Digital Commons Network^™

Marketing Disability : Navigating The Ethics Of Nonprofit Development And Marketing, Peyton F. Carter

Honors Theses

In this paper, I explore how nonprofit organizations arrived at their current model, which often include a heavy emphasis on the need for private donations, and the resulting need of organizations to assert their value and be competitive in the marketplace.By attending to the specific marketing practices of one disability services nonprofit, I show how the complexities of power relations and issues of representation manifest themselves in the non profit sector.

Gender And Sport Inequities : Perceiving Injustices And Galvanizing Change, Ashey E. Gross

Honors Theses

We examined the effect of procedural and distributive justice on activism intent and donation. We did not find a direct effect from the justice messages on either activism intent or donation, however we also looked at moderators such as belief in a just world. We found that belief in a just world moderated activism intent, that is, people who scored low on the BJW scale had higher activism intent after reading the messages, and the messages had an inverse effect on those who scored high on the BJW scale. We did not find any effect on donation from either message.

When Does The Positivity Effect Emerge? : Age-Related Emotional Biases At Encoding And Retrieval, Hannah Wolfe

Honors Theses

The Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST) posits that as their future time perspective shrinks, older adults tend to be more motivated by emotionally meaningful goals and therefore experience what is called the “positivity effect” with age (Carstensen, 2006). The positivity effect had been studied in both attention biases (Isaacowitz et al., 2006a) and memory biases (Kensinger, 2008), with older adults dwelling longer on and better remembering the positive stimuli over the negative. Yet, few studies have measured emotional biases at both the encoding and retrieval phases, which is why this study uses eye-tracking to determine whether any biases in gaze patterns …

Self-Interest Versus Social-Interest Policy Framing : The Case Of School Choice, Benedict Roemer

Honors Theses

This study examines the role of self-interest and social-interest framing in determining support for school choice policies. I make a new contribution to the field of political psychology and policy framing by comparing the effects of self-interest and social-interest. My research focuses on the domain of education policy and school choice in an original experimental study and a case study of newspaper editorials. I find evidence that the self-interest frame garners significantly mores upport for school choice policies among certain population, but policy advocates most commonly use social-interest framing when arguing for school choice policies.

Driving Anxiety In Young People With Autism Spectrum Disorder : A Driving Simulator Pilot Study, Rebecca Pasch

Honors Theses

The goal of this project was to investigate how driving anxiety changes overtime in young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when using a driving simulator technology. Additional exploratory measures were collected on duration of participation,. stopping distance, and reaction time.

“Il Est Bon, Aujourd'hui, Le Boudin” : La Nourriture Esthétique Et Le Goût Dans Le Roman Naturaliste Zolien, Elena Palazzolo

Honors Theses

La lecture de n’importe quel texte dans les Rougon-Macquart rend clair que leur romancier, Emile Zola, était intéressé sinon obsédé par le symbolisme et les motifs alimentaires. La série, écrite entre 1871 et 1893, couvre la vie d’une famille sous le Second Empire et représente les grands problèmes sociaux du jour notamment les inégalités entre la bourgeoisie et la classe ouvrière en illustrant le chômage, l’alcoolisme, la faim chronique et les lieux de travail dangereux. D’un côté, la discussion de la nourriture à l’intérieur de ce discours semble évidemment pratique ou idéologique. Dans les mots de Albert Sonnenfeld, « Zola …

Draw Some Awesome : The Effect Of Art And Awe On Grief And Giving, Jamie Katz

Honors Theses

Prior research has shown that awe can have positive psychological effects on people who experience it. We conducted two experimental trials to test whether awe can be evoked by art and whether this art induced awe can increase people's charitable donations and decrease their grief in the face of losing an important relationship. We concluded that spectacular videos of art production were significant evokers of awe compared to their mundane control counterparts. We also found that the awe videos increased charitable donations through a mediating variable of feeling the "presence of something greater than oneself." Lastly, we found that there …

Re-Imagining Student Achievement : The Egalitarian Failure Of The Carrot-Stick Model In K-12 Public Education, Michael Johnson

Honors Theses

Achievementgaps between low-income and minority students and their counterparts are among the most pressing education policy issues today. Cash incentivization to students has gained momentum as a potential remedy to reduce disparities in studentachievementoutcomes. Grading incentive schemes function identically as objections to cash-incentives positioning both within the broader carrot-stick motivation model. Rather than eliminate the widely used grading scheme, however, I conclude that efforts should be redirected towards reducing the saliency of standardized evaluative benchmarks to which incentives are aimed as opposed to reforming the incentives themselves which I refer to as the Revisionary Proposal.

