Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Role Personality Plays In Puppy Raisers And Guide Dogs In Training, Cassidy D. Wood

Honors Theses

Several factors affect how guide dogs in training fare during the period before the dogs are paired with their future handler. One factor that has not been researched in the past is personality compatibility between the puppy raiser and the dog in training. For the needs of the visually impaired community to be met, guide dog schools need to efficiently train and match dogs to handlers without the dogs failing. To help reduce the number of dogs that fail guide dog training, this study suggests the assessment and comparison of personality for the dog and potential puppy raisers to better …

Examining School Safety And Security: A Situational Crime Perspective, Jessica A. Barnett

Honors Theses

In recent years, an interest in focus of research addressing school safety and security has increased; however, this literature lacks a cohesive theoretical perspective for addressing solutions to school crime and violence. The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature on school safety and security. Then, analyze this literature in light of the situational crime prevention perspective. A literature search using Web of Science yielded 45 eligible studies. Results indicated that each of the 45 articles could be organized into one of the five mechanisms of Situational Crime Prevention: increasing effort, increasing risk, removing …

The Incorporation And Effect Of Movement In The Elementary Classroom, Caroline L. Rhett

Honors Theses

The main purpose of this thesis project was to examine the incorporation of movement in preschool and elementary classrooms and identify its effects. A review of methodology from musicians/educators such as Zoltán Kodály, Carl Orff, and Emile Jacques-Dalcroze provided a foundation for the research topic. Other factors surrounding music and movement included the physical, mental, and developmental aspects. These factors were studied through the lens of authors and researchers such as Howard Gardner.

The practice used was primarily observation, which took place in local music classrooms as well as at a Carl Orff Workshop. Observation led to the conclusion that …

Anxiety Moderates The Relationship Between Peer Exclusivity And Peer Relational Aggression Among College Students, Hailee Buras

Honors Theses

Relational aggression (i.e., harming the victim’s relationships, reputation/status, or feelings of belongingness) is associated with a number of adverse correlates among college students (Dahlen, Czar, Prather, & Dyess, 2013; Ostrov & Houston, 2008). Peer exclusivity (i.e., the desire that one’s close friends do not have other close friends) has been shown to be positively related to relational aggression in peer relationships (Kawabata, Youngblood, & Hamaguchi, 2014); however, this relationship has not been widely explored. Anxiety is also relevant to relational aggression among college students (Cooley, Frazer, Fite, Brown, & DiPierro, 2016; Gros, Gros, & Simms, 2010) and may inform our …

Identifying The Relationship Between Supplementary Educational Tools And Black Undergraduate Academic Performance, Joiliana Lecointe

Honors Theses

What is the relationship between supplementary educational tools and the success of undergraduate minority students of Black descent at Andrews University? About a third of all students who attend a private, non-profit, four-year college or university do not complete a degree in six years (Digest of Education Statistics, 2017). Andrews University is a Seventh-Day Adventist, private university, and thus is able to provide a greater quality of education as compared to public colleges and universities (Scholarships.com, 2020). This is reflected in higher six-year graduation rates of private universities, as well as higher grade point averages. Unfortunately, minorities, and specifically Black …

Gender Role Beliefs And Intercultural Romantic Relationships, Jessica Bujor

Honors Theses

The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between gender role beliefs and intercultural relationship quality for individuals in committed relationships, and between gender role beliefs and willingness to date outside of your respective culture for individuals not in committed relationships. This study also examines romantic relationships using the homophily principle from social psychology, which states that we are more attracted to people who are more similar to ourselves—this may play a role in the prevalence of intercultural romantic relationships. I used Lafontaine’s short version of the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale to measure relationships quality, the …

Express Yourself : A Study Of Expressive Writing And State Anxiety, Emerald Danielle Norman

Honors Theses

This study is under a larger study on the efficacy of psychological first aid compared to expressive writing as a crisis intervention method for individuals exposed to a traumatic event using a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Research has shown that expressive writing can be beneficial to improve the mental and physical health of patients (Gortner, Rude, & Pennebaker, 2006). Research has shown that the use of positive emotion and insight words through expressive writing can reduce state anxiety (Shen, Yang, Zhang, & Zhang, 2018). This study examined the effect of expressive writing on state anxiety by comparing the intervention with …

