Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of Task Specific Factors On Quantity Discrimination By Brown Capuchins (Cebus Apella) And Squirrel Monkeys (Saimiri Sciureus), Alison Rose Billas

Honors Theses

Previous studies have revealed that non-human primates discriminate quantities. However, their performance is highly variable both within and between species. Discrepancies in performance may be the result of a variety of factors, including species-specific cognitive differences or task specific factors such as representational format of the choice stimuli, motivation to perform that task, or tolerance for task delays. Six brown capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) and six squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) were presented with two numerical quantities in three different conditions, replicating Schmitt and Fischer's (2011) study with baboons and macaques. Primates were rewarded with a quantity of food corresponding in …

Academic Achievement Of Ifc Fraternities During Deferred Vs. Structured Recruitment, Jose Eduardo Arciga

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Autism Spectrum Disorder And The Criminal Justice System: An Interdisciplinary Study, Erin T. Brown

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to advocate and raise awareness of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to SIU law students and to inform communication disorders and science (CDS) students of some basic facts about the criminal justice system in the United States. To accomplish this, an interdisciplinary session was conducted in which three CDS students taught ten law students about characteristics of ASD and three law teacher assistants taught thirteen CDS students about disability law and other intricacies of the justice system. Fifteen question pre-surveys were distributed to the participants upon arrival. CDS students answered questions about court …

"The Soul Becomes": Heuristic Emerson, James Alexander Hallam

Honors Theses

My research on Ralph Waldo Emerson centers on Emerson's assertion in "Self-Reliance" that "the soul becomes." In other words, the individual is engaged in a dynamic process of growth throughout his or her lifetime. Concentrating predominately on four of Emerson's main texts, my research explores the ways in which Emerson performs this process of growth within his essays. I argue that his inner struggles with himself and the world around him manifest themselves in various ways within his texts, both productively and unproductively. Productively, Emerson writes through his self-doubt and uncertainties, allowing him to arrive at new truths and new …

Impact Of Single Amino Acid Mutations In The Rhomboid Protease Pcp1p On Pcp1p Catalytic Activity, Cellular Respiration, Mitochondrial Morphology, And Mitochondrial Dna Maintenance, Andries Pieter Both

Honors Theses

Pcp1p is a rhomboid protease in the inner mitochondrial membrane of S. cerevisiae that processes Mgm1p, a protein required for mitochondrial fusion. In this study, five previously generated pcp1 mutant strains were analyzed for mitochondrial respiration, genome maintenance, and tubularization. We found that mutations that introduced a charged residue into Pcp1p resulted in a higher degree of respiratory deficiency, mtDNA loss, mitochondrial fragmentation, and possible mitochondrial membrane potential loss. Furthermore, these mutant phenotypes paralleled an increase in an aberrant form of Mgm1p that accumulates in the absence of wild type Pcp1p. This raises questions about the biogenesis of aberrant Mgm1p …

Determining Methods Of Propagation For The Investigation Of Intraspecific Variability Of Climate Change Responses Of Appalachian Plant Species, Gayle L. Tyree

Honors Theses

Species range migrations are a well-documented response to climate change (Loarie et al. 2009), with range shifts mainly occurring poleward or to higher elevations (Walther et al. 2002). As range shifts occur, variation in phenotypic traits within plant species across climate gradients could affect their abilities to acclimate or adapt to a changing climate (Hooper et al. 2005, Souza et al. 2011). In 2014 Dr. Jennifer Boyd (BGES) initiated a research project to examine potential intraspecific phenotypic variation within wide-ranging Appalachian plant species of responses to projected future atmospheric CO2 and temperature regimes. As an undergraduate research assistant, I focused …

Uncovering Cryptic Diversity Of Desmognathine Salamanders In The Cumberland Plateau Utilizing Molecular Genetic Techniques, Katherine E. Ray

Honors Theses

Cryptic species are difficult to identify morphologically; therefore, their distributions are often poorly understood. However, species distributions are critical for evaluating biodiversity in ecology and biodiversity. Dusky salamanders (Desmognathus) are an example of species of North American salamanders that have been particularly difficult to classify. Specifically, in the southern Cumberland Plateau, the dusky salamanders’ distributions are unknown. Desmognathus fuscus and D. conanti have been found to the north and south of the southern Cumberland Plateau, respectively. However, they have not been adequately sampled in this region. I studied genetic variation in the mitochondrial gene CytB in Desmognathus salamanders sampled from …

