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Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

2016

Articles 1 - 18 of 18

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Bethlehem Chapel: How A Place Can Be Reinterpreted By Government, Maya Lemaster Nov 2016

Bethlehem Chapel: How A Place Can Be Reinterpreted By Government, Maya Lemaster

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

An important source of legitimacy for all types of government is the creation of or building up of a sense of nationhood for the citizens of the state. This can be achieved in many ways, including through the use of physical nationalist symbols. In my paper, I address this topic by exploring how the Communist government of Czechoslovakia reinterpreted and changed the traditional meaning of the historical Bethlehem Chapel in Prague in order to fit their own ideology. I found that the Communist government emphasized the communal aspects of the Hussite movement and ignored religious associations. My research is primarily …

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Cases Of The Mammoth Cave Bug: The Fascination Of Exploration At Mammoth Cave, Dakota Pope Sep 2016

Cases Of The Mammoth Cave Bug: The Fascination Of Exploration At Mammoth Cave, Dakota Pope

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Mammoth Cave captures the attention of people from around the world. Its vast passages and amount of darkness entices the creativity of those who visit. For many, it is like a giant puzzle and they are just trying to put all of the pieces together in their exploration and want to see how it all comes out in the end. Through a series of personal interviews and readings I created a video series and webpage. I seek to find out why people were so enamored with the cave, to show their fascination with the cave, and to honor their contributions …

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A Targeted Approach? A Study Of Ngo Roles And Practices In Promoting Economic Development, Emma Shoaf Sep 2016

A Targeted Approach? A Study Of Ngo Roles And Practices In Promoting Economic Development, Emma Shoaf

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

In recent years, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have become key actors promoting economic development. Despite their rapid rise, there are still significant gaps in the development sphere regarding what NGOs do in specific contexts. This research evaluates how NGOs promote economic development among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon to give context to general trends within development literature. Through an in-depth case study of the NGO Cives Mundi and their recent development project Tatreez–focused on promoting economic empowerment among Palestinian refugee women through the formation of a weaving co-op–this study seeks to evaluate key advantages and disadvantages to NGO work in specific …

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The Implementation Of Alternative Pain Control Methods By Dental Hygienists, Alejandra Valadez Rodriguez Sep 2016

The Implementation Of Alternative Pain Control Methods By Dental Hygienists, Alejandra Valadez Rodriguez

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

As a dental hygienist, it is important to understand new concepts and techniques that can contribute to a more comfortable setting for patients who experience dental anxiety. Alternative pain control methods can assist in alleviating patient anxiety, therefore, providing a more efficient and relaxed clinical atmosphere for both patient and clinician. Some of the methods discussed are: guided imagery, deep breathing, muscle relaxation, hypnosis, acupressure, essential oil diffusion, audio distraction, and visual stimuli. After reviewing the literature the researcher found that dental anxiety affects patient compliance, their overall health, and willingness to attend regular dental visits. The purpose of this …

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Invisible Children: The Effectiveness Of Non-Governmental Organizations (Ngos) In Primary Education In Central America, Megan Skaggs Sep 2016

Invisible Children: The Effectiveness Of Non-Governmental Organizations (Ngos) In Primary Education In Central America, Megan Skaggs

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

what extent are non-governmental organizations (NGOs) an effective tool in primary educational development in Central America? To address this concern, this project addressed the results of several months of research in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and at the U.S. NGO headquarters, where interviews with educators, NGO workers, and citizens were conducted regarding the role of NGOs in addressing educational concerns effectively. Interviewees included: Pueblo a Pueblo, Serving Orphans Worldwide, U.S. Agency for International Development, Let Girl’s Learn Program, and varied individuals connected with education or non-profit work in that region. My research analyzed the historical and social structures of Nicaragua and Guatemala, …

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The Age-Friendly Cities Project In Bowling Green: A Narrative History, Hannah Ruggles Aug 2016

The Age-Friendly Cities Project In Bowling Green: A Narrative History, Hannah Ruggles

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

An age-friendly city is one that “encourages active ageing by optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age. In practical terms, an age-friendly city adapts its structures and services to be accessible to and inclusive of older people with varying needs and capacities.” Bowling Green was the seventh city in the US to join the World Health Organization’s Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and is currently in year three of a five-year project. The developments over the past two years have been guided by the principle that senior residents of Bowling …

