Digital Commons Network^™

"Romantic Realities": Sherlock Holmes And Urban Imagination, Samantha Vaughn Gates

Honors Theses

My thesis explores excerpts of the Sherlock Holmes canon through literary and historical lenses, and relies on close readings to investigate the representation of urbanity in the stories. For my work, I rely on the term "urban imagination" as I discuss the way that Arthur Conan Doyle places representations of real London places adjacent to fantasy urban locations of his own creation, and the effect that this has on the narratives and on Sherlock himself. Doyle uses urban imagination in his romanticization of city life, and his manifestation of a London particularly suited to Sherlock's needs. The kind of London …

A Comparative Environmental History Of America And China: "Nature" And Climate Change, Elaine Lac

Honors Theses

Environmental history is at the most basic level an exploration of changing relationships between people and the environment or nature. Additionally, environmental history observes the human reshaping of nature, which then translates into culture, philosophies, and policies, and vice versa. A close examination of the ecological themes of history uncovers patterns and long-term changes. According to environmental historian Louis S. Warren, "At the beginning of the twenty-first century, as concerns about global warming and other ominous threats trouble many, the discipline of environmental history provides key insights into environmental relations and problems of the past." Ultimately, these insights can lead …

How To Save A Life: The Effect Of Message Format And Strength On Persuasiveness In Public Safety Messages, Katherine A. Lauber

Honors Theses

Public Safety messages aim to get important messages out to the general public. This study seeks to examine how message format and content are interconnected and the role they play within persuasion. The study is a 2x2 design, with the tested variables being central message versus peripheral message and text format versus video format. Participants will self-report interest level in the topic of toxins in household products before viewing a message on the topic, then self-report after. Results concluded that those with high initial interest were less persuaded than those with low initial interest, but central cues were more persuasive …

Innovation And Leadership Development For The Millennial Generation, Savannah L. Mccord

Honors Theses

Millennial college students’ leadership development is imperative for the future success of US society. If utilized consciously, the university can serve as a container of self-cultivation for the aspiring Millennial leader. Keys to leadership development are combining theory, practice, and mentoring. By utilizing the work of Joseph Campbell combined with other cutting-edge leadership development theories, this autoethnographic research shows the synthesis of theory and practice for a successful Millennial leader. This research is offered as a service to future Millennial college students and potential leaders.

Emotional Resistance In Kim Addonizio's "Jimmy & Rita": Representing The Negative Effects Of Baby-Boomer Values On Generation X, Raquel G. Olive

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Eco-Spirituality: Case Studies On Hinduism And Environmentalism In Contemporary India, Vikram Vishnu Shenoy

Honors Theses

India, with its population of 1.3 billion people, is one of the world's fastest growing countries both in terms of population and economy. One consequence of such rapid growth is that India now has levels of environmental pollution that are unprecedented in scale. Hinduism, India's majority religion, is the primary focus of this research. Hinduism is a religious tradition whose roots lie in the ancient Sanskrit Vedas. The Vedas, along with the Upanishads and Puranas, hold teachings of nurturing, caring, and protecting all aspects of the natural world. The cultural dynamics of India have drastically changed over the past two …

Anxiety Break: A Smartphone Application Used To Examine The Mediating Effects Of Metacognition On Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Devon L. Ruhde

Honors Theses

Worry is the highlight characteristic of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). While worry is very common in anxiety disorders, it is important to note that worry is common in non-clinical populations as well. The current study focused on the metacognitive model of GAD (Wells, 2005). Various intervention types available for those with GAD have been examined. However, with the surge of technological advances being integrated into the field of psychology, it is important to examine technology-based treatments, more specifically smartphone application interventions. The purpose of the current study was to use a smartphone application (Anxiety Breaks; Habib, 2013) that targets worry …

The Effects Of The Alexander Technique On The Performance Of Music Students, Heather Amos

Honors Theses

This honors thesis paper looks into the injuries commonly experienced by musicians and how the addition of the Alexander Technique affects both the injury and the performance of the musician. The purpose of this research was to attempt to find a solution to the pain musicians suffer from Repetitive Strain Injuries through either a treatment or prevention process of using the Alexander Technique. Throughout the research, the main questions that guided the findings were: what is causing the injuries many musicians seem to develop, what are the current uses of the Alexander Technique, has anyone experimented with using the Alexander …

Livesafe: Increasing Bystander Intervention At Eastern Kentucky University, Katie Victoria Scott

Honors Theses

This paper reviews the procurement and implementation of the LiveSafe safety application at Eastern Kentucky University and its impact on increasing bystander intervention for the campus community. LiveSafe was launched on February 1, 2016, and all data is based off the first ten weeks of availability (February 1^st to April 10^th). Metrics that will be reviewed and compared include “safe walks,” reported tips, and emergency messages. Because of the novelty of cellphone safety applications, there is little scholarship on the empirical impact of these application or the perception of students in regards to their safety on campuses …

Isolating Factors That Influence Grazing Patterns In Dairy Cattle, Julia N. Barney Mrs.