Drawing The Line: Ancient Hominins And The Species Question, Erin Hurley, Carolyn Dillian

Honors Theses

he present paper asserts that groups such as Neandertals and Denisovans should be considered subspecies of H. sapiens. This contention is based upon the biological species concept and the fact that these groups interbred to create viable offspring. It is also stated that introgression from these groups made several positive contributions to the evolution of H. sapiens and their genome that may have served to promote the persistence of H. sapiens in Eurasia.

Psychological Effects And Treatment Of An Injury On An Athlete: Suggested Treatment Plan For Athletic Trainers And Physical Therapist, Odell Miller

Honors Theses

Injuries that force athletes to lose participation in their sport and or training have a tremendous impact on their mental health. Mental health issues can be detrimental, but often times go unnoticed. For example in 2010, Kenny McKinley, a wide receiver for the Denver Broncos, was found dead after killing himself with a gun. After suffering a knee injury, he had become progressively depressed. Investigators reported that there are statements saying that McKinley didn’t know what he would do without football. According to NCAA’s Sports Science Institute (2017), the psychological response to injury can trigger mental health issues such as: …

Advertising In A World Full Of Human Trafficking: How Advertising And Human Trafficking Coincide, April M. Cherry

Honors Theses

As a young woman, I have been groomed to worry about the consequences of what I wear, what I say, and how I interact with men. My grandma is constantly sending me emails with new information on sexual assault or kidnapping cases around the area in which I live. I see articles about human trafficking schemes on my news feed almost weekly. As a young woman, I am conditioned to be on guard at all times because the dangers of being abducted or attacked, specifically trafficked, are portrayed to be more likely than they truly are. Why is this? Why …

The Effects Of The Relationship Between Racism And The Environment On Personal Health, Hannah M. Batsche

Honors Theses

Substantial research evidence suggests that racial and ethnic minority groups living in America do not have the same access and opportunities for maximized health as their white counterparts. Factors of the environment, termed social determinates of health, explain this phenomenon. There are five social determinates of health which are influenced by racism: education, economic stability, neighborhood and built environment, health and healthcare, and social and community context. Research has been conducted in various populations on how the relationship between racism and the five social determinants of health negatively affect the health of individuals. However, little research has been conducted in …

Conscious Consumerism: A Design Process For Stylish Sustainable Apparel, Luz Becerra

Honors Theses

The main objective of this paper is to explore current consumer behavior and perspective on sustainable apparel as well as future trends in the market place such as willingness to buy. I investigated the market for organic apparel brands, and identified potential areas of growth. My findings concluded that young consumers lack interest in sustainable apparel because they are not sufficiently educated in the topic and are not willing to sacrifice their style identity, consequently purchasing trendy fast-fashion items. The fashion industry is famously claimed to be the second most polluting industry in the world, so I designed a line …

Experiential Learning In Collegiate Academia: The Silicon Valley Immersion, Kirsten Settle

Honors Theses

A thesis in an examination of experiential collegiate learning, specifically that are found within the vocational field of entrepreneurship and business management. This student-driven project’s objective primarily is to recruit a dedicated team of diverse students from Western Michigan University (WMU) to engage in a systematic, site-based experiential learning in one of the world’s biggest tech-metropolitans, San Francisco, California. The mission is to stimulate an experience-based approach to studying a business centered curriculum through field research with some of the country’s most successful companies. Participants evaluated company culture in diverse business settings to comprehend professional prospects and project management best …

Stakeholder Theory In Ethical Business Decisions: The Case Of Nestle, Mckayla Marcola

Honors Theses

The traditional view of business is that executives have an obligation to base all decisions around increasing the value of the business. But what happens when those decisions infringe on the surrounding environment? In 2017, Nestlé proposed a water withdrawal increase at their Evart, MI water bottling plant from 250 gallons per minute, to 400 gallons per minute. During April 2018, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality approved the new withdrawal proposal; this caused an up roar in the environmental community. From local citizens, to public interest groups, many have expressed their opposition for this increase stating that this increase …

