Digital Commons Network^™

Evolving Enemy Behavior In Video Games, Hermie H. Adams Iii

Honors Theses

The video game I developed for my senior project lacked complex and engaging enemy artificial intelligence. The standard implementations of AI systems such as finite state machines and behavior trees felt like side-steps rather than innovative solutions. Upon seeing the 'magic' of machine learning in perfecting games such as Snake, Super Mario, and Flappy Bird, I was inspired to seek my answer in the field of evolutionary computation. However, my challenge differed in that the problem space would be defined by dynamic player strategies, making it not well-defined or static. As such, my evaluations are based on enemies exhibiting emergent …

The Power Of Parental Responses: Emotional Invalidation And Its Association With Adolescent And Emerging Adult Anxiety And Emotion Regulation Across Genders, Ashlynn Payne

Honors Theses

Adolescence and emerging adulthood are critical developmental periods marked by increased vulnerability to psychological distress, particularly anxiety and difficulties in emotion regulation. One factor that may contribute to this vulnerability is parental emotional invalidation. Although prior research has linked parental invalidation to adverse emotional outcomes, few studies have examined how these associations differ by caregiver and child gender. The current study evaluated how maternal and paternal emotional invalidation interacted with gender to influence anxiety symptoms and emotion regulation difficulties among 45 adolescents and emerging adults (n = 9 boys, 36 girls) between the ages of 13 and 22 years (M …

Overlooked: The Nuanced Struggles Of Autistic Women, Autumn L. Payne

Honors Theses

Overlooked is a documentary short film that seeks to shine a light on the nuanced struggles of autistic women in a neurotypical world. This short documentary consists of three interviews with autistic women from different backgrounds. Each diagnosed during a different stage of life, they reflect on their journeys to receiving an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis and its impact on their lives. These conversations reveal an overwhelming lack of resources for autistic people, especially for women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. With the diagnosis criteria for ASD being historically based on white males, women and …

Academic Burnout In Human Anatomy & Physiology I Students, Shivani Shukla

Honors Theses

Human Anatomy and Physiology I is the study of the function and structure of the human body. It is a challenging class that many students have to take for their undergraduate degree. Due to the vast information that is given in this complex class, students can struggle with understanding the material and knowing how to study thus leading to burnout in the course. Understanding why students undergo burnout in their courses could uncover ways that professors and institutions could help the students to prevent burnout. The goal of this study was to determine the level of burnout in Human Anatomy …

How Gender, Verbal Assertiveness, And Relationship Status Correlate To The Ascription Of Responsibility In Sexual, Catherine Carvalho

Honors Theses

Acquiesced sex is “consenting to and engaging in undesired sexual activity” (Benoit & Ronis, 2022, p. 577). Research has found that perceptions of acquiesced sex are related to demographic variables, such as gender, and conditions, such as the relationship status of actors in a vignette. The present study considers whether variables such as gender and verbal assertiveness of the research participant affects ascription of responsibility for acquiesced heterosexual sex across two conditions (stranger and dating couple). Data were collected through an online survey administered to undergraduate and graduate University of New Haven students. Results indicate that participants' gender, general assertiveness, …

Beyond The Glitz And Glam: Unveiling The Physical And Psychological Toll Of Performative Perfection In Competitive Cheer And Dance, Audrey E. Marovich

Honors Theses

This study examines the factors that affect athlete burnout in current and former dancers and cheerleaders. A total of 108 participants completed an electronic survey where they provided information about their experiences with either cheerleading or dance and filled out a modified athlete burnout scale to get an average burnout score based on their responses. When looking at the variables that make up the culture of cheer and dance, a variety of relationships were found relating to burnout. Highly competitive experiences where athletes spend many hours per week participating and get very few breaks are correlated with high levels of …

Reelin' In The Years (And Receivables): A Compilation Of Accounting Case Studies, Lauren E. Magee

Honors Theses

This thesis is comprised of five case studies that were completed under the guidance of Dr. Victoria Dickinson during the course ACCY 420 – Independent Study, following the requirements of the Patterson School of Accountancy and the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. The first four case studies examine real-world accounting field topics: Special Purpose Acquisition Corporations, the modern use of Presidential Drawdown Authority, proposed environmental reporting standards, and educational vouchers. The final case study delivers a data-driven, comprehensive assessment of a semester-long group project: crafting a detailed business plan for a broadband internet provider in an underserved Mississippi county. This …

The Nil Ripple Effect: How Name, Image, And Likeness Reshapes Student-Athletes, Mental Health, And Fan Perception, Jaleah Walker

Honors Theses

The NIL Ripple Effect: How Name, Image, and Likeness Reshapes Student-Athletes, Mental Health, and Fan Perception examines the shifting dynamics of college athletics and how these changes affect student-athletes, fans, and institutions. The study explores the consequences of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals and its effects on student-athletes' mental health and fans’ perception. Through interviews with athletes and analysis of current policies, this research highlights the mental, financial, and competitive pressures that NIL places on student-athletes. While NIL provides financial opportunities, it also demands brand management, public visibility, and performance consistency, often leading to heightened stress. Additionally, this study …

A Qualitative Evaluation Of Diabetes Solutions Telehealth Coaching Services, Caroline Brock

Honors Theses

Diabetes remains a growing public health concern, particularly in underserved regions such as rural Mississippi, where barriers to healthcare access and diabetes education contribute to poor disease management. This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of 27 participants enrolled in Diabetes Solutions, a telehealth-based diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES/T) program offered by the Mississippi Diabetes Network. Using a phenomenological approach and structured interviews, the study identifies four major themes: structural benefits of the program, knowledge gained, common changes by participants, and quality of life outcomes. Participants consistently emphasized the value of personalized coaching, emotional encouragement, and practical education on …