Honors Theses

Factors influencing grazing patterns were identified utilizing remote sensors on lactating Holstein and Brown Swiss dairy cattle in order to recommend efficient management techniques to dairy farmers. Over the course of three separate two week periods- one in the spring, summer and fall- data was collected on the dairy herd at Eastern Kentucky University’s Meadowbrook Farm. Approximately 18 cows were used each trial period; half being Brown Swiss and the other half being Holstein. Data was collected via CowManager ear tags, which tracked the five behavioral patterns of eating, ruminating, high, medium, and no activity. These activities served as dependent …

Knowledge And Attitudes Of Mothers On Neonatal Jaundice In Saravan, Iran, Allia Vaez

Honors Theses

The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes of mothers in Saravan, Iran on neonatal jaundice, whether or not herbal remedies were being used, and if these herbal remedies were harming the neonates. 59 participants answered questions from a questionnaire delivered orally and answers were recorded and entered into a spreadsheet for analysis. 72.88% of the neonates of the mothers questioned had neonatal jaundice within the first 28 days of birth. 58.67% of mothers knew that neonatal jaundice was a “sign of serious illness” and “could damage the brain.” 97.73% of neonates with jaundice within the …

Students Perceptions Of Individuals With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities And The Impact Of Inclusion, Marissa Visse

Honors Theses

The objective of this study is to determine if inclusion of people identified with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has an impact on their typically developing peers as well as determining the perceptions that college students at EKU have of people with IDD. A survey was conducted online through Surveymonkey.com and was sent out to EKU students through email. There were 82 respondents to the survey. The survey consisted of questions on age, gender, and status at EKU of each participant and asked them questions about the perceptions they have of those with IDD and if they have been involved …

Rescuing Victims Of Human Trafficking: Strategies And Solutions, Andrew J. Pullins

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to research and investigate how victims of human trafficking are removed from exploitative situations. There are three main methods of removal, which are raids, purchases, and escapes. Each method has its own unique characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. The research was conducted in the form of a literature review. The findings of this research indicate that there is no one “right” way to rescue a victim of human trafficking. Each rescue must be carefully researched and planned before being executed, or the consequences can be severe.

Efficacy Of Benzimidazole Anthelmintics In A Managed Equine Herd In Northeast Texas-- Strategies For An Evidence-Based Targeted Parasite Control Program, Cortney Stewart

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 …

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 …

Understanding Tacit Theories Of Nonprofit Administrators In Collaborative Interorganizational Networks, Ella C. Sanders

Honors Theses

As the nonprofit sector increases in size, many organizations are choosing to collaborate as a new approach to delivering goods and services to the public. Collaboration occurs when “organizations work together to address problems through joint effort, resources, and decision making and share ownership of the final product or service” (Guo & Acar, 2005). In my research, I ask the question: How do nonprofit administrators conceptualize this kind of interorganizational collaboration? These conceptualizations are referred to as tacit theories: the wisdom and knowledge of administrators that is implicitly known as a result of experience. I compare these tacit theories to …

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.

The Effect Of Increased Exposure Of Uvc Light On Human Skin Microbiota, T'Kylia S. Moss

Honors Theses

Many methods have been employed to prevent infections from opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised individuals. Among these are the use of ultraviolet light (UV). In this study, UVC light, was found to have a deleterious effect on specific skin flora. Organisms tested included Acinetobacter baumanii, Candida albicans, Candida kefyr, Corynebacterium renale, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Streptococcus pyogenes. Nutrient agar was used to cultivate most organisms. Blood agar was used for the cultivation of Streptococcus pyogenes and Enterococcus faecalis. Bacterial suspensions were made and utilized to plate each organism onto a set of 7 nutrient agar or …

Perceptions Of University Community Members Regarding Alcohol Restriction Policies, Katherine A. Meeker

Honors Theses

There has been a growing concern regarding sexual assaults on college and university campuses. The push to decrease sexual assaults has lead researchers and universities to examine alcohol abuse as a contributing factor. Many colleges and universities have developed new policies for alcohol restriction, but they have done so without taking into consideration the views of the campus community. In the absence of collaboration between the campus community and university administration, such policies will likely be ineffective. This study explores the beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes of the campus community regarding alcohol restriction policies at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Compassion Fatigue And Educational Preparation Among Mississippi Child Welfare Workers, Meredith D. Mcphail