The Importance Of Athletic Trainers At The High School Level And Barriers To Hire, Nathan Southerington

Honors Theses

The goal of the study is to unveil the significance of the athletic training profession at the high school level and identify any barriers that restrict high schools from employing athletic trainers (ATs). While ATs are a commodity in collegiate and professional sports, many high schools around the nation struggle to employ these health care professionals. Surveys were sent to both superintendents and athletic directors (ADs) throughout the state of Michigan, to establish common hindrances to hiring athletic trainers in secondary schools. The survey covered topics such as common barriers to hiring ATs, reasons they prefer to hire ATs, school …

The Influence Of Predisposing, Enabling And Reinforcing Factors On The Solid Waste Management System. A Case Study On Kampala And Nairobi., Bethel Mwenze

Honors Theses

This study is a literature review on available research on the solid waste management issues that are overwhelming the cities of Kampala and Nairobi. The populations of these cities are growing as these cities attempt to fast track development in their cities. With this, means a multitude of issues that are too overwhelming for the current infrastructure. If these issues are not properly dealt with environmental and health problems are sure to ensue This study distributes these issues on the individuals, workers and policy makers in reference to their responsibilities. So, one can understand the predisposing factors such as knowledge …

The Effects Of Feliway On The Stress Of Cats During Veterinary Examination, Colleen Doonan

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Feliway® during veterinary examination. Feliway® contains a synthetic version of the F3 pheromone, secreted from the cheeks of Felis sylvestris catus when rubbing against objects in the environment. It is presumed to allow cats to establish a home range to feel secure. A double-blind study was conducted to address the limitations of another study that concluded Feliway® is useful for reducing stress experienced by cats during veterinary examination. The current study found that Feliway® is not useful by itself for adequate stress reduction during feline examinations. It was concluded …

A Survey On The Effectiveness Of The Flipped Classroom In The Communication Sciences, Amanda Bange

Honors Theses

This study examines how the flipped classroom model impacts student performance in the communication sciences. The flipped classroom is defined as an educational technique that utilizes technology to provide lecture materials outside of class time, while students complete projects and engage in discussion in class with the professor. Twenty-six participants responded to a survey regarding their flipped classroom experiences in four spring semester speech­ language pathology and audiology classes. Responses were mixed, indicating a dislike of the formatting of the style while appreciating the extra practice, question-and-answer time, and thorough engagement with the topic that the flipped classroom model provided.

The Use Of Neurologic Music Therapy And Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation As Treatment For Parkinson’S Disease, Shaima Shebrain

Honors Theses

Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a progressive, neurodegenerative disease, is common in people who are 50 years of age or older. It is characterized by the loss of function of the substantia nigra in producing dopamine, a neurotransmitter that allows for smooth and coordinated movement. Due to the lack of dopamine, an individual with PD experiences involuntary and stiff movements such as tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia, postural instability, and abnormal gait patterns along with other motor symptoms. Over the years, the motor symptoms that are associated with PD progressively worsen; thus, limiting the individual’s independency and ability to perform daily tasks. Those with …

Becoming Your Brand, Blake Kuzma

Honors Theses

As many young professionals now, starting a career is a very important and scary time. We are taught more and more how important it is that you present yourself in a way that is marketable to employers not only in person, but online as well. As a survey done by Jobvite in 2015, “75% of HR departments are required to search job applicants online” and also that “75% of HR professionals have rejected candidates based on information they have found online.” (Jobvite, 2015).

But beyond the advice we receive from our parents and mentors, there is very little that is …

An Overpayment And Improved Reconciliation Process, Logan Wright

Honors Theses

Managerial errors in the form of late entry separations result in operating inefficiencies and excess costs to a company, as reconciliations will need to occur between paychecks issued and active employees versus separated employees. This is an issue that is currently plaguing Whirlpool Corporation (Whirlpool) in their U.S. operations. After the implementation of a plan to restructure their Human Resources (HR) Department and payroll unit to achieve HR Excellence, Whirlpool experienced problems with their payroll process resulting in inaccurate payments to separated employees. This senior project designed a two-phase process, first phase being prevention and second phase being a lean …

Structure-Activity Relationship Of Novel Rgd-Containing Cyclic Peptides Against Αvβ3 Integrin, Aaron Silva

Honors Theses

The αvβ3 integrin, a receptor for many extracellular matrix proteins with the RGD sequence motif, is involved in multiple physiological processes. The integrin is highly expressed on tumor cells, therefore making it a target for cancer therapy and imaging. Efforts have been made to develop an RGD-containing ligand against the αvβ3 integrin.

