Digital Commons Network^™

Implications Of Theory Of Mind, Feelings Of Connectedness, And A Flow State Of Mind Through Active And Passive Music Improvisation Experiences., Samuel Panicacci

Honors Theses

This study is an introduction examining the relationship between a performer and the audience in a musical improvisation context. Current research exploring performer-audience interaction in improvisation experiences is scant and typically framed in a purely narrative context. This study seeks to evaluate four different components of the performer and audience relationship; amount, or level, of experience with improvisation and comfort levels, flow, theory of mind, and emotional connection. A survey was generated and given to students in an improvisation class to collect results based on these four components. This study found that improvisation experience levels were low but comfort with …

Crafting Fear: The Horror Film Trailer, Courtney Dreyer

Honors Theses

My research project investigates horror film trailers in an effort to define the characteristics of this genre and discuss its ideological implications. Focusing on theatrical trailers for American wide-release horror films between 2013 and 2017, I closely viewed a sample of forty trailers to inform my investigation. Horror trailers create an intense emotional experience of both dread and fear, tending to follow a similar narrative structure and employ a common set of stylistic techniques to achieve this emotional intensity. The shared stylistic techniques include elements such as tight framing, innocent imagery, and genre misdirection. The repetition of these elements promotes …

Examining Social Pragmatic Communication: Evidence From Parent And Professional Questionnaires, Katelyn Adams

Honors Theses

Hyter (2007) defined pragmatics as “daily interactions among groups of people with varying worldviews, each influenced by a history of social practices” (p.131). People use aspects of pragmatics in their everyday life depending on the context of their current social situation. For example, one’s pragmatic language could differ in a day from talking with a boss at work to having a conversation with a friend on the phone. These variations in conversational processes result in the assessment of pragmatics being a difficult task.

In this honors thesis, I examined results from Dr. Yvette Hyter’s assessment battery, the Assessment of Pragmatic …

The Effect Of High Intensity Interval Training Vs Resistance-Based Circuit Training, Matthew Monaco

Honors Theses

High intensity interval training and resistance-based circuit training are both effective forms of exercise that promote muscular growth and can provide improvements in body composition. These different exercise methods were compared side-by-side in this study. The time commitment and intensity of each method were made uniform to yield the most accurate comparisons. Upon completion of the exercise regimen, each participant concluded by performing post-testing requirements that would be compared with their pre-testing results.

School Shootings: A Nexus Of Adolescent Masculinity, Bullying, And Homophobia, Jack Marsden

Honors Theses

Though overall gun violence has plummeted since 1993, multi-victim school shootings have increased in frequency over the last fifty years and the number of adolescent perpetrators has more than doubled since 1996. I borrow from Kimmel and Mahler’s (2001) format to examine seven shootings that have occurred in the fifteen years since their paper’s original publication. I replicate their qualitative methodology and conduct my own analysis of these attacks. My findings suggest that these boys that open fire are mired in a history of routine, merciless bullying and that the content of the bullying is homophobic in nature. I also …

The Litmus Initiative - Enabling Teachers To Recognize Domestic Human Trafficking, Bethany Hansen

Honors Theses

Every day, an estimated 100,000 residents of the United States are sold for sex. At least half of these victims are under the age of 18. Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) has tragically plagued the U.S. for decades and even centuries, but it has only come into the public spotlight within the last fifteen years. As a result, there are few widespread sources of information about DMST, and even fewer resources for victims and survivors. DMST is a branch of human trafficking, which the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 defines as “(A) Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex …

Comparison Of Equine Behavior To Parelli Horsenality, Rebecca Kirchhoff

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Elucidation Of Zebrafish Gene Networks And Pathways Associated With Ptsd, Noor Faisal

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Habitat For Humanity’S Impact On The Homeowner In The Homebuying Process, Carmen Gills

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Full Day Preschool Math Achievement, Denise Calixto

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

When Law Enforcement And Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder Meet: Asd Knowledge And Confidence In Law Enforcement Officers In The Commonwealth Of Kentucky, Nicholas P. Hoffmann

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the current training practices, as well as the knowledge and confidence that law enforcement officers possessed with regards to interacting with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as reported by the officers. It is expected that the level of training will be highly inadequate in the Commonwealth of Kentucky due to lack of available training and resources available to officers, as well as the lack of mental health training requirements. This project does not seek to criticize officers, but rather to assess the current overall status of their training as well as …

For The Ones Who Come After You, It Will Be Easier: An Exploration And Analysis Of Eugenics In The Reproductive Dystopian Genre, Morgan Manning

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Inter-Professional Education: A Literature Analysis And Description Of Pacer Study At Western Michigan University, Kari Scholten

Honors Theses

Inter-professional education is a topic that is widely gaining popularity throughout the healthcare field. Because inter-professional practice in the hospital and beyond has proven its value time and time again, universities must take it upon themselves to train their healthcare students to work efficiently and communicate effectively with other disciplines in the healthcare field. Through a thorough literature review, it was demonstrated that inter-professional education studies and simulations that were performed in a range of settings have had positive effects on a variety of factors, including communication, quality of care given, and perceptions of professional roles. A study performed at …

