Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Nursing Care On The Patient Experiencing A Stillborn Birth, Katherine Totten

Senior Honors Theses

Childbirth has the potential of being one of the most joyous and fulfilling experiences a woman goes through in her entire life. Being a mom, driving the kids to soccer practice, and sitting around the Christmas tree with the family can easily be seen as an ideal life. Conversely, the negative experiences with childbirth are rarely discussed. There is an overlooked category: moms who conceive but lose the baby in the womb. Not only are these women overlooked, but also the hospital care they receive proves inconsistent with the latest research. Nurses and doctors should be aware of the latest …

The Quality Of Life Of Families Of Children With Cerebral Palsy, Jill A. Wippermann

Senior Honors Theses

Cerebral palsy, the most common cause of physical childhood disability, is a non-progressive disorder that results from an anoxic brain injury to the fetal or newborn brain. Because this disorder can cause disability, ranging from mild to severe effects on motor and cognitive functioning, the diagnosis can vary from one child to another, causing family stress due to vague and unknown predicted outcomes of the disorder. Because the diagnosis of cerebral palsy affects families in different ways depending on coping mechanisms, support systems, and the age and level of functioning of the child, among other factors, it is important to …

Nurses’ Perspectives On Neonatal Massage Therapy In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Kayla R. Hanson

Senior Honors Theses

Research in neonatal massage therapy has shown many possible benefits to the baby and family. Though there has been a growing trend towards family-centered care, along with a substantial and growing body of research, the practice of neonatal massage therapy is not routine in most NICUs. This study was conducted to evaluate neonatal intensive care nurses’ perspectives and attitudes towards neonatal massage therapy before and after evidence-based education. Willingness to discuss benefits of neonatal massage therapy significantly increased after education on neonatal massage therapy. The findings suggest that with proper training on the techniques and safety monitoring of massage therapy, …

Body Image And Disordered Eating Patterns In African-American College Women, Amazing Grace L. Danso

Senior Honors Theses

Currently, increasing scholarly attention is being given to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating. A bulk of the research on the issue has focused on Caucasian women. As a result, the body of research may be limited in its generalization to other racial and ethnic groups. This study, therefore, sought to study disordered eating among African-American college women. Two models based on research questions were tested. The first focused on how body mass index (BMI) impacted disordered eating, while the second focused on how the difference between perceived actual and ideal body image impacted disordered eating. …

His Right Eye: A Modern Radio Drama Adaptation Of Edgar Allan Poe’S “The Tell-Tale Heart”, Carson Burkett

Senior Honors Theses

Watching an actor manipulate emotions and physicality to breathe life into a character is extraordinary. Even more impressive is the ability of a performer to do this without being seen. Radio drama is an intriguing aspect of performance that is often underappreciated in current culture, but it can play an incredible role in communicating and allowing for emotion and truth to be presented richly.

Using Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” as the basis for this thesis, I have written a script for a radio drama that adapts the story for a modern culture. The Department of Theatre …

Inclusive Business: Using For-Profit Business Models To Address Global Poverty, Samuel James Conner

Senior Honors Theses

Due to the rise of globalization, modernization, and the Internet revolution, awareness of global poverty has expanded, making its eradication a chief goal of the global development community for the twenty-first century. Though corporations are often expected to participate in social and community development initiatives without regard for profits, this paper presents inclusive business as a way for businesses to profitably engage impoverished segments of society. Inclusive businesses seek to expand their consumer bases or strengthen their supply chains by moving into new markets among the poor that have limited access to global markets and remain largely untapped. The research …

The Untenability Of A Priori Prior Probabilities In Objective Bayesian Conditionalization, C.S. Arledge

Senior Honors Theses

The problem of theory confirmation has been an issue in the philosophy of science for decades. Many valiant attempts have been made to formulate a generally accepted criterion for determining the validity of a scientific theory. Bayesian probability theory has been utilized in numerous attempts to examine the epistemic nature of theory confirmation and Jonathan Weisberg offers a formulation of Bayesian Conditionalization that he believes to be both objective and successful.