A series of RGD-containing cyclic octapeptides (LXW analogs) were previously synthesized, tested in vitro, and screened as integrin antagonists with a different binding affinity (Xiao et al., 2010; Wang et al., 2015), but the structure-activity relationship remains to be elucidated. In the current study, the structures of three …

An Implementation Of Packet-Switched Communication For Pilot Protection At Tennessee Valley Authority, Ha Le Vo

Honors Theses

The utility network has long relied on Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) such as T1 and Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) as the main channel to transmit and receive data in a communication system. However, TDM technology is aging and its equipment becoming obsolete as vendors transition to Packet-Switched Networks (PSN) to make way for Ethernet-based network communications. Teleprotection is a critical element for a reliable power system as it provides high-speed tripping for faults on the protected line and is applied in various pilot protection schemes. Protection schemes cannot perform at their best without a fast and reliable communication system. The …

The Intersection Of Literacy And Digital Literacy: Incorporating Writing Standards With Computer Technology Standards, Grace Mcpherson

Honors Theses

This project aims to increase access to computer science/computer technology education by providing teachers resources to enable them to teach computer science/computer technology. A survey was taken to discover the interests and needs of teachers in Hamilton County, Tennessee. The project resulted in the creation of several lesson plans that integrate English and computer science through hands-on web development exercises, computational thinking opportunities, and critical thinking.

Personal Ethnography As Applied Learning: A Qualitative Explorative Ethnographic Observational Study Of Social Comparison, Tridereka Hall

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to discuss and evaluate the experience of studying abroad for college students as a participant observer as well as their perceptions of the experience. In Spring 2018, as a part of my studies and as an observational ethnography, I participated in the study abroad program through AIFS at Veritas University. In the study, I will provide my own transformative experience of studying abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica, as well as perspectives of other students who have studied abroad in different locations throughout Costa Rica, and an advisor with experience of assisting study abroad …

Senior Recital, Jaron Kirshenbaum

Honors Theses

This recital, although it featured works learned over the last six months, is really a culmination of all the work I have put in over the last three and a half years here at the Western Michigan University School of Music. It is a program that brought together friends and colleagues, and featured solo works that show just how far I have come since I arrived here as a freshman clarinet player in the Fall of 2015. Although the diverse music selection and the decision to do mainly single movements from larger works is not what you would typically see …

Autonomous Collision Avoidance In Small Scale Vehicles, Justin T. Sharpe

Honors Theses

The undergraduate research performed in this study focused on autonomous collision avoidance in small scale vehicles. The goal of this study was to find equipment to build a fully autonomous small scale vehicle for use in different applications. Radio frequency communication, ultrasonic sensors, and single board computers were used to create an autonomous vehicle for multiple applications. Different communication protocols and sensors were investigated, and an explanation was specified concerning the hardware choice. The main communication protocol tested was Long Range Wide Area Network, and the main electronics tested and used were ultrasonic sensors, First Person View cameras, and the …

A Look Into Electronic Word-Of-Mouth: The Willingness Of Consumers To Write Online Reviews, Michelle Le

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the willingness of a consumer to write an online review in relation to their love for a brand, their attachment to a brand and their satisfaction with shopping online for that brand. There are limited empirical studies that investigate the impact of Brand Love, Brand Attachment, and Electronic Shopping Experience Satisfaction on online reviews. Brand Love is the extent of emotional attachment that a content consumer feels for a certain brand or trade name whereas Brand Attachment measures the degree or strength to which consumers connects themselves with a brand. Lastly, a …

Investigating The Effects Of Popularity On Comment Civility: A Youtube Case Study, Isaac Smith

Honors Theses

This study will explore the connection between the civility of internet comments and their popularity- through the example of two YouTube videos. By using a combination of manual review and computer analysis, to help readers discover if video popularity has a negative effect on comment civility. Findings also examined correlations between factors that indicate civility, while also including examples of notable and intriguing comments found during this study.