Redemption Of Man And Nature: Environmentalism Through The Lens Of Mainline Protestants And Conservative Evangelicals, Scottie Glen Hill

Honors Theses

This thesis addressed the relationship between the environmental movement in America and Protestant Christianity. Currently, there is an assumption that Christians tend to have attitudes that are adverse to environmentalism. This study investigated the origins of the current narratives while analyzing the various factors that have contributed to changes in this dynamic over time. This was done through an analysis of various primary sources from the late 1960s and 1970s, a critical period of time in which environmentalism and Protestant Christianity became inextricably connected. In 1967, amidst a growing environmental movement, Lynn White Jr. released an essay that criticized the …

Which Language(S) Are Best (For Web Development), Jackson A. Stone

Honors Theses

This thesis is intended to shine light on the complex nature of the online software ecosystem, in the hopes that it may help students who wish to pursue web development determine how to best spend their time researching and learning varying technologies.

Applications Of The Sierpiński Triangle To Musical Composition, Samuel C. Dent

Honors Theses

The present paper builds on the idea of composing music via fractals, specifically the Sierpiński Triangle and the Sierpiński Pedal Triangle. The resulting methods are intended to produce not just a series of random notes, but a series that we think pleases the ear. One method utilizes the iterative process of generating the Sierpiński Triangle and Sierpiński Pedal Triangle via matrix operations by applying this process to a geometric configuration of note names. This technique designs the largest components of the musical work first, then creates subsequent layers where each layer adds more detail.

Ceramic Diversity And Its Relation To Access To Market For Slaves On A Plantation, Rebecca L. Aucoin

Honors Theses

A study of the diversity of ceramics found on a plantation at a slave house in relation to the access to market that slave had could lead to a better understanding of the life and culture of slaves. A high diversity of ceramics at sites might indicate slaves purchased their own ceramics. At a number of sites located in the Natchez District in Mississippi, a study was conducted to identify samples of ceramic sherds to determine if slaves were able to purchase their own dish ware. The results of the study indicated that slaves at Mount Locust Plantation likely had …

Computational And Experimental Investigations Towards Improving Organic And Dye-Sensitized Semiconductor Solar Cells, Nathan D. Colley

Honors Theses

The global energy consumption is expected to double by 2050. Therefore, alternative energy sources such as solar power will have to be utilized. This work seeks to improve next generation solar cells, namely organic solar cells (OSCs) and dye-sensitized semiconductor solar cells (DSSCs), using theoretical and experimental approaches. Computational studies were done on electron acceptor and electron donor molecules that have potential use in OSCs and DSSCs. An improved Density Functional Theory (DFT) method that better represents experimental cyclic voltammetry was developed to predict the electronic properties of these molecules. The electronic data of the electron acceptor molecules were used …

More Than A Wheelchair In The Background: A Study Of Portrayals Of Disabilities In Children's Picture Books, Sarah Caroline Crawford

Honors Theses

A review of scholarly research conducted between 2004 and 2014 revealed that portrayals of disabilities in works of children’s literature were historically poor, containing stereotypical and negative characterizations. While noting some improvements, researchers still decry a lack of balance in roles of power between characters with disabilities and those without, a lack of depth in storylines and levels of character development, and disproportionate representations of disability categories, male and female characters, and cultural minorities in comparison to the true population (Altieri, 2006; Dowker, 2004; Dyches & Prater, 2005; Dyches, Prater, & Leininger, 2009; Golos & Moses, 2011; Golos, Moses, & …

Explaining The Outcomes Of The Affordable Care Act Through Lowi And Salamon’S Policy Evaluation Models, Anna Moravec

Honors Theses

This paper illustrates how tools-based theoretical models, like Lester Salamon’s, can be used to predict the outcome of policy tools. Theodore Lowi and Lester Salamon’s theoretical models were applied to select provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to generate predictions regarding their outcomes. The validity of these predictions was assessed by comparing them to current empirical data and trends. Ultimately, this paper sought to demonstrate how tools-based models can be used to predict policy tool outcomes relatively accurately. Our evaluation used Lowi’s original model detailed in his Four systems of policy, politics, and choice (1972) paper and Salamon’s model …

The Role Of Context And Memory Strategies In Prospective Memory Commission Errors, Iain A. Scott

