Fog" or "Chemo Brain." For some, the effects are mild, such as having difficulty with focusing, concentrating, and speed of processing. For others, the cognitive impairments can be significant and …

Improving Running Performance Using Non-Running Tasks, Darien Lewis

Honors College

For decades researchers and runners have endeavored to improve endurance running performance. Recent evidence suggests that adding resistance training to a running program can improve running performance. Our purpose was to determine if 6wks of resistance exercise via negative eccentrically-induced work (RENEW), an exercise that increases muscle size, strength, and stiffness, could serve as an effective “non-running” modality for improving running performance. Recreational runners were assigned to a: RENEW (n=7), plyometric (PLYO, n=7), or control (CON, n=7) group. RENEW trained on an eccentric ergometer (3x/wk, 10-30min, 54-66% of peak heart rate) while the PLYO performed …

What Shapes Our Attitudes Toward Outgroups?: Measuring Implicit And Explicit Homosexual Prejudice, Morgan Kinney

Honors College

The emotional bases of homosexual prejudice are not completely understood, often times not even by the people who hold the prejudice themselves. Because implicit biases can go undetected even by the person holding them, and because they happen before conscious control of emotions is available, these attitudes may be best measured through physiological measures like startle eye-blink response. My honors thesis measures implicit attitudes toward homosexuals using psychophysiological means and examines the influence of religious fundamentalism and right-wing authoritarianism on those non-conscious automatic attitudes. Facial Electromyography (EMG) was used to detect startle responses to an auditory probe while viewing romantic, …

Depression, Emotional Eating And Food Choice, Jhen-Da Prince

Honors College

The prevalence of depression has been steadily growing throughout the years, especially among college students. Depression has been rated third amongst the presenting problems in college counseling centers (Drum & Baron, 1998) and studies have indicated that as much as 80% of college students say they have experienced some form of depression throughout college (Westefeld & Furr, 1987). Not only does depression affect college students, but positive affect does as well. Evidence that suggests that those with a history of depression may get the most benefit from having positive affect, given a negative relationship between positive affect and depressive symptoms …

An Investigation On The Effects Of Virtual Social Support On Working Memory And Stress, Erin Perry

Honors College

Stress has a negative effect on day-to-day behavior and cognition. Face-to-face social interactions often induce feelings of social support, which works to counteract the negative effects of stress. However, it is unclear if virtual interactions offer the same benefits as face-to-face interactions. This study explores the relationship between perceived stress levels and their effect on perceived social support and working memory functioning. We also explored how mood is affected by stressful experiences. Participants engaged in a laboratory stressor, where participants submerged their hand in cold water, to elicit an appropriate stress response. After the stress task, participants engaged in a …

The Effects Of Verbal Overshadowing And Social Anxiety On Facial Recognition: A Replication And Extension, Arielle Rancourt

Honors College

There have been 314 post-conviction DNA exonerations, and about 70% of these wrongful convictions were due to witness misidentification. Many factors affect the accuracy of a witness’s testimony, including the concept of “verbal overshadowing,” in which the verbal reporting of a visual memory interferes with the subsequent recognition of the visual stimuli. The present study seeks to replicate Jonathan Schooler’s original findings with regard to this phenomenon (Schooler & Engstler-Schooler, 1990). The first experiment is focused on verbalizing a visual memory that is particularly hard to put into words: the memory of a face. The hypothesis for both the original …

Forming Impressions Of Others: Does Sexuality Matter?, Abigail V. Szotkowski

Honors College

Previous research suggests that the sexual double standard still exists today, and that women face greater social repercussions for engaging in casual sex than men. This study investigates the effects of religious priming on attitudes toward a hypothetic female target, who is portrayed as either having a single or multiple romantic partners in the past year. In addition, we examined how participants preexisting levels of religiosity, sexual conservatism, and moral concerns might further affect attitudes toward this target. Consistent with our original hypothesis, self reported levels of religiosity, religious fundamentalism and right-wing authoritarianism are associated with more conservative attitudes toward …

Polarizing Issues In The American Political Parties: Women In Party Platforms, Hannah Vail

Honors College

This thesis is designed to investigate the relationship between the rise of cultural issues in political discussion and growing levels of polarization in the American political system. Current research within the field proposes many causes, forces, and tactics behind this growth of polarization. The corresponding increase in the prevalence of cultural issues in American politics is one such proposed cause or symptom. This thesis will provide an expansion on existing research through an exploration of the relationship between increased polarization and increasing prevalence of cultural issues in the United States.

The focus of this thesis is on the relationship between …

An Investigation Into The Perceptions Of International And Out-Of-State Students On The University Of Maine Campus, Matthew Pinkham

Honors College

The present study was designed to investigate in-state students’ perceptions of two out-groups on the University of Maine campus: out-of-state students and international students and the experiences of international students. Two separate surveys were administered online over two semesters: the first’s goal was to evaluate perceptions host students might have of their peers and if these peers were perceived to be from distinct out-groups, while the second survey was an exploratory survey allowing international students to describe their experiences while studying at UMaine. Two hundred and fifty seven in-state students responded to the first survey. Results from this survey showed …

The Effects Of Literature On Childhood Anxiety And Attachment Issues, Samantha Taylor

Honors College

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether children’s literature that targets issues related to anxiety and attachment has any effect on preschoolers, specifically at the beginning of a new school year. A sample of 12 children aged 2 to 4 years who attended a university-based preschool was examined with two parental and teacher questionnaires that assessed childhood anxiety and attachment-related issues. These measures were administered before and after the treatment. The participants were split into three groups: control, reading, and reading with discussion, and then were read two books that focused on the theme of coping with …

Coping With Dissonance: Psychological Mechanisms That Enable Ambivalent Attitudes Toward Animals, Sophie Veilleux

Honors College

People generally tend to love and show care for animals. Yet they also purchase and consume animal products that are produced in a way that causes animals great suffering. This critical literature review focuses on the psychological mechanisms that ease or eliminate cognitive tensions associated with the recognition of one’s contribution to animal suffering. The major mechanisms discussed are cognitive dissonance, psychic numbing, denial of mind, and linguistic objectification. Psychosocial factors are also discussed, including physical invisibility of animal cruelty, improper socialization about farm animals, and group biases. Recent studies specifically focused on human attitudes toward animals and their suffering …

It's Not All Just Child's Play: A Psychological Study On The Potential Benefits Of Theater Programming With Children, Sydney R. Walker

Honors College

Research suggests there are developmental benefits of theater education. The present study hypothesized that a theater curriculum, utilizing the techniques of Creative Drama and theater games created by Viola Spolin, taught to students at the Stillwater Montessori School to 15 students in grades Kindergarten through Fourth, would contribute to significant increases in children’s self-esteem and empathy. Questionnaires assessing children’s self-esteem and empathy were administered to children, parents, and teachers prior to and following the theater programming. Results were analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA and indicated that generally there were no significant changes in children’s self-esteem and empathy. However, for …