Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status And Mood Disorders, Jeannette German

Honors College Theses

Abstract

According to the Fundamental Cause Theory, socioeconomic status (SES) is comprised of multiple variables, including money, prestige, social status, and power (Phelan, 2010). The scientific literature has continued to reveal a robust relationship between SES and mental health outcomes. The same literature also highlights the role played by race, age, and gender in modulating this relationship. There are a multitude of models and theories from various disciplines that attempt to explain why and how SES impacts mental health. This literature review will include prominent theories and models in the field of psychology and public health. Specifically, the present literature …

Knowledge Level And Attitudes Of University Faculty Regarding Assistance Animals Compared To The General Population, Anna R. Ledonne

Honors College Theses

Assistance animals are becoming a greater presence on college campuses. The purpose of the following study was to explore university faculty’s confidence in defining different types of assistance animals, their knowledge of legal mandates, and their attitudes regarding assistance animals. A survey was issued to university faculty utilizing an online program and included measures from a previous study done by Schoenfeld-Tacher, Hellyer, Cheung, and Kogan (2017), as well as added questions to more specifically address the research questions and sample. This study was used to compare faculty knowledge and the knowledge of the general population. 91 participant responses were analyzed. …

Trematodes And Neorickettsia: Diversity Of Digeneans And Their Bacterial Endosymbionts (Neorickettsia) In Mollusk First Intermediate Hosts From Eastern Mongolia, Morgan Gallahue

Honors College Theses

This study focused on the survey of 34 freshwater snail samples collected from NE Mongolia for larval flatworm parasites in the class Trematoda. 32 of the snail samples were infected, and the parasites were identified based on morphology and DNA sequences. Nine of the identified parasite samples were screened for the presence of bacterial endosymbionts in the genus Neorickettsia in the family Anaplasmataceae. All of the samples screened for Neorickettsia were negative for the bacterium. Species of Neorickettsia are known to cause several diseases such as Sennetsu Fever (in humans) and Potomac Horse Fever. There have been relatively few reliable …

Adolescent Male Behaviors As Portrayed In The Disney Sitcom Hannah Montana, Erin T. Maurer

Honors College Theses

This research project uses content analysis to examine themes related to toxic masculinity and misogyny in the sitcom Hannah Montana. In particular, the sitcom’s child character Rico Suave is shown to be misogynistic when interacting with women. There is little literature on the topic of representation of toxic masculinity as shown in child characters, but there are many examples in modern media, such as the trope of the child being attracted to the babysitter, the lifeguard, and the friend of an older sibling. Using similarly-formatted transcripts from seasons two, three, and four, I pulled all lines of dialogue and stage …

Examining The Effects Of Exposure To Nature On Well-Being: Implications For College Campuses, Fatimah T. Majors

Honors College Theses

Humans attraction to the natural environment stems from our evolutionary tendencies. Biophilia is defined by E.O. Wilson as the “innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes (Wilson, 1984, p. 1).” Recent studies have shown that spending time outside in nature is beneficial to physical and mental health as well as well-being. Nature is filled with intriguing things such as animals, plants, fresh air and other aspects which can help an individual replenish. Some of these benefits include stress reduction, opportunities and motivation to complete tasks. Research indicates that adults who work in offices would perform better if they …

Silence As A Strategy, Jarvis L. Steele

Honors College Theses

Understanding the struggle that is peaceful protest is a task that has two unexplored components. The first is how leaders of political movements and protest groups are able to influence the masses to not waiver in their non-violent, peaceful approach. The second is how political groups learn from the failures and successes of the previous campaigns. We are given these circumstances where governmental violence and abuse would normally lead to a retaliatory response from groups, but in order to maintain the fidelity of the movement leaders of these political protests have to protect the nonviolent approach. These are instances where …

Developing Sensory Behavioral Assays For Zebrafish Autism Model, Shannon Wagner

Honors College Theses

Individuals of all ages can suffer from a wide variety of symptoms and disabilities that could be diagnosed as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Due to new methods and technology, individuals are now being diagnosed in the first two years of their life, which is when the signs of ASD are initially exhibited. Individuals diagnosed with ASD share many similar disabilities and symptoms such as hyperactivity to social, visual, and auditory stimuli, as well as hyposensitivity to olfactory stimuli. Neural circuit-based alterations are widely considered as a cause for these behavioral aberrations. We have created behavioral assays using zebrafish larvae to …