Honors Theses

Within the field of prospective memory (memory related to future tasks), the repetition of an already completed task has recently been of great interest within the field. Referred to as a commission error, the cognitive mechanisms and specific risk factors that relate to this memory error have been the focus of research in this area of memory. For example, research suggests that a well-established behavioral strategy for improving prospective memory, termed implementation intentions, also elicits higher levels of commission errors, particularly for older adults (Bugg, Scullin, & McDaniel 2013). The impact of commission errors on everyday life can have extreme …

Millennial Skepticism And Susceptibility To Media Persuasion, Olivia K. Lee

Honors Theses

This study examines the disconnect between millennials' perceived and actual skepticism toward news media outlets as well as the Third Person Effect in millennials' attitude toward others' skepticism. This body of work includes survey research to examine these theories in the context of millennial news consumption.

The Efficacy Of Congestion Pricing, Zachary J. Ridder

Honors Theses

The practice of congestion pricing, also called road pricing, is by no means a new innovation. It has roots as far back as the American Revolution, but in the modern world filled with hundreds of millions of cars it is a possible answer to gridlock, a potential source of revenue, and an environmentally conscious policy. The question remains though, is congestion pricing effective and, assuming that it is, is it a benefit to a community or a tax upon the poorer members of society? It has been implemented across the world in many forms and with varying degrees of success, …

An Ethics Of Economic Sanctions, Macallee N. Goldman

Honors Theses

This paper provides an ethical analysis of smart sanctions under the combined framework of the categorical imperative and utilitarianism. Developing an ethical model that also encompasses sanction effectiveness as a means of evaluation, this paper argues that smart sanctions should not be used by countries and legislative bodies as tools of expression or of achieving goals without efficiency considerations grounded in this ethical framework. Only when they clearly meet the criteria of utilitarianism and the categorical imperative should smart sanctions be used. By doing so sanction effectiveness is argued to be maximized, in both ethical and empirical context.

Detection Of Acoustic Sources Using Time-Reversal Methods, Grant E. Tingstrom

Honors Theses

The goal of this research is to characterize the impact of using an equivalent-fluid method for a solid seabed on the use of time reversal procedures for detecting the origin location of an emitted sound. There are two different ways of modeling how sound propagates through water: modeling sound as a ray and modeling sound as a wave. It is easier to model the propagation of sound through water with a ray model; using a ray model allows for the collection of grazing angles with respect to the bottom. These will be important when determining bottom intensity loss of the …

Excessive Police Force And Misconduct: A Failing System And How To Improve It, Elise Seale

Honors Theses

The Law Enforcement Misconduct Statute was passed by Congress as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, partly as a reaction to a nationwide debate about excessive use of police force after Rodney King’s brutal killing in 1991. The statute gave the Department of Justice the ability to investigate and file suits against individual police departments; the statute’s intent was both to reform the investigated departments with high amounts of misconduct and excessive force and to incentivize police reform nationwide. However, because of the financial setbacks involved in launching investigations and inconsistency in implementation, this …

An Exploration Of Perseverative Behaviors In Young Children With Autism, Madison M. Ralph

Honors Theses

This study explored the interplay of stereotypical behaviors and social skills interventions in a clinical environment when stereotypy was not the focus of the interventions. A case study design was implemented to observe two participants that exhibited stereotypical and repetitive behaviors (SRBs) as well as the interventions that influenced these SRBs. Findings demonstrated prompting, positive reinforcement, and response interruption/redirection had a positive impact on shaping some SRBs but, as SRBs were not the focus of the interventions, other SRBs developed.

Exploring The Experiences Of Individuals Incarcerated For The Crime Of Arson, Joshua W. Polk

Honors Theses

Arson is a major crime in the United States. Despite this, there is a major gap in the existing literature regarding the reason why some individuals commit arson. There are currently no preventative policies that address the root of the problem: the arsonists themselves. The purpose of this project is to help fill the existing gap in literature and lay the foundation for future research on this topic. The participants for this study were obtained from a single prison. This study was conducted using a mixed qualitative methodology: correspondence and interviews with individuals convicted of arson. Using this qualitative method, …

The Effect Music Has In Speech Therapy, Emily K. Nester

Honors Theses

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the use of music in speech therapy. A survey was sent via email to Mississippi Speech-Language-Hearing Association (MSHA) certified speech-language pathologists to acquire knowledge on the use of music in their therapy sessions. The author used the source, SurveyMonkey, to collect and analyze the data. The data was used to determine the prevalence of music in speech therapy. In addition, when music was used, the data portrayed how music was incorporated into therapy and the particular gender, genre, and/or disorder preferred.