In this paper I intend to show the defects in Weisberg’s theory of objective Bayesian confirmation by utilizing the arguments of both W.V. Quine and Bas van Fraassen to …

Target Advertising Effects On Campaign Success, Anna Gaudio

Senior Honors Theses

Nearly every company and organization advertises to increase awareness, reach sales goals, and build brand loyalty. However, due to the pervasive nature of advertising, reaching an audience has become more difficult and less successful. An increasing number of marketers are relying on detailed, targeted advertising to reach the most likely consumer of a particular brand, service or idea.

First, past research and marketing information is analyzed and explained. Next, a study was conducted to determine how marketers utilize targeting methods and practices. Ten advertising professionals were asked open-ended questions regarding budget, direct marketing, technology and social media. The results showed …

Providing Holistic And Spiritual Nursing Care, Jessika D. Gore

Senior Honors Theses

Holistic nursing is care of the whole person, which addresses physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational aspects of health. Historically, nursing has always integrated these aspects into providing care. Nursing developed out of religious orders and was predominantly a way to serve God by serving the poor and the sick. Florence Nightingale believed that nursing was her calling from God and her faith and spirituality influenced every aspect of her care. Nurses today are often fearful of addressing the spiritual needs of their patients, despite research that demonstrates the importance of providing care in these areas. Nurses can use interventions …

Travesty Of Trust: A Critical Look At Racial And Ethnic Discrimination In The Healthcare Setting, Thea A. Beaty

Senior Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to review the overarching purpose of healthcare, examine race-related disparities in minority patient outcomes within specific fields of medical practice, and discuss whether these disparities are the result of racial discrimination within the clinical setting, or are due at least partially to genetic and environmental factors, followed by an examination of how cross-cultural education for healthcare professionals can be improved to equip medical personnel with the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to provide effective care to a culturally diverse patient populace. The benefits of recruiting a culturally and linguistically diverse team of healthcare providers …

The Psychological Relationship Between Spirituality And Emotional Responses To Music, Anais D. Norman

Senior Honors Theses

A study was conducted with 251 undergraduate psychology students at a Christian university to determine the nature of the relationship between spirituality and music-based emotions. Two hypotheses were proposed: First, students with higher levels of spirituality would experience higher emotional intensity while listening to music. Second, students will experience equal emotional intensity when listening to the “sacred” or “secular” selections. In answer to the first hypothesis, results indicated that overall intensity in emotional response to musical selections did significantly and positively correlate with higher spirituality scores. In answer to the second hypothesis, the strength of emotional intensity did differ, and …

Pornography Addiction And Mental Health Disorders, Tabitha Cassidy

Senior Honors Theses

This study aims to understand the differences between mental health disorders in a sample of pornography users, addicts, and non-users. Participants in the study included males and females who visited a paraprofessional counseling center on a college campus (n=1048). Between non-users and users of pornography, one-way analysis of variance planned comparison results indicated that participants significantly differed in scores of Depression, Anxiety, and Global Severity Index as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI 18). Non-Suicidal Self-Injurious behaviors as measured by the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory; and Grandiosity/Narcissism as measured by the Spiritual Assessment Inventory. Independent sample t-test scores indicated …

Progressive Style In Classical Form: An Interpretive Analysis Of Beethoven’S Piano Sonata No. 31 In Ab Major, Op. 110, Rebecca P. Strider

Senior Honors Theses

An analysis of the musical form of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata no. 31, Op. 110 includes a brief overview of the historical significance of Beethoven as an innovator in formal design and musical texture. The analysis reveals specific indicators and examples of his deviations from traditional forms, which more obviously occur in movements one and three. An in-depth harmonic and motivic study of the third movement fugue and its placement within the last movement exposes further aspects of Beethoven’s progressive compositional creativity.

Pain Interventions In Pediatric Oncology Patients, Allison P. Mcconnell

Senior Honors Theses

Managing pain in the pediatric oncology population can be a daunting task. Often pain in these patients is severe and often not adequately treated or assessed. Studies have found that the reason for this disconnect is due to the impulse to follow unsubstantiated fears and myths held by healthcare professionals and even by the caregivers of the patients. For this reason, many pediatric oncology patients suffer from unnecessary pain when there are both pharmacological and non-pharmacological means available to intervene. The diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer is multidimensional; however, it can be managed based on recent research and evidence-based …

04-16-13 (The Liberty Champion, Volume 30 Issue 20), Champion

2012 – 2013

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of Servant Leadership In Bringing About Change, Daniel R. Tureman