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A Spatial Analysis Of Settlement, Accessibility, And Quality Of Life Of The Burmese Refugee Population In Bowling Green, Kentucky, Matthew Riggle Aug 2016

A Spatial Analysis Of Settlement, Accessibility, And Quality Of Life Of The Burmese Refugee Population In Bowling Green, Kentucky, Matthew Riggle

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Refugee populations face many challenges when relocating and settling into a new country. The Burmese refugee population in Bowling Green, Kentucky experiences unique challenges when trying to settle and be assimilated into a typical midsize city. This paper explores a variety of geographic and demographic characteristics of neighborhoods with high concentration of Burmese immigrants, seeking to characterize the neighborhoods by several quality of life metrics. These metrics include median household income, rental rates, educational attainment, and many others. The neighborhood characteristics are studied using recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, specifically from the 2014 American Community Survey 5-year sample …

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What Goes Up Must Not Come Down: The Tweet Retraction Process Of Politicians, Paige Settles Aug 2016

What Goes Up Must Not Come Down: The Tweet Retraction Process Of Politicians, Paige Settles

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

In 2011, Congressman Anthony Weiner demonstrated the risks politicians face when utilizing Twitter. While past scholarship regarding Twitter has focused on the impact of the tweets candidates share with their voters, academic attention has not been afforded to the tweets candidates delete. This thesis seeks to delve further into the analysis of Twitter as a political campaign tool by examining the practice of tweet retraction. To achieve this end, this research presents two studies. The first analyzes the deleted tweets of members of the 112th Congress between May and November of 2012 in terms of quantity of retractions and the …

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Student Perceptions Of Services For Veterans And Military Personnel, Philip Parsons Aug 2016

Student Perceptions Of Services For Veterans And Military Personnel, Philip Parsons

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Many Veterans are returning from the War on Terror and making their way to universities. Due to the many aspects of war and military life many maybe, or are experiencing some level of mental health issue/s. As more Veterans make this transition, resources may not be available for them to be successful in the classroom (Whitley, Tschudi, & Gieber, 2013). After reviewing the literature, a suitable instrument to measure these variables was not available. The researcher developed a survey and sampled students of one Midwestern public university. The variables included basic demographic questions and perceptions of Veterans and the services …

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More Than Cookies: A Study Of Trends And Promising Practices In Programming For Older Girl Scouts, Jennifer Ottersbach Aug 2016

More Than Cookies: A Study Of Trends And Promising Practices In Programming For Older Girl Scouts, Jennifer Ottersbach

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This study examine rates of 'older girl' (ages 15-17) retention in Girl Scouts of the USA. Enrollment numbers and troop activity/participation are examined from the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana Council to assess the reflection of this regional council to the nationwide organization. Benefits such as character building, developing leadership skills, international and domestic travel opportunities, democratic opportunities, and public work or service projects for older girls are described as promising practices for older girl retention. This qualitative study lead to the development of “The Five Keys of Effective Older Girl Programming” as follows: designing specialized experiences, building relationships with adults …

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Voter Turnout In A Low Interest, Off-Year Election: A Field Experiment, Zachary Miller Aug 2016

Voter Turnout In A Low Interest, Off-Year Election: A Field Experiment, Zachary Miller

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis is an analysis on the effects of a low cost get out the vote (GOTV) effort through direct mail on a low interest, off year election. By conducting a field experiment divided into two stages, this project measures the effects of direct mail contact on voter turnout in the state of Kentucky. Postcards were sent during the final week of both the 2015 primary and general elections. The expectation is that those who received a postcard will be more likely to vote than non-recipients. Using data provided by the Kentucky Board of Elections, a data set was created …

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Predictive Abilities Of Past Performance Versus Self-Efficacy, Across Contexts And Goal Types, Alexandra Oldham Aug 2016

Predictive Abilities Of Past Performance Versus Self-Efficacy, Across Contexts And Goal Types, Alexandra Oldham

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Self-Efficacy (SE) has long been established as an important predictor of performance in many settings, including academics and athletics. In both of our studies, we were examined the relationship between performance and SE to determine which was more predictive of the other. Participants completed two academic tasks, two athletic tasks, and a SE measure. In the first study participants defined success for efficacy estimates. In the second experiment three different types of goals were utilized to define success as an additional independent variable. In both experiments we found a significant relationship between SE and performance, but past performance was a …