Assessing The Applicability Of Christian Just War Theory To The U.S. Use Of Drones In North Waziristan, Pakistan, Seneca H. Forch

Honors College Theses

Just War Theory offers a three-tiered framework of criterion to determine whether or not conduct in various stages of war is rightly observed by state and non-state actors. These criterion are defined under Jus ad Bellum (pre-war), Jus in Bello (during war) and Jus Post Bellum (after the war). Various cultural and religious traditions have outlined its own views on just war theory, and have applied it to the use and development and of advanced war technologies. Using the Christian lens of Just War Theory, this paper seeks to find out whether or not it is a sin to use …

Estimating The Payoffs Of K-12 Arts Education, Joseph E. D'Alelio

Honors College Theses

Arts education has been in debate since the United States introduced formal education system. While some argue its lack of significance, others argue its crucial underpinnings to our society. This paper explores the significance of arts education using the Higher Order Thinking (HOT) program in Connecticut schools to measure students’ payoff on statewide standardized testing, namely Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT). The sample includes 20 schools that have either been HOT or have become HOT within a five year period from the 2008-2009 to 2012- 2013 school year. We us a fixed effects Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression to estimate …

The Modifiability Of Risk Factors Associated With Adolescent Suicide And Its Preventions, Nastaeen Tajin

Honors College Theses

Adolescent suicide has been of major concern in the past few decades, with the rates steadily increasing every year. Suicide can be defined as the act of intentionally taking one’s life. Adolescent refers to children between the age of 13 and 19, although the term will be used interchangeably with ‘teen’ throughout this paper. The purpose of this study had been to identify the risk factors of suicide associated with children of this age range, and propose preventative measures based on the modifiability of these risk factors. In order to achieve this, the two search catalogs utilized were the Wayne …

Do You Trust Me(Dia)?: How Students Perceive And Identify Fake News, Kamari Stewart

Honors College Theses

Social media has become an increasingly popular source of news among young adults. However, with the rise of “fake news,” credibility comes into question and young adults are left on their own to determine which news is real and which is false. Two focus groups were employed in this study to gain a greater understanding of how college students aged 18-24 determine what news to trust on social media and the factors that impacted those decisions. Young adults in that age group trust news found on social media based on a variety of factors including the person that is sharing …

Illusory Boundaries And Perceived Access To Rural Mental Health Care, Caitlin M. Shelby

Honors College Theses

This study examined the potential effects of illusory boundaries (in the form of county lines on a map) on distance judgments, specifically distance to mental health care (therapy) and perceived accessibility to said mental health care. 47 undergraduate psychology students completed our study through SONA on Qualtrics. Participants were presented with a series of 10 maps. Each map had two pins, one labelled “you are here” and the other labelled “therapy location” with a key on the bottom for reference (however, participants were instructed to not use their fingers as a measurement tool to keep the distance judgment a perceived …

The Effect Of Perceived Level Of Social Support On The Fear Of Falling, Kali A. Todd

Honors College Theses

Background: Perhaps the most prevalent cause of anxiety among the elderly is the fear of falling (FOF), considering that a fall can lead to serious complications and the decline of health. Kumar et al. found that subjects with a FOF usually have less social support. Therefore, increased social support could possibly decrease the FOF, thus decreasing the likelihood of a fall overall. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the amount of perceived social support one receives and the FOF among people ages 60 and up. Methods: In order to measure FOF and social support among …

Impact Of Female Labor Participation In African Countries, Emmanuel N. Obodoechine

Honors College Theses

Females are overlooked for employment opportunities either due to stereotypes or misleading views on their productivity and importance to the workplace. Female participation in the labor market has been shown to positively impact economic growth. Highlighting the significant impact of females in the labor force is an incentive for the local government and private sector to actively engage in policies and practices that increase female participation. Given the importance of targeting females, this paper analyzes female labor participation impact on economic growth for 21 African countries between 1991 and 2017. Results show that a 10 percent increase in female labor …

The Controversy Of Sexual Violence In The University Setting: Are College Athletes Given A Lighter Sentence Due To Their “Status”, Emma Weber