Form-Blindness And Its Implications: A Verification Study, Meredith G. Moody

Honors Theses

Form-blindness is not an eye problem. It is a perceptual inability to distinguish the small differences between shapes, colors, and patterns. This research examines this phenomenon by using a previously-established exam to study form-blindness and its implications. Demographic variables such as age, major, GPA, and sex are also looked at to see what potential impact they might have on a person’s performance on the exam. The form-blindness tests administered during this study were graded and then analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. In the end, no statistical significance was found for the demographic variables of age, GPA, major, …

The Good, The Bad And The Useless: The Perception Of Books In Ray Bradbury’S Fahrenheit 451, Markus Zusak’S The Book Thief, And Gary Shteyngart’S Super Sad True Love Story, Morgan Grace Milburn

Honors Theses

Literature acts as a thought experiment that allows authors to test out theoretical concepts. In dystopian literature, authors test their theories on what leads to a dystopian society, and therefore how to avoid it. In this thesis, I examine three dystopian novels, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, and Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story as well as the theories the authors engage with on how to avoid dystopian futures. All three of the novels suggest that wisdom is the way to avoid a dystopian future, but the ways they define wisdom are different. By examining …

Momentum Transfer To A Simplified Wind Turbine Blade, Myer D. Milbrath

Honors Theses

This project looks into the potential of simplified simulations as a supplement to wind turbine blade designs. The idea is to take a two-dimensional representation of a wind turbine blade and attempt to use a fluid flow simulation to determine which "aspect ratio" is the most efficient in the transfer of momentum. This is then compared to the current requirements for wind turbine blades to judge how accurate the simulation was. It was found that an aspect ratio of 16.66 percent was most efficient, however when compared to the requirements for a wind turbine blade this ratio only falls into …

Human Psychological Response To And Benefits Of Interior Water Features, Alissa M. Clouse

Honors Theses

Water features such as water fountains, water walls, fish tanks, and fish ponds are being installed more commonly in interior spaces, but limited research on how these interior water features psychologically affect individuals has been conducted. The hypothesis assumes that individuals have an overall positive reaction to interior water features.

Water features have been used in a variety of places such as healthcare facilities, childcare centers, adult centers, and commercial spaces to create a calming environment. Sounds of softly trickling water have replaced background music in some facilities in order to promote a healing atmosphere. Because water features are installed …

The Lipstick Effect Operates At The Level Of Automatic Visual Attention, Aaron M. Bermond

Honors Theses

Although general consumer spending usually decreases during economic recessions, Hill and colleagues (2012) found evidence that women concerned with economic recession demonstrated an increased preference towards purchasing products capable of enhancing physical beauty, thereby allowing them to appear more attractive to mates with resources. Referring to this phenomenon as the lipstick effect, these researchers suggested such purchasing preferences demonstrate evidence for an evolved female mating strategy. The current study was designed to more directly test whether the lipstick effect represents an evolved female mating adaptation by determining if it operates at the level of automaticity, specifically automatic visual attention (Fodor, …

Developing A Deletion Construct Of The Halothiobacillus Neapolitanus Csos1c Gene, Ellyn K. Dunbar

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research was to develop a deletion construct for the chemoautotrophic bacterium Halothiobacillus neapolitanus, which will be used to generate a mutant lacking a carboxysome shell protein gene. The carboxysome is the location of carbon dioxide fixation. The operon that encodes the carboxysome contains three genes for CsoS1 proteins, the major components of the carboxysome shell. The small CsoS1 proteins self-assemble into hexamers with small central pores. The hexamers arrange into the facets of the icosahedral carboxysome shell. The pores are believed to be involved in selective diffusion of materials necessary for carbon dioxide fixation across the …

The Effect Of Easy Onset Time Treatment On Voice Onset Time In Stuttering, Candace M. Franklin

Honors Theses

For over 70 million people who stutter, it is a disorder that can affect a person’s social, emotional, and professional life on a daily basis (Gordon, 2002). Stuttering is defined as a fluency disorder that includes the repetition of words, pauses in speech, or sound prolongation (Hedge, 2001). Although there are many different theories as to what causes stuttering, the etiology of stuttering remains undetermined. As a result, much research has been done on various treatment approaches to try and ease the effects of stuttering. One particular approach is the Easy Onset Time approach. This approach encourages the client to …