Honors Theses

The prevalence of trauma among youth involved with the child welfare system affects not only these individuals but also child welfare service providers, namely social workers, who experience this trauma indirectly through interaction with the children. This exposure places service providers at risk for compassion fatigue, in which these workers themselves experience trauma symptoms or are less able to complete job tasks. It is especially important to address the issues of negative personal reactions among this population in order to best care for social service workers in Mississippi and identify strategies to effectively improve Mississippi’s child welfare system. As such, …

Evaluation Of Hearing Aid Wearers’ Appearance By Individuals Who Do Not Wear Hearing Aid Devices, Lauren M. Lott

Honors Theses

This study focuses on the perception of individuals who do not wear hearing aids and their perception of their hearing aid wearing peers. This thesis considers the opinions of students at The University of Southern Mississippi through the use of a paper survey evaluating the participant’s perception of the following attributes: attractiveness, confidence, motivation, trustworthiness, education, friendliness, intelligence, disability, and body image. Data is collected from 150 students from ages 18-30. This study hopes to determine whether or not there will be a significant change in perception of an individual once they are viewed with a hearing aid.

Graphic Design And The Cinema: An Application Of Graphic Design To The Art Of Filmmaking, Kacey B. Holifield

Honors Theses

When the public considers different art forms such as painting, drawing and sculpture, it is easy to understand the common elements that unite them. Each is a non-moving art form that begins at the drawing board. Using line, color and shape to evoke a particular response from audiences is what ties these fine arts together. Graphic design, however, tends to separate itself from the fine arts. Because of its later development in the art world, as well as, its operation within modern technological developments, graphic design is driven by the idea of communicating to large audiences. In this way, although …

A Comparative Analysis Between The Histories And Methods Of The Pro-Life And Lgbt Movements, Savanna B. Fox

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the connection between the elite theory and social movements by comparing the success of the pro-life and gay rights movements in America and investigating the effects that elite influence has had on these movements. The research is deductive in nature, investigating the elite theory in relation to social movements. The methodology of this project is organized as a comparative analysis between the gay rights and pro-life causes. The research discovers that elite influence, whether a social movement appeals to morality politics or interest group politics, and what kind of policy changes a movement seeks to affect all …

Relationship Between Parental Alcoholism And Family Unpredictability, Kamie L. Stephens

Honors Theses

This research is a retrospective study on adult children of alcoholics using a previous researcher’s, Dr. Ross, unpredictability scale. Family Unpredictability is defined as “a lack of consistency in family behaviors and regulatory systems,” (Ross and Hill, 2000). There is currently a lack of research related to parental alcoholism and its effect on family structure. The researcher hopes to gain insight on the relationship between parental alcoholism and family unpredictability. Previous research suggests children growing up with a caregiver who is an alcoholic experience a higher level of unpredictability in the home. Examples of this unpredictability are: a decreased amount …

Robert Frost’S Ulteriority: Saying One Thing In Terms Of Another – The Inexpressible, Nicolette S. Stackhouse

Honors Theses

Robert Frost’s poetry, which is famously rich in double meaning—saying one thing but meaning something else—is also concerned with pragmatism. Pragmatism implies that there is no one fundamental universal truth. I contend that Robert Frost’s poetry says that duplicity of meaning, or ulteriority, is something to be embraced. Frost wants the uncertainty of meaning to be understood by the reader as vital to life and the mind’s processes. The simple fact that so many readers search for the hidden meanings in his poetry justly proves this point. As a pragmatist, Frost was aware that the process of getting to a …

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 …

The Effect Of Balance Training On Disruptive Behaviors In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Claire A. Scates

Honors Theses

Objective

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of balance training on disruptive behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

Methods

Fourteen parents of children with ASD participated in this study. Data was collected using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) distributed to various therapy centers around the Hattiesburg and Jackson areas. A secondary survey was included that collected demographic data and basic data on what therapies the children have been involved in. The ABC provided a measure of the incidence of disruptive behaviors exhibited by the children with ASD as evaluated by their parents. Three of …

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.

The Relation Of Adolescent Narcissism And Prosocial Behavior With Cooperative And Competitive Attitudes, Erin V. Moran

Honors Theses

Narcissism has been correlated with prosocial behavior in adolescents (Kauten & Barry, 2014, 2016). However, whether adolescents with high levels of narcissism use more egoistic (i.e., self-serving) or altruistic (i.e., helping others with no direct personal benefit) prosocial behaviors has not been investigated. This issue was addressed in the present study, and attitudes of cooperation and competition were also examined as moderators in these relations. The current study involved 147 at-risk adolescents, ages 16 to 18 (113 males, 34 females) who were enrolled in a residential program. The data were collected through self-report questionnaires which assessed narcissism (i.e., non-pathological, grandiose, …