A Phenomological Study: The Adventist Musician Experience, Tiffany Steinweg

Honors Theses

What is the experience of a Seventh-day Adventist professional classical musician? Both Seventh-day Adventists and classical musicians have been the subjects of numerous studies in past decades; however, few to none of those studies have focused on individuals who identify as both. The current study seeks to better understand the experiences of Adventist musicians within their church and within the wider classical music community. Interviews were conducted with five musicians using an initial and a follow-up set of questions. Themes were identified from interview transcripts by a content analysis. Several predicted themes were confirmed such as the experience of one’s …

A Behavioral Analysis Of Intimate Partner Violence Victims, Maryssa Presbitero

Honors Theses

This study derived from the stories of eight women from varying backgrounds who have experienced intimate partner abuse. My analysis focuses on identifying themes across the transcripts of their qualitative open-ended interviews. I was specifically interested in how intimate partner abuse impacted the women’s behavior in terms of surviving the relationships and navigating escape. Given that the interviews included life histories, I was able to also examine themes related to childhood victimization as well. Patterns that arose from their experiences include exposure to violence in the home as children, escalation of abuse in their adult intimate relationships, various struggles to …

A Behavioral Analysis Of Intimate Partner Violence Victims, Maryssa Presbitero

Honors Theses

This study derived from the stories of eight women from varying backgrounds who have experienced intimate partner abuse. My analysis focuses on identifying themes across the transcripts of their qualitative open-ended interviews. I was specifically interested in how intimate partner abuse impacted the women’s behavior in terms of surviving the relationships and navigating escape. Given that the interviews included life histories, I was able to also examine themes related to childhood victimization as well. Patterns that arose from their experiences include exposure to violence in the home as children, escalation of abuse in their adult intimate relationships, various struggles to …

Analyses Of Prosecutorial Power And Discretion In Mississippi: Evaluating Proposals To Address Misconduct And Abuse, Lucy Pruitt

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to create a policy proposal in order to address incidences of prosecutorial misconduct and abuse of discretion in the Mississippi criminal justice system. To do so, the author has summarized and analyzed seven criminal cases in which defendants have become victims of prosecutorial misconduct in order to shed light on the lack of prosecutorial accountability in the state’s criminal justice system. In an attempt to solve the problem, the author has developed a novel grading rubric in order to objectively and systematically analyze and evaluate previously proposed policy recommendations by legal experts and justice organizations. The successes …

The Blame Game : Complicity And Rape Culture In Margaret Atwood's Novel And Hulu's Adapted Series The Handmaid's Tale, Hannah Gallant

Honors Theses

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) and the Hulu award-winning televisual adaptation (2017-Present) portray a dystopic, theocratic regime known as Gilead. The regime’s focus on female bodies and reproduction exemplifies what feminist theorists call rape culture, a culture Gilead perpetuates through sexual violence, rape, and surveillance. Using critical race theory, media and close-textual analysis this project examines both works, arguing that complicity within the novel must be discussed in relation to rape culture and that while the series accounts for rape culture, it problematically manifests a type of feminism that privileges white women over women of color.

A Modern Cat-Tas-Trophe? The Relationships And Impacts Between Feral Cat Management And Sustainable Urban Development: A Literature Review, Gage Mofield

Honors Theses

For this literature review, I will be reviewing the impacts that feral populations have on sustainable development, specifically in urban environments, and doing an intensive analysis of the economic, social, and most significant, environmental impacts that feral cats have on the respective urban environment. Following this, I will then be reviewing the different management strategies that currently are in place for managing feral cat populations, specifically lethal methods of feral cat management, and then analyzing a non-lethal feral cat management program known as “TNR”, which stands for Trap-Neuter-Return, and seeing which methodology is the best suited for managing urban feral …

Separate And Unequal: The Causes And Effects Of Economic Inequality In Our Communities, And What We Must Do About It, Jonathan Payne

Honors Theses

This project seeks to create a deep understanding of some of the key causes and effects of economic inequality. In it, I review a wide variety of research and reporting on inequality as well as interview people that have been impacted by inequality in my community, Oxford, Mississippi. This information, as a whole, is not meant to create a complete, comprehensive understanding of income and wealth inequality, which would be impossible. Instead, it is a meditation on the origins, cycles, outcomes and ethical implications of the phenomenon. In it, I contend that the vast majority of negative outcomes of inequality, …

Capes And Catechesis: The Use Of Comic Books To Catechize Catholic Youths, Lindsey Bronder

Honors Theses

Since the 1930s, comic books starring superheroes have been popular among youth in America. This original archival research seeks to analyze how comic books have been used in the past to catechize, or teach the Catholic faith, American Catholic youth. Using George Pfaum's comic series "Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact" (1946-1972) as an example of a Catholic comic book, this study examines and analyzes the themes and stories of the comics and how they were designed as a teaching tool. This study will also identify ways comic books can be used today as a catechetical tool.