Senior Honors Theses

Servant Leadership is unique when compared to other styles of leadership. The idea that a leader should serve his followers is a paradoxical concept that confuses many people. Even so, when trying to produce change, servant leadership is still an effective way to motivate followers. Its unique emphasis on concern for people’s well-being can bolster its success for creating change and leave one’s followers changed professionally and personally. This paper seeks to demonstrate how servant leadership differs from other types of leadership as well as how to produce change within an organization and how a servant leader can be effective …

The Impact Of Cumulative Risk On Parenting Behaviors As Mediated By Parental Distress, Courtney E. Green

Senior Honors Theses

Cumulative risk is a salient construct addressed in family dynamics research. There have been multiple relationships established among cumulative risk, parenting, and child outcomes through previous research. The current study furthered this body of research by addressing the role of parenting distress within models predicting parenting behaviors within a context of risk. Cumulative risk, parenting, child behavior, and transactional relationships highlighted the relationships between an environment of risk and resulting parenting outcomes. It was predicted that parental distress will act as a mediator variable between the baseline cumulative risk and later parenting behaviors. This hypothesis was tested using data from …

External Factors And Athletic Performance, Kimberly D. Dahl

Senior Honors Theses

The science behind athletic performance has progressed significantly with the advancement of technology and research of sport. The current review examines further the effects of several external factors on athletic performance. Factors were deemed external if they involved either variables out of the athlete’s control or an athlete’s conscious decision. Addressing playing environment, voluntary consumption of alcohol, sleep, a variety of emotions, and team environment contributes to a better understanding of the wide variety of factors that may influence athletic performance. The conclusions reveal ways in which awareness of external factors may impact overall performance.

04-09-2013 (The Liberty Champion, Volume 30 Issue 19), Champion

2012 – 2013

No abstract provided.

The Story Of Your Life On A Single Page: Assessing The Narrative Coherence Of Life Storytelling Through Facebook's Timeline Profile Design, Joseph Marcus

Masters Theses

Facebook's transition to the Timeline profile design brought with it a new focus: Life storytelling. Walther Fisher posited the narrative paradigm as a way of understanding all communication in the form of stories. The paradigmatic component of coherence assesses the structural integrity of a narrative, the characters, and the encompassing themes found within. This study applies narrative coherence to the Timeline profile design to assess the coherence of life narratives told through individuals' Facebook Timelines. The researcher observed the Timeline profiles of 15 participants on the basis of three research questions. The researcher's observation yielded data suggesting that life narratives …

"And Do You Take This Stranger To Be Your Lawfully Wedded Wife?": The Usefulness Of Social Penetration Theory Within Premarital Counseling, Katherine Beich-Forkner

Masters Theses

With fifty percent of today's marriages ending in divorce, one begins to wonder if engaged couples should be more prepared when entering into a marriage commitment. This mixed-methods study investigates the function of social penetration theory within premarital counseling programs. The research was designed to address three questions: (1) Do engaged couples believe they know the depth and breadth of their partner adequately enough to be prepared for marriage after receiving premarital counseling? (2) Do counselors indirectly support the basic premise of social penetration theory by actively using strategies to help engaged partners reveal important aspects of the breadth and …

The Phenomenon Behind The Bite: Altercasting As It Applies To Apple Technology, Elizabeth Baldwin

Masters Theses

This paper investigates how the brand Apple markets their product so that consumers feel obligated to buy their product. By looking at five main categories of brand loyalty, environmentally friendly practices, being up-to-date with technology, pricing with value and customer service, this paper will rhetorically analyze how successful of a job it does. To get an inside look at what the public thought on the the way that Apple fulfilled their altercasting this paper analyzed what people said about Apple verses competing technology brands. By drawing overall conclusions, recording trends and making observations about the way that people had been …

Charles Dickens' Great Expectations: The Failed Redeemers And The Fate Of The Orphan, Rebekah Overbey

Masters Theses

The figure of the orphan is scattered throughout the pages of Victorian novels, though few novelists created orphans that were quite as memorable as Charles Dickens. Lonely orphans and abused children appear in nearly all of Dickens' fictional works; in the novels in which the orphan is the main character, this innocent, helpless orphan is often adopted by a wealthy and benevolent benefactor, and the orphan is thus redeemed by a dramatic rescue. In Great Expectations, however, Dickens inverts this redemption by rescue that was so characteristic of his earlier novels. Instead of an innocent, helpless child, Great Expectations has …

Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Pathoneurological Basis Of Disease, Alex D. Hamilton

Senior Honors Theses

Fibromyalgia (also known as fibromyalgia syndrome, or FMS) is a condition which causes its victims to suffer a wide range of symptoms, most notably chronic musculoskeletal pain. Although the causes of fibromyalgia remain unknown, recent advances help elucidate the underlying pathophysiologies of this condition, and show that it is likely not a musculoskeletal condition, but rather a pathoneurological condition.