Honors College Theses

The following paper investigates sexual violence on university campuses. It discusses the role of the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 along with a Dear Colleague Letter enacted by the United States’ federal government to all public institutions regarding how to respond when complaints and allegations of sexual violence are made. The paper addresses the statistics and common misconceptions surrounding sexual violence on college campuses before focusing specifically on student-athletes’ involvement in sexually violent crimes. It then looks into three highly publicized cases where student-athletes are the alleged perpetrators of sexual violence. The three cases analyzed are: the …

The Relationship Between Religious Background Of Those Who Disaffiliate From Religion And Presence Of Anxiety, Timothy B. Sellers

Honors College Theses

Religion plays a significant role in the personality and worldview of a many individuals. It can provide one with personal benefits such as coping mechanisms, a framework for meaning-making, and a source of motivation, while also providing social support through connections with others having the same religious beliefs. The removal of said benefits through disaffiliation from a religious identity may lead to distress or anxiety. While much research has been done sociologically regarding the increasing number of people who do not affiliate with a religious group, much less has been done to analyze the individual experience of religious disaffiliation and …

Real World Vs. Media Representations Of Relationships, Cassandra Thomasson

Honors College Theses

In this study, we investigated the correlations between media representation and real world views towards minority groups, specifically towards those who identify as LGBT+. To this end, participants completed questionnaires related to their personal views on real life issues, such as sexism and openness to diversity, as well as their feelings toward films featuring minority characters. Participants (N = 119) also watched trailers featuring, separately, LGBT+ characters, disabled characters, or characters who were neither, and rated how relatable they found the characters and how interested they were in seeing the film in its entirety. Correlations were conducted, and participants …

Genocide Masquerading: The Politics Of The Sharpeville Massacre And Soweto Uprising, Jessica P. Forsee

Honors College Theses

Apartheid South Africa represented a paradox as a US ally and human rights pariah. “Genocide Masquerading” uncovers the implications of US foreign policy on the rise and decline of apartheid, looking specifically at the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre and the 1976 Soweto Uprising. By comparing Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Ford, and Carter foreign policy responses, this thesis creates a comparative analysis of how effective, or ineffective, the United States was during pivotal moments in apartheid history. This thesis will not only expand on the developing South African literature but add to the conversation of international aid, diplomacy practices, and North-South relationships.

Demonetization In India: An Analysis Of An Instant Decision, Jaymin Patel

Honors College Theses

This analytical study examines the impact of demonetizing the Rs. 500 and the Rs. 1000 legal tender in India, which occurred on November 8^th, 2016. The study analyzes impacts on the GDP of India, employment rate, stock market volatility, agriculture sector, and the overall economy. The study shows that the demonetization movement had more short-term impacts than long-term and it generally failed to achieve its main objective.

Commercial Fishers’ Perspectives On Revitalizing The Fishing Industry In Coastal Georgia, Julia Thomas

Honors College Theses

Competition from imported seafood, low product prices, increasing operation costs, and other socio-economic factors are negatively affecting coastal Georgia’s commercial fishing industry. Fishers’ local ecological knowledge (LEK) is extensive and gives them unique perspectives into the problems the industry is facing. Their perspectives differ from those of biologists or policymakers, making them useful for implementing good management policies that not only consider the scientific knowledge of a fishery, but the human aspect as well. This thesis used conducted semi-structured and card-sorting interviews with commercial Georgia fishermen in two fishing communities to learn about the problems they face and their unique …

The Drug War In America: How Much Damage Has It Done, Sherrod D. Hollingshed

Honors College Theses

For decades, the War on Drugs has had a profound effect on the United States of America. The effects include high arrest rates, creation of private prisons, and unequal treatment of minorities by the Criminal Justice System. For the past several years, heightened attention has been paid to the War on Drugs. There have been calls to legalize certain drugs, such as marijuana, and calls to completely end the War on Drugs. The purpose of this study is to (1) study the history of the War on Drugs in America and discuss the effects that it has had on America, …

Immigration Policy Reform: International Students And Higher Education, Anna M. Kwiatkowski

Honors College Theses

How has the rise in immigration around the world affected international students in obtaining student visas? Many states in the Global North are implementing restrictive immigration policies to combat the high influx of immigrants. Using the United Kingdom (UK) as a case study, I investigate how these policies have led to a decrease in the number of international students enrolled in higher education institutions (HEIs) throughout the UK. This has led to negative impacts on the higher education sector and economy, forcing politicians to reconsider and backtrack on immigration policies regarding international students in late 2017. Through the lens of …