Designing Fictional Spaces: Questionable Architecture That Supports Sustainable Design, Noël J. Michel

Honors Theses

This thesis presents the modeling of spaces described in short stories that are difficult to visualize. The three stories are Kafka's “The Burrow,” Borges’s “The Library of Babel” and Barthelme's “The Balloon.” Three-dimensional models were created based on the details provided by the authors in each story. Several 2-D images are then generated from these models to match specific scenes. This consideration of these works of fiction provokes the asking of several questions about the science, mathematics and engineering that underpins the stories. In all cases, questions about sustainability arise.

This manuscript is divided into three parts to correspond to …

Angry Tweets And Interest Groups, Sean Newhouse

Honors Theses

Social media have become a primary vehicle through which interest groups have sought influence on the U.S. political system. While the relationship between social media and politics has been studied, little research has been conducted into which posts, specifically from interest groups, receive the most public feedback. Through a content analysis, I coded more than 2,000 tweets from two pairs of diametrically opposed interest groups according to the type of language that was employed in the tweet (argumentative, agreeable, action-oriented) and the multimedia that was utilized (plain, photo, link, video). Tweets with argumentative language tended to receive more likes, retweets, …

Newspapers In The Transformative 1960s At The University Of Dayton, Brendan Zdunek

Honors Theses

This honors thesis focuses on the University of Dayton during the 1960s when the university transitioned from a small, parochial Catholic college to a larger, more secular institution. This change was rooted in much wider transformations taking place in both the Catholic community and broader society during the decade. During this period of transition, two major groups, Dayton residents and University of Dayton students, had differing opinions on the transition. Campus and city newspaper coverage of key debates helped shape public opinion. This thesis examines how the local Dayton Daily News and the University of Dayton student newspaper, Flyer News, …

The Boricua Dialogues: Puerto Rican Identity In Conversation & Photography, Jonathan Borton

Honors Theses

[Thesis has no abstract.]

Mind To Mirror To Life: Sexual Health From A Body Positive Lens, Kacey Richardson

Honors Theses

Body image and sexual health are inextricably linked. It is crucial for college students to understand the importance of body image within sexual health in order to capture the full scope of sexual well-being, although most existing sexuality education resources for college students fail to make this connection. This thesis demonstrates the necessity for comprehensive sexual health education that incorporates a focus on body image to promote the health and wellness of college students. Using an intersectional outlook, the thesis evaluates existing resources and presents the contents of an original workshop titled “Mind to Mirror to Life: Sexual Health from …

The Effects Of Involvement In Religious Practices On Recovering Substance Users., Taylor Currier

Honors Theses

This paper reviews empirical studies focused on spirituality and its effects on those in the recovery process from substance abuse. This paper will look at qualitative studies as well as quantitative research to see which form has derived the best results on how spirituality has affected substance abuse recovery. Prolonged recovery is the goal for those that struggle with substance use. Behavior change is an important in sustaining sobriety with those dealing with addiction. It is predicted that those who engage in spiritual growth within their community have a higher likelihood of prolonged recovery than those that do not believe …

Reading A Literary Passage: Anticipation, Emotion, And Comprehension, Jacob Hurwitz

Honors Theses

Trigger warnings (TWs) are statements that provide students a caution that upcoming educational content may be emotionally disturbing. The idea is that TWs allow students to psychologically prepare themselves. However, recent studies suggest TWs may function as threat cues, rather than preparatory cues, eliciting anticipatory anxiety and avoidance. The present study examined the difference between presenting antecedent information to students in the form of a TW versus an alternative, a coping cue, introduced as a Content Notice. In a between-groups design, undergraduate students (N = 113) who received extra credit for study participation were randomized to receive a TW or …

Collegiate Dance Club Marketing Plan, Aubrie Malhoit

Honors Theses

The objective of this thesis is to develop a marketing plan to support the creation and implementation of a new dance club at Western Michigan University (WMU). A situational analysis was conducted that established that there are currently no dance-related opportunities on campus that offers a low time commitment and multiple styles of dance for all skill levels of dancers. Based on primary research, this marketing plan outlines a strategy for the inauguration of a dance club that encompasses what current dance-related activities at WMU are lacking and incorporates the features students are looking for in a new dance club. …