The Russian Gulag: Understanding The Dangers Of Marxism Combined With Totalitarianism, Mark C. Riley

Senior Honors Theses

This study examines the Soviet Gulag, the main prison camp administration implemented in the Soviet Union. The GULAG represents an institution that is not well known, and this paper will explain why it existed and why it remains in the shadows of history. Terror, propaganda, and belief in progress represent the three ideas that directed the Soviet totalitarian system. This thesis will accordingly explore the ideology behind totalitarian government and Marxist practice in order to understand why the Gulag was allowed to exist. Finally, it investigates the reasons why the Gulag has not taken a priority position in human knowledge …

Therapeutic Interaction With Children Through Play, Carolyn J. Dix Ms.

Senior Honors Theses

In the field of early childhood counseling, there has been a recent trend towards play therapy. Play is often referred to as the language of children because they can communicate their thoughts and feelings in ways that they express verbally. Therapeutic play sessions give therapists an opportunity to communicate with a child on his or her level which can provide more insight as to how to proceed with the therapy. The outcomes of play therapy implementations are substantially positive, and this therapeutic practice is becoming widely-accepted in the cases of childhood abuse, children with disabilities, children in hospitals, grieving children, …

The Impact Of Home Visitor Relationship Quality On Parenting And Child Outcomes: Does Maternal Age Matter?, Elizabeth A. Colsey

Senior Honors Theses

Early Head Start (EHS) is an early intervention program that seeks to mitigate the effects of risk for those families with young children. Consistent with attachment theory, the home visiting component of EHS targets parent-child relationships in order to combat negative child outcomes. Research indicates that children of adolescent mothers are susceptible to poor outcomes both in childhood and adulthood. The current study utilized EHS data from 1198 parent-child dyads to assess the indirect relationship of home visitor quality on child aggression through parent quality, as moderated by maternal age. Findings indicated that home visitor quality may have a greater …

Fifteen Percent Or More: A Content Analysis Of Geico's Commercial Advertising, Paul Davis

Masters Theses

In this media saturated world which is lived in today, the general public is bombarded by a multitude of advertisements. This thesis was conducted to examine Geico's commercial advertising looking specifically at their use of humor. The Elaboration Likelihood Model and the Humorous Message Taxonomy were used to conduct this content analysis. The research examined the route of persuasion and elaboration that were used in 60 Geico commercials from five of their most recent campaigns. The Humorous Message Taxonomy helped to establish which types of humor were being used along with the processes and relationship between elements. Three research questions …

Harnessing Charisma For Leadership Training, Meagan Roper

Masters Theses

Effective leadership develops followers toward objectives that focus a group's energy to engage in its task and accomplish its goals. The following study sought to understand charismatic leadership and its role in creating transformational change. Through a mixed methods case study using surveys and interviews, this researcher sought to explain the essence of charismatic leadership. Within the organization this study investigated, this meant first establishing organizational vision for a family atmosphere and guiding members on the path to achieving that vision, generating motivation and dedication to the task goals. The researcher discovered practical communicative strategies for incorporating charismatic leadership in …

The Persistence Of Narrative: Archetypal And Thematic Parallelism In Milton And Shelley, Douglas Stephens Iv

Other Undergraduate Scholarship

The literary connections between Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and John Milton’s Paradise Lost are relatively obvious to anyone familiar with both works. Less obvious is the fact that an astonishing number of character roles and thematic components translate directly between the two works. The characters of Frankenstein continually switch in and out of these clearly archetypal roles, but careful study reveals that the underlying parallels hold true throughout. The question at hand is whether the parallelism evident in the relationship between the books is a result of thematic referentialism or if there is a deeper historical and mythopoeic significance. That these …