Does Locus Of Control Influence Parentification And Anxiety In Father-Daughter Relationships?, Cindy Mays

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Experiences With Diversity: Microaggressions, Religiosity, And Psychological Wellbeing In A Diverse College Sample, Jessica Ann Stelfox

Honors Theses

This study examined students' beliefs about the existence of racial discrimination on Andrews' campus and their experience with behaviors classified as microaggressions. We used a survey composed of the following measures: Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (Hill and Argyle, 2002), Intrinsic/Extrinsic Religious Orientation (Francis, Fawcett, Robbins, & Stairs, 2016), Social Dominance (Pratto, Felicia, Sidanius, Stallworth, & Malle, 1994), and Racial and Ethnic Microaggression (Nadal, 2011). Pearson's R correlations and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (Thiem, 2016) were used to analyze subjects' responses (N-147). We found low overall levels of microaggressions across campus and focused our detailed analyses on three specific microaggressions: microinvalidations, 80% of …

Experiences Of Asexual People In The Lgbtq+ Community, Z Rankin

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of Resilience Over Time Between Men And Women In Psychological First Aid, Leiali'i Ruth Edwards

Honors Theses

Research has shown that Psychological First Aid (PFA) crisis intervention helps to promote resilience in individuals affected by traumatic events (Everly, 2012). This study examined differences in resilience levels between genders over time by comparing PFA with a Social Acknowledgment (control) condition. Using the Response to Stressful Events Scale (Johnson et al., 2011) to measure resilience, subject responses (N=41) were analyzed using a mixed between-within subjects ANOVA. Results indicated that there were no statistically significant main effects or interactions. These findings do not support the study's hypotheses that there would be a significant interaction between time and gender.

Caffeine Rush! Examining The Effects Of Caffeine On Spatial Working Memory, Alexander Lawriw

Honors Theses

Past research concerning caffeine and its effects on memory have yielded varying results. One study found that a 3-mg/kg dose of caffeine decreased reaction time during a selective attention task. However, this improvement was only found during a low display load, with no effect on reaction time occurring within a high display load (Lorist, Snell, Kok, & Mulder,1996). As such, the effects of caffeine may be dependent on a variety of other factors, such as the difficulty of the task at hand (Nehlig, 2004). This present study aimed to explore further the potential memory-enhancing qualities of caffeine with respect to …

Olfaction And Disgust As Predictors Of Elevated Perfectionism, Maia Mclin

Honors Theses

Odor detection and disgust sensitivity were once vital to survival by providing a means to assess if foods were safe for consumption. Along with odor detection and disgust sensitivity, obsessivecompulsive traits, such as checking, may have increased chance of survival by decreasing the likelihood of consuming contaminated foods leading to an evolutionary advantage (Rozin & Fallon, 1987). Current regulations that prevent the distribution of spoiled and contaminated foods in developed societies make these processes less necessary to survival today; as a result, obsessive compulsive traits that may have once been advantageous may now be pathological. Neural connections also suggest a …

Colonization To Globalization: French-Algerian Integration Analysis From Historical, Societal, And Economic Perspectives, Stephanie Soledad Rodriguez

Honors Theses

This cross-disciplinary research on French-Algerian relations is designed to expose the influence of historical, societal, and economic perspectives on the present and future of cultural and economic integration. Using a multi-disciplinary approach to analyze French-Algerian relations, this research comprehensively leverages seemingly unrelated factors that have impacted the transition of France-Algeria from European colonization to globalization. In this work, their colonial history and statistics on population, immigration, and employment are used to introduce the development of French-Algerian relations from 1830-2016. This research considers how French and Algerian government policies have shaped the development of societal factors by analyzing data on immigrant …

Herzberg's Two Factor Theory Of Motivation: A Generational Study, Daniel T. Bevins

Honors Theses

Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory of Motivation: A Generational Study

Daniel T. Bevins

Dr. Beth Polin

Department of Management, Marketing, and International Business

This study attempts to fully investigate the well-researched and world-renowned theory—The Two Factor Theory of motivation by Frederick Herzberg. One might notice after being engulfed in the plentiful research of the theory that there is a gap in the research. There is no research on how the Two Factor theory differs among varying generations. This research paper attempts to fill that void by diving into a targeted study of Baby Boomers and Millennials. This study is focused on …

The Emotional Bond Between A Horse And A Child With Autism During Therapeutic Horseback Riding, Sarah K. Cox

Honors Theses

This qualitative case study aimed to determine if the formation of an emotional bond between a horse and a child with the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during a Therapeutic Horseback Riding (TR) lesson is a key component to maximizing therapeutic benefits. Before collecting any data, it was initially hypothesized that this emotional bond was something that had to be established over time in order to be significant and a therapist should aim to use the same horse each time in order to maximize other positive therapeutic outcomes. Resources included in this case study will describe all of the …