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Dependency Theory Reloaded: Exploring Baseball In The Dominican Republic, Sarah Nass Aug 2016

Dependency Theory Reloaded: Exploring Baseball In The Dominican Republic, Sarah Nass

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Latin America’s presence in Major League Baseball has grown rapidly in recent years. The increase of players from the Dominican Republic can no longer be ignored. But why is Major League Baseball in the Dominican Republic? What has been the impact of Major League Baseball’s player development strategies and tactics on the people and culture of the Dominican Republic? Does the Dominican Republic need Major League Baseball to be successful? An ethnographic study was conducted in an attempt to answer these questions. This study examines the relationship between Major League Baseball and the Dominican Republic. Examining this relationship using the …

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The Preservation Of Identity: A Narrative Examination Of National Parks In Kentucky, Abigail Ponder Aug 2016

The Preservation Of Identity: A Narrative Examination Of National Parks In Kentucky, Abigail Ponder

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

National parks are symbols of national identity. They tell the history of places—personal legacies and natural phenomena. My Capstone Experience/Thesis (CE/T) project for the Honors College at WKU features two stories that fuse fiction and non-fiction conventions to share the experiences of national parks in Kentucky. Currently, the National Park Service is celebrating its centennial anniversary at parks across the nation. First established in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson, the national parks have become symbols of the quintessential American experience: serving as memorials to nature, to history, and to culture. As such, these stories that take place at Mammoth Cave …

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27 Floors Of Support: Effectively Advertising Campus Resources To College Students, Amanda Peerce Aug 2016

27 Floors Of Support: Effectively Advertising Campus Resources To College Students, Amanda Peerce

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

College campuses provide a large variety of resources to college students to help ensure their well-being and success; however, students cannot utilize these resources if they do not know they exist. While there has been extensive research on the importance and efficacy of resources on college campuses, not as much research has been done on how to advertise these services to college students. The goal of this project is to create and assess the efficacy of a campaign educating and encouraging students to seek out campus resources in times of need. This project focuses primarily on promoting resources to first-year …

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Gender Role Identification, Sexual Orientation, And Disordered Eating In Young Adults, Natalie Perkins Aug 2016

Gender Role Identification, Sexual Orientation, And Disordered Eating In Young Adults, Natalie Perkins

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Young adults are at a significantly high risk for eating disorders. Existing research is lacking in what factors can contribute to this disorder; however, there is some that suggests that self-identification with masculine and feminine gender roles can contribute to an individual’s risk for disordered eating. Research investigating disordered eating in sexual minorities is particularly slim. The current study sought to examine the relationship between gender role identification, sexual orientation, and disordered eating, as well as the roles that anxiety and depression have in disordered eating development. In our sample (n = 437, 73.6% female, 76.7% white, 87.6% heterosexual), participants …

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Organizational Justice And Social Media In The Employee Selection Process, Hayden Hickey Aug 2016

Organizational Justice And Social Media In The Employee Selection Process, Hayden Hickey

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This study combines aspects of social media’s role in employee selection and how it relates to potential employee attitudes toward a company. By measuring participants’ attitudes when told that their Facebook profiles would be taken into consideration in determining their job ability, applicant feelings of procedural justice (i.e., fairness of a process; PJ) were assessed and compared to a control group. To measure interactional justice (i.e., fairness regarding interpersonal treatment; IJ), participants were divided into two conditions: participants in the high justice condition were given an explanation of the rationale behind using social media as an evaluation tool and shown …

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The Prospect Of Democracy: China’S Possibility Of Political Reform, Chase Thomas Jan 2016

The Prospect Of Democracy: China’S Possibility Of Political Reform, Chase Thomas

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

What factors help or hinder democratization in China? Democracy in China is not an unknown term, but the difficulty of making “democratic” reforms in China has raised the question of if China will democratize. This literature review and analysis will examine the factors, which help or hinder democratization in China through economic and cultural means. By using a literature review as well as reviewing the concepts of democracy and prerequisites thereof, three scenarios for democratization will be determined. Through the use of the information provided in the latter, I predict that while democracy is possible in China, the state will …

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