Digital Commons Network^™

Religion, Institutionalism, Legalism, And Same-Sex Marriage: Comparative Experiences Of Non-Heterosexual Males In Northern Ireland And Tennessee, Reaghan Gough

Honors Theses

The intersection of religion, legalism, institutionalism, and sexuality is historically one of controversy. Consequential discord often leads to the marginalization of certain members of a community, which creates lasting psychological and social effects that shape how these individuals define themselves within their culture. This study identifies shared experiences between two groups of non-heterosexual adult males near Coleraine, Northern Ireland, where same-sex marriage is illegal, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the practice is federally accepted. The samples provide a look into the effects of religiously-motivated, discriminatory legislation on the personal lives of the subsequent population. Specifically, participants are asked to reflect on …

A Psychoanalytic Reading Of William Blake's Songs Of Innocence And Of Experience, Serenah Minasian

Honors Theses

This Undergraduate Thesis enters the scholarly conversation regarding William Blake and psychoanalytic theory. This work provides a reading of Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience from the viewing of psychoanalysis. Jungian and Freudian theories of psychoanalysis are mostly used with incorporation of Lacan as well. Overall, this Undergraduate Thesis provides a look at Blake's works psychoanalytically and provides interpretation of them through this specific lens.

The Effect Of Therapy Dogs On Preoperative Anxiety, Morgan Royer

Honors Theses

Humans and animals have been companions for ages but that relationship and its benefits have only begun to be explored. Recently, animal assisted therapies have been used to improve both psychological and physiological wellbeing. One of the most popular therapies uses dogs. There are many research studies on the effects of therapy dogs on children and adults with results that have found that the companionship of a dog significantly decreases their stress levels in many different situations, including health care facilities. I investigated the effects of therapy dogs on adults’ anxiety before going into day surgery. Participants were patients from …

More Than Remembering: How Memoirists Recall And Write The Past, Faith Garner

Honors Theses

Memory is integral to writing memoir, but sometimes, memory fails. How do successful memoirists mine their past for meaning, while staying true to their recollections? In my craft essay, I examine how writers harness the energy of their own explorations of the past. Then, I show how I have used these techniques in my own work. Six personal essays comprise the remainder of my thesis project.

The Analysis Of Erlanger Hospital’S Suture Inventory Management Operations, Amanda George

Honors Theses

This paper evaluates the impact of using mechanical engineering and operations management principles to an inventory management system in Erlanger Hospital. Erlanger Hospital is a local, nonprofit hospital system in Chattanooga. Erlanger serves as a tertiary referral hospital and a Level I Trauma Center in the region. Therefore, they are heavily depended on during times of crisis or emergency [2]. This study focuses specifically on reducing the loss and ultimate waste of sutures across Erlanger’s surgery wing. A criteria for the appraisal of using mechanical and manufacturing engineering to improve the current system is established based on existing data regarding …

Redemption Or Contamination: Reviewing The Illness Narratives Of The Chronically Sick And Their Support Systems, Allison R. Dearing

Honors Theses

Chronically sick individuals deal with pain on a daily basis, which can lower their quality of life and make it more difficult. Illness narratives or “sickness stories” have been known to help people place illness in their lives. Support systems are a factor that could influence individuals’ illness narratives to lead them towards a redemption or contamination sequence. In this study, I interviewed twenty-five women with endometriosis and asked them questions regarding their health status, illness narratives, and support systems. The interviews were reviewed and categorized between redemptive and contamination sequences.The support systems influence on the sequence were also reviewed …

Let’S Talk About Sex: An Analysis Of The Gaps In Effective Sex Education In The United States And A Proposed Solution, Mackenzie Butera

Honors Theses

The United States is not currently providing effective avenues through which the majority of U.S children are accessing comprehensive information about sexual health. This gap in education is causing serious consequences emotionally, mentally and physically for U.S. youth. It is critical that discourse surrounding sex and healthy relationships be normalized so as not to closet, stigmatize or victim blame children during formative years. Historically, the United States has perverted the right to education by allocating significant federal funding to abstinence-only-until-marriage curricula. Although this content has been repeatedly proven ineffective and the U.S. continues to rank high amongst developing countries for …

Experiences Of Adult Children With Previously Incarcerated Parents: A Qualitative Study, Opeletia Helton