Political Scandal And Party Identification, Michael Sekich

Honors Theses

How do voters react to political scandal, especially when a like-minded partisan is involved? We look to answer that question by utilizing the concept of self-monitoring. Before collecting the data, expectations were that high self-monitors would identify as an independent when exposed to the partisan political scandal. But, when presented with a non-partisan political scandal, high self-monitors would feel more comfortable identifying as their own partisanship. This study offers mixed results. We found that high self-monitors had the only meaningful differences, and low self-monitors did not display significant differences across the versions. The Republican scandal yielded the most meaningful response, …

Weaving Charlotte's Web: An In-Depth Guide To Cannabidiol, Lauren Pitts

Honors Theses

Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, first gathered national spotlight after Charlotte Figi and her mother Paige were able to find two physicians willing to prescribe CBD to treat Charlotte’s seizures. Charlotte suffered from Dravet Syndrome, but was able to find relief from CBD, which decreased the number and severity of her seizures. This sparked national interest and was the catalyst that lead to research and changes surrounding CBD uses and legality. Cannabidiol is a single cannabinoid that is found within the Cannabis sativa plant family—the same family that includes marijuana. This cannabinoid differs from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and does not provide …

The Effect Of The Working Environment And Job Factors On The Western Michigan University Resident Assistant Position, Holly Harmon

Honors Theses

This study examines the factors related to the retention of resident assistants at Western Michigan University. Data was collected from undergraduate students who were resident assistants during the 2019/20 school year. Factors included in this study are resident assistants’ level of conscientiousness, their relationship with supervisors, job satisfaction, effort toward tasks, and retention. The overall goal of this study was to predict how retention was impacted by the other major factors. The results of this study almost fully supported the hypothesized model. The results of this study can be used to assist Western Michigan University Residence Life in understanding why …

Perspectives Of Health Care Providers In The Dominican Republic Towards Pregnant Haitian Women, Diana Hernandez

Honors Theses

Due to the lack of basic health care in Haiti, many Haitian women cross the border looking for a better public health service in the Dominican Republic. However, differences in cultural and medical practices exist between both countries. Thus, for my thesis, I intend to study and explain the challenges that Dominican health care providers feel might impede their abilities to provide adequate health care to pregnant Haitian patients and how they respond to and manage those challenges that they face.

Understanding Individual Color Perceptions Within Print And Digital Media, Morgan Haskins

Honors Theses

Color is a subjective attribute that is seen differently by each individual and this research is intended to build upon the subjective nature of color perceptions. This research aims to determine the effect of subjectivity on print and digital design and of extended gamut printing and effective color management on color perception. The significance of understanding color perception is directly applicable to consumer perception of designs using color. If designers want their brand to be immediately recognized and be positively accepted, they must be able to accurately reproduce their brand colors with little to no color difference and be able …

Examining The Prevalence Of Loneliness And Social Support Of Undergraduates In Western Michigan University's Sociology Department, Michael Kemme

Honors Theses

Humans, by nature, are social beings. This is evident by any number of examples, ranging from the psychological effects of solitary confinement in prisons, to the plethora of social media platforms available today. Humans, clearly, have a desire, if not a need, to be surrounded by and interact with others. Because of this, loneliness, especially its relationship to social support, has been a strong topic of research in academia.

This present study sought to complete a descriptive, cross-sectional analysis that addressed five demographic characteristics (gender, race, relationship status, RSO [Registered Student Organization] or Fraternity/Sorority Membership, and on-campus v/s off-campus living …

The Effect Of Pre-Workout Supplementation On Fitness Assessment Tests, Kassidy Davis

Honors Theses

Research regarding the benefits and detriments of Pre-workout supplement has gradually increased since its popularity arose in the early 1980’s. There have been a number of studies on its effects on human physiology during a workout; however, there are few studies regarding Preworkout supplement during fitness assessment tests. Therefore, further insights concerning Preworkout supplement and fitness testing is needed. Pre-workout supplement is taken prior to a training session and has been shown to enhance a workout by increasing aspects such as focus, reaction time, stamina, and power. This could be viewed as solely a psychological enhancement than an actual physical …