The Relationship Between Place And Depression: The Effects Of Socioeconomic Status On Mental Health In Mccreary County, Kentucky, Beth A. Vanover

Honors Theses

There is an increased rate of poor mental health days in McCreary County, Kentucky, related to low socioeconomic status compared to other counties in the Commonwealth. This correlation is shown by examining the area’s socioeconomic indicators, such as the population’s educational attainment, employment rates, average household income, rates of poverty, and comparing these statistics with the rate of poor mental health days. Additionally, as part of the current study, residents of McCreary County were interviewed to elicit feedback on ways in which living and working in McCreary County can contribute to a poor mental health. Subsequently, these qualitative interviews were …

An Exploration Of The Effects Of Parenting A Child Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Morgan Wherry

Honors Theses

There is an increasing prevalence of ASD diagnoses, which calls for more research on the caregivers. This study’s goal was to explore primary and secondary sources to identify themes of potential research within this topic. This study analyzed the existing literature and archival data to create seven themes: parental stress, stress-inducing ASD symptomology, ASD vs. other disorders, mothers vs. fathers, coping mechanisms of caregivers, substance use, and incarceration. A potential future research project idea is presented.

Diagnosis And Treatment Of Sylvia Plath And Virginia Woolf, Molly King

Honors Theses

Previous research indicates a correlation between creativity and psychopathology, particularly among female authors and poets, possibly heightening this group’s risk for suicide. This article aims to provide a psychohistory containing psychological evaluations and hypothetical treatments plans for two prominent female writers, Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf both of whom completed suicide. Primary source material such as Plath’s journals, Woolf’s diaries, and related autobiographies were used as supplemental data for the clinical assessment. Plath is argued to have hypothetically met today’s DSM-5 criteria for Major Depressive Disorder, and Woolf for Bipolar I Disorder in addition to trauma-related difficulties.

Activism As A Source Of Strength For Black College Students At Predominately White Institutions, Caroline M. Reid

Honors Theses

Racism is deeply ingrained in American society, and white supremacy and the oppression of people of color has greatly contributed to the establishment of the very institutions that continue to perpetuate its existence today. Racism manifests itself in a variety of ways, and its most constant and daily appearance is in instances of microaggressions. These experiences contribute to feelings of invisibility, frustration, and anger, an experience known as racism-related stress, which research has shown to severely and negatively impact mental health. In order to combat the insidious effects of racism, Black Americans have utilized coping mechanisms for generations. This resiliency …

When Necessary Is Not Enough: A Study In The Effectiveness Of U.S. Military Force To Combat Terrorism In The Middle East, Lora Christine Vonderhaar

Honors Theses

This thesis will examine the relationship between the number and size of U.S. military bases in the Middle East and instances of terrorism in the same region. It seeks to analyze the complex set of impacts that U.S. military presence has on the area and determine if U.S. presence is overall more helpful or harmful to the situation on the ground. While size and number of U.S. bases is not a perfect measure of U.S. presence, it is a fair representation and a useful empirical starting point. This thesis will focus specifically on terrorism as a non-state actor and not …

The Influence Of Self-Enhancement And Stress On Weight Gain: A Biopsychosocial Approach, Olivia G. Grondalski

Honors Theses

The current longitudinal study was conducted to test if people perceive their physical body size to be smaller than it is, and if people do self-enhance their body size, then how do body self-enhancement and stress interact to predict subsequent Body Mass Index (BMI). This study toke a biopsychosocial approach to understanding why people make health decisions by measuring participants’ self-enhancement, perceived stress, cortisol baseline levels, and stress reactivity and observing their associations and interactions with subsequent weight gain. Self-enhancement is a type of positive illusion characterized by overly positive attitudes people have towards themselves, which is used for promotion …

The Other Woman: Mate Poaching Across The Menstrual Cycle, Margaret M. Jaeger

Honors Theses

The goal of the present work was to empirically examine how mate poaching, or romantically pursuing an individual already in a committed relationship (Schmitt & Buss, 2001), varies across the menstrual cycle. The existing literature strongly suggests that partnered women are wary of ovulating women because they are deemed threatening rivals (Krems, Neel, Neuberg, Puts, & Kenrick, 2016). The series of experiments described here tested this assumption by examining both the mate poaching behaviors and perceptions of ovulating women across the menstrual cycle. The first experiment examined if ovulating women would be more willing to mate poach an attractive man. …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of U.S. Anti-Slavery Legislation Through The Lens Of Supply Chain Management, Alexander Marion Mingus

Honors Theses

Whether knowingly or unknowingly, business supply chains are often tainted with slavery and forced labor practices. In an effort to address this reality, the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010 (CTSCA) requires companies in California to publish a statement disclosing companies’ efforts to prevent this potential abuse. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the California legislation by observing media trends and collecting expert interviews and data from business leaders, academics, and legislators. The data reveals both strengths and weaknesses in the California bill, which informs future attempts to create antislavery legislation addressing corporate supply chain abuses. The CTSCA …