Honors Theses

There are at least 1.5 million adult children of incarcerated parents in the United States based on research conducted in 2000. While research has been conducted on this population while they were under the age of 18, little research has focused on their reflection of their childhood experiences nor on their transition into adulthood. Existing literature provides insight on their experiences as it pertained to peer and caregiver feedback, child and development into adulthood, parent-child relationships, and intervention recommendations. An exploratory qualitative study is conducted with adult children of incarcerated parents (n=5) in order to gain insight into their experiences …

Is It Too Late For The Federal Government To Reverse Course On How We Legally Recognize Gender?, Stephanie Poget

Honors Theses

This paper focuses on the definitions and interpretations that govern the protections of transgender American citizens as defined by the Civil Rights Act as well as how the Trump Administration’s agenda might impact the transgender community. Included in this paper is a study of historical events and case law that illustrate the protections heterosexual American citizens have compared to that of transgender Americans.

Plein Air Painting In An Anthropocentric Era, Emily Marie Charles

Honors Theses

Our relationship with the natural world is defined by our set conceptions of it. These conceptions tend to objectify and idealize nature and fuel the anthropocentric era we live in. Ecophenomenology provides us with a new way of interacting with the earth; this school of thought revolves around reshaping our perceptions of the natural and developing a symbiotic relationship with it. This exchange that happens between us and the earth is invisible, so engaging in it can seem absurd and a bit abstract but in understanding that the world acts upon us as we act upon it, the agency that …

Is Bitcoin Reminiscent Of Past Bubbles?, Jessica L. Leath

Honors Theses

Bitcoin, an open-source decentralized peer-to-peer payment system, has made an unprecedented rise to notoriety in the last decade. In 2018, Bitcoin reported its worst year in history with depreciation of more than 70% from its year opening price. Consequently, the narrative of a bubble that surrounded Bitcoin was amplified by this news. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the presence of a bubble within Bitcoin by comparing its price volatility and the psychological factors that influence its price formation to that of two historic bubbles, the Dotcom Bubble and the Tulip Mania.

Increasing Quechuan Identification Through Language Acquisition, Emily Mcandrew

Honors Theses

A language spoken by 3.7 million people in Peru and by several thousands more in the surrounding countries in the Andean region, Quechua as an indigenous language plays an important role not only in the rich history of the area but also the modern society. Through a history of colonization and racial injustice against indigenous groups, Quechua has survived as one of the strongest language groups in Latin America. Peru has been leading the way in bilingual education focused around acquisition, but does this focus on the key aspects of language acquisition for Quechua function in order to improve cultural …

Students’ Willingness To Extend Civil Liberties To Disliked Groups, Ninasimone Edwards

Honors Theses

There have been a variety of studies that sought to measure political tolerance and public attitudes. These studies have varied in that some focused on specific groups (such as Communists or atheists) that tolerance was measured against, and others allowed respondents to choose from a list of political groups. Sullivan et. al (1979) focused on the public, with respondents given the choice of choosing their least-liked groups for the measurement of tolerance. This study uses questions utilized in the Sullivan et. al study, as well as national GSS/NORC surveys, to measure political tolerance and public attitudes among college students. There …

Interactions Of Fentanyl With Gp120 In The Central Nervous System, Meagan Buchanan

Honors Theses

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has affected more than 75 million individuals worldwide. HIV not only affects the peripheral system through the targeting of T cells, but also causes adverse effects in the central nervous system. Individuals suffering from HIV often experience neuropathic pain and are prescribed opioids to combat the chronic pain. Along with the increase of opioids prescribed to HIV patients, the number of deaths related to the synthetic opioid, fentanyl, has increased drastically. Drug abuse and HIV are interlinked epidemics; individuals who are HIV positive and referred to as “NeuroAIDS.” The HIV envelope protein, gp120, has been …

Three Forms Of Death In David Rabe’S The Basic Training Of Pavlo Hummel And Sticks And Bones, Sloan Garner

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I argue there are three main forms of death that progress chronologically in David Rabe’s The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel and Sticks and Bones. First, the death of civilian identity as the soldier conforms to the military. Secondly, the soldier’s killing—metaphoric or literal—of others, which is part of his attempt to fit with his new military identity. Third, the soldier’s sacrificial suicide as his escape from the military identity. In this paper, I provide evidence and close reading to support my argument that the protagonists in both plays, Pavlo and David, encounter, enact, or experience …

Perfectionism And Alcohol Use Outcomes In College Students: The Moderating Role Of Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies, Tiara Watson