Individual Differences In Decision-Making, Catelyn N. Shipp

Honors College Theses

When making decisions, most people tend to avoid uncertain outcomes or risks. However, individual differences, such as optimism versus pessimism and liberalism versus conservatism, may lead to variable approaches and outcomes in the decision-making process. Thus, the goal of this research is to examine individual differences in decision-making preferences and whether these associate with personality characteristics (i.e., optimism/pessimism and conservative/liberal views). To test this, the current study involves a probabilistic gambling task, adapted from behavioral judgment and decision-making research. Participants are shown “wheel-of-fortune-like” spinner wheel stimuli divided into green, red, and gray sections. The relative proportion of each color represents …

The Sucking Louse Fauna Of Mongolian Rodents: Host Associations, Molecular Phylogenetics And Description Of Two New Species, Chase N. Robinson

Honors College Theses

This study aimed to screen Mongolian rodents for sucking lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Anoplura) to better understand host-parasite associations for this understudied region. Nine species, including 3 previously undescribed, from 4 genera were identified. A molecular phylogeny based on 2 mitochondrial genes of collected louse specimens is included.

The Dollar Is Green, And American Banks Should Be Too; Clean Energy Finance And Its Circulation Through Green Banks, Erin C. Moore

Honors College Theses

The earth is at risk for irreversible damage if the carbon footprint of humans is not drastically reduced immediately. The power of financial institutions to initiate change has been utilized by countries around the world against climate change. Financial systems known as green banks mitigate the risks associated with financing environmental projects. Through an examination of the financial performance of major green banks in the United States and the green energy superpowers, the paper discovers Green Banking is not only socially responsible by supporting a clean environment, but also produces a profitable fiscal environment. In this paper, I will explore …

Better Left Unsaid: The Connection Between Members Of Congress, Presidents, And Political Ambiguity, Grace Alexa Pittman

Honors College Theses

During the course of an election cycle, candidates often deliver vague statements regarding their positions on policies. Furthermore, incumbent candidates typically have a record of obscure actions unknown to the voter. Presently, existing literature maintains ambiguity in terms of an interaction between the candidate and the constituent. According to this literature, candidates use ambiguity to exploit voter uncertainty on policy issues. However, I argue that congressional members, motivated by re-election, will act similarly to candidates by utilizing ambiguity. In this research, I propose that it is the president’s popularity that triggers a congressional member’s ambiguity. Using a method of linear …

Coordination Sensation: When Ngos Strike Down Sex Trafficking, Megan Prangley

Honors College Theses

Human sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that is prevalent in the United States and across the globe. Currently, a number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) exist to diminish sex trafficking. I seek to discover how powerful the efforts of NGOs are in combating sex trafficking. I argue that NGOs are successful in combating sex trafficking to the extent that their efforts are coordinated. Although an NGO may experience individual success in decreasing sex trafficking in a given area, without coordinating their efforts with the efforts of other NGOs, they will lack attaining the full knowledge, power, and resources …

The Cost Of Not Knowing: Observing How Financial Literacy Affects Amount Of Retirement Saving, Josina Genetti

Honors College Theses

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of African American College Women: Std/Sti Health Risk Behaviors Among African American Women, Dashawna C. Anderson

Honors College Theses

Sexually transmitted disease/infection (STD/STI) rates are on the rise for African American women. Recent literature argues that African American women may have a lack of education concerning STDs/STIs. To fill this gap in the literature, in-depth qualitative interviews, using a health equity lens, were conducted with ten college, African American women, living in the Southern United States, to gain their perceptions about the causes of STDs/STIs among the African American female population. Consistent with previous research, findings indicate that African American women may lack knowledge about STDs/STIs and be less likely to participate in medical check-ups. Participants were more likely …

How Childhood Traumatic Experiences Shape Elements Of Adult Personality And Mental Health, Ashley Aiosa

Honors College Theses

Mental illness can guide the path an adult chooses to take in their life. This paper will explore that having adverse childhood experiences can heighten the risk of PTSD and suicide risk in adulthood. Adults can develop disorders, and personality changes, because of events that happened in their childhood. The current research compiled examines “How Childhood Traumatic Experiences Shape Elements of Adult Personality and Mental Health”. This statement raises many important ideas, as there is a stigma that surrounds mental illness. Due to these stigmas, many people who suffer from mental illness are neglected or refuse to seek help. This …