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the moderating role of alcohol-protective behavioral strategy (PBS) types (stopping/limiting drinking – SLD; manner of drinking – MOD; serious harm reduction – SHR) on the relationships adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism have with alcohol misuse and alcohol-related negative consequences. Participants included 526 traditional-aged college students (M_age = 19.77, 80.7% female, 60.2% Caucasian/White non-Hispanic) who reported alcohol consumption in the past thirty days and completed measures of perfectionism, typical weekly drinking, alcohol-related negative consequences, and PBS use. PBS-SHR moderated the relationships between adaptive perfectionism and typical weekly drinking such that the negative …

Learning Style Preferences In Undergraduate Speech-Language Pathology And Audiology Students, Callahan Shirk

Honors Theses

Learning styles can be described as an individual’s unique way of assimilating new information based on his/her preferences and methods of acquiring knowledge. The awareness of a student’s learning style preference can be beneficial to both students and instructors. The goal of this project was aimed at identifying the learning style preferences of undergraduates in the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology programs within the state of Mississippi. The researchers surveyed 137 participants involved in this study by utilizing the Kolb Learning Style Inventory and the VARK Questionnaire. Results from this study revealed that students enrolled as undergraduates in Speech-Language Pathology and …

Patient-Perceived Stigma & Communication In Mental Healthcare: Predictors Of Medication Adherence And Mental Health Outcomes, Cameron A. Cloud

Honors Theses

Patients with mental illness often report feeling stigmatized by their mental healthcare providers, which may deter them from seeking care services altogether. Although workplace interventions can be implemented to reduce stigma, outcomes are limited and may not be long-lasting. The objectives of this study are to investigate which variables of interpersonal communication are significant predictors of medication adherence and mental health outcomes in patients with mental illness. This study surveyed 258 participants from the United States who were at least 18 years of age and reported seeing a mental healthcare provider and taking psychotropic medication within the past five years. …

The Impact Of The United States Presidential Administration On African American College Students, Latisha Swygert

Honors Theses

It has been shown that college students of color do not share the same experiences as their Caucasian counterparts, with students of color experiencing higher levels of harassment and lower levels of perceived campus safety (Rankin & Reason, 2005). The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election and the subsequent Trump administration on college students of color, specifically African American college students, and the psychological distress that may have been caused by the consequences of a shift in the national political climate. Participants were college students ages 18 to 54 who completed …

Religious Identity Influence On Ethnic Minority Youth Risky Behavior, Laquitta Simpson

Honors Theses

Previous studies have assessed religious identity in adolescents, showing that stronger religiosity correlates with lower levels of stress, better occupational and academic performances, and overall better well–being in adolescents and young adults (Koenig et al., 2001). There is also evidence of differences across races in how religiosity influences areas of adolescent behavior. The purpose of the current study is to identify the association between the strength of religiosity in White and Black at-risk youths and their involvement in risky behaviors. Data was gathered from teens aged 16-19 who are currently enrolled in a military-style residential program (n = 80); …

Character Count Or Vote Count: How Social Media Has Shaped Modern Politics And Challenged The Meaning Of Civic Engagement, Hannah Scott

Honors Theses

Social media has taken the world and compressed it into a single button for all to access. As tactics and protocol has already changed, social media has reached its invisible hand into modern U.S. politics and has altered the landscape of political action. Through surveys, article analysis, and social media observation, this study examined how social media has changed modern civic engagement, if social media can even be considered civic ‘engagement’, and how it has separated itself from ‘traditional’ civic engagement. Through previous literature and a conducted survey, the finding of this study suggest that social media not only positively …

Characterizing The Central Hemodynamic Response To Orthostasis: Influence Of Sex, Fitness And Body Composition, Benjamin Schreck

Honors Theses

Inter-individual responses to orthostasis (i.e., ability to maintain consciousness in the upright posture) exist. However, few studies provide insight into the potential mechanisms for this variation. The purpose of this thesis project was to explore individual differences (i.e., sex, fitness, and body composition) on the central hemodynamic response to a modified head-up tilt table test (HUT). Fourteen volunteers with an average age of 22±1 years and an average body mass index (BMI) of 8±1 kg/m² underwent assessments of pulse wave analysis, heart rate variability, and perfusion determination via near-infrared spectroscopy over the gastrocnemius muscle while supine, followed by a …

The Correlation Between Physical Activity And Grade Point Average, Asia Mccoy

Honors Theses

The correlation between grade point average (GPA) and physical activity has typically been researched in adolescents, but not a lot of research has focused on traditional college students. Previous research in adolescents has shown mixed outcomes, but there is still evidence that a positive correlation exists between physical activity and GPA. It is also believed that adolescents who are physically active tend to have better academic outcomes than their non-active counterparts as they mature. The primary purpose of our study was to examine the correlation between GPA and physical activity in students attending the College of Education and Human Sciences …

The Effects Of Meditation In Lowering Blood Pressure And Reducing Symptoms Of Stress In Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Isabella Fleming

Honors Theses

Hypertension and stress are two conditions that have the capability to cause extensive and long-term damage to both mental and physical health. Baccalaureate nursing students report high levels of stress while in the process of obtaining a degree. This population is at risk for consistently high stress levels; therefore, they are also at risk for physiologic complications of stress such as hypertension.

In this study, all participants were asked to complete two short surveys: one assessed their stress, and one survey assessed their perceptions of meditation. The blood pressure (BP) of all participants was measured as well. Once the surveys …

Methods Of Domination: Towards A Theory Of Domestic Colonialism In Khaled Hosseini’S The Kite Runner, Lauren E. Duke

Honors Theses

While the canon of post-colonial literature has been heavily researched, little scholarship can be found connecting post-colonial theory to instances of colonial tropes within autonomous nations, an event which may be described as “domestic colonialism.” This thesis will examine Khaled Hosseini’s work, The Kite Runner (2003), as a modern work of post-colonial literature, as it reveals the methods of domination present in 20th century Afghanistan. I will evaluate the text based on the definitions of traditional settler colonialism and anthropoligal classifications of intergroup domination in order to highlight the narrative of domestic colonialism that is present within the text. Through …

Towards A Metaethics Grounded In A Simplified Process Metaphysics, Benjamin Kromann

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to not only illustrate a metaphysical position, but also explore a possible metaethical scheme which can be grounded therein. First is offered an outline of the core principles of Process metaphysics. Then the author differentiates their own take on these principles, bringing into dialogue several other philosophers, both within the tradition of Process philosophy and outside of it. Next is explored the way in which this scheme can inform issues in other domains of inquiry relevant to the final issue being addressed, which is metaethics. Though it is found that this scheme can support at least a …

Academically Productive Classroom Discourse, Elizabeth Burford

Honors Theses

This paper is focused on recent studies connected to Academically Productive Classroom Discourse (APCD) and its effects in the classroom, as well as findings implications for classroom practice and future research suggestions shared by the researchers. APCD can be defined as discussion that propels a deeper academic conversation forward in the classroom, as opposed to creating surface level conversations, halting the conversation, or moving the conversation in a circle. The purpose of this paper is to examine what areas of APCD have been studied and what the results of those studies imply for classroom practice and for more research. Twenty-five …

Evaluating The Impacts Of Undergraduate Research Programs At Mississippi State University For Developing Science Professionals, Isabella Joann Durham

Honors Theses

Since 2013, Mississippi State University has been offering research experiences for undergraduates through formal programs which pair high-performing students in collaborative research with faculty mentors. The purpose of these programs is to provide students with the opportunity to enhance scholarly activity, participate in the discovery of new knowledge, and become a part of the scientific community. We tested the hypotheses that undergraduate research improves student participants’ educational experience (including personal and professional development), enhances retention of talented students in science careers, and leads to discovery of new information that contributes to the larger body of knowledge, while also looking at …

Sarcasm Understanding Across The Lifespan, Kristen Barnett

Honors Theses

Research has identified a developmental progression of sarcasm understanding, stating that children get better at understanding sarcasm as they get older, though adults are still not perfect at reliably detecting sarcasm. This may be related to the cues present (e.g., story context, verbal cues, and facial expressions). Research has primarily focused on verbal cues, specifically exaggerated or “dripping” intonation, in child and adult populations. The literature is lacking in the realm of facial expressions and child populations. This study aimed to add to the literature concerning facial expressions as well as to evaluate sarcasm understanding with more than one cue …

Contagious Or Not Contagious: Is That The Question? Evaluating The Effects Of Disease Contagion On Memory For Word Lists, Laura Pazos

Honors Theses

Researchers have suggested that individuals possess a disease-avoidance system designed to detect and remember potential sources of harmful pathogens, a system termed the behavioral immune system. Recently, Fernandes, Pandeirada, Soares, and Nairne (2017) reported an increase in memory for objects associated with individuals that are contaminated with a disease. My thesis extends this finding by examining whether disease-related memory benefits are due to the mere presence of a disease or whether the disease needs to be perceived as contagious and thereby threatening to facilitate memory. Two experiments, one between- and one within-subjects, were designed to test memory performance in the …