Bullying Among Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disabilities And Restorative Practices To Heal The School Environment, Elizabeth M. Mattingly

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the involvement of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities in the bullying dynamic and propose restorative circles as an alternative to exclusionary discipline practices. Students with emotional and behavioral disabilities are more likely than other children to be both the perpetrators and the victims of bullying due to their difficulties with emotional regulation and appropriate conflict resolution. Creating a school community that teaches appropriate social behaviors and healthy conflict resolution could reduce the rate at which students with emotional and behavioral disabilities are involved in the bullying dynamic. This paper examines the …

Mindfulness Meditation Type On Self-Compassion Levels, Emily Sexton

Honors Theses

Focused attention and open monitoring are two types of mindfulness meditation, which emphasizes the importance of present moment awareness while meditating. Both approaches can be done while sitting or walking. While research has explored the correlation between mindfulness meditation type and posture type, it remains unknown how a combination of mindfulness mediation type and posture type impacts self-compassion levels. This study examined if a combination of FA seated, FA walking, OM seated, or OM walking enhances self-compassion by having participants meditate an assigned meditation for fifteen minutes a week for six weeks and complete an assessment at the baseline, midline, …

Too Old For Dolls? Assessing The Efficacy Of Doll Therapy In Reducing Major Neurocognitive Disorder Symptoms To Alleviate Caregiver Burden, Ginny Price

Honors Theses

Dementia, formally known as major neurocognitive disorder (MNCD), is a complex condition that disables the independence of a person in completion of daily activities. This disorder results in the need for assistance from several caregivers to ensure that their needs are properly met. As their condition declines, the volume of needs increases, placing more responsibility on the caregiver, increasing their stress, and leading to a complication known as caregiver burden. Doll therapy is a non-pharmacological intervention that focuses on alleviating certain behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. It is the aim of this literature review to determine the efficacy of …

Associations Between Screen Time, Executive Functioning, And Book Use In Preschool-Age Children From Rural Mississippi, Anabel W. Mccraney

Honors Theses

The primary purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between screen time, executive function (EF), and book use in a sample of preschool-age children from rural Mississippi. To measure this relationship children were asked to complete three different EF tasks measuring impulse control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. To measure the child’s frequency of screen and book use, a parent-report survey was used. The results indicated that there might be a relationship between EF, screen, and books within certain variables. There was a relationship found between screen time and fewer books reported in the household. Between EF and …

The Impact Of Technological Advancements On The Likelihood Of Conflict, Miriam King

Honors Theses

There are a multitude of variables that result in the occurrence of militarized conflicts. This paper seeks to analyze the impact of one specific variable: the adaptation of a technological advancement. To isolate this relationship my study controlled for a country’s form of government, gross domestic product, and number of military personnel by year. A regression of ordinary least squares was used to investigate the correlation between conflict initiation and military technologies. A country-year data set was constructed using data from the Correlates of War Militarized Interstate Dispute Data and data from Hariri and Wingender. Three case studies were analyzed …

Relations Between Effortful Control, Parental Movement Attitudes, And Problem Behaviors In 3-Year-Olds, Kiera Breisch

Honors Theses

Research has explored the link between effortful control and problem behaviors, as well as the effects of movement on problem behaviors in children. However, less work has been conducted with preschoolers considering how parental attitudes towards movement may relate to children’s temperament and problem behaviors in the forms of conduct problems, hyperactivity, and emotional problems. In the present study I investigated the relationships between effortful control (attention focusing, attention shifting, and inhibitory control), parental movement attitudes, and problem behaviors in 3-year-olds. Results showed increased reports of inhibitory control related to less reports of conduct problems. Further, higher inhibitory control and …

Challenges Us Study Abroad Students Face When Acculturating To A Foreign Food Environment, Sydney C. Davis

Honors Theses

Studying abroad presents a unique opportunity for college students to immerse themselves in new cultures, including experiencing different food environments and dietary customs. However, adapting to a foreign food culture can pose various challenges that impact students’ overall health, eating behaviors, and study abroad experiences. The purpose of this study to develop a survey instrument designed to investigate the extent to which U.S. study abroad students embrace, accept, and face challenges with different aspects of Italian food culture, using the Social Ecological Model (SEM) as a guiding framework. Initial survey items were developed with information obtained from focus group discussions …

Effects Of Acute Exercise On Cognition: Consideration Of Potential Moderators, Lucy C. Wilson, Elizabeth Carwile, Mara Liston, Elizabeth Gaines, Mckenzie Cotten, Mary Griffin

Honors Theses

The present thesis aims to determine the effects, if any, of six potential moderators on the effects of acute moderate-intensity exercise on cognitive functioning. The modes of exercise undertaken by the participants included treadmill (Experiment 1) and stationary bike (Experiment 2) exercise. Participants in each experiment either exercised or rested for twenty minutes and then participated in either a memory recall task or cognitive functioning (“Stroop”) task. The bouts of either exercise or rest on the stationary bike were followed by a rest period during which the participant would be exposed to either standard air oxygen levels (normoxia) or hypoxic …

Beyond Victory And Settlement: Rethinking War Termination Through Post-Conflict Conditions, Emery C. Thigpen

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how different war termination types—decisive military victory, negotiated settlement, and ceasefire—shape long-term political stability through the mechanisms of enforcement, political inclusion, and economic recovery. While much of the existing literature focuses on civil wars, this study applies those insights to interstate conflicts, arguing that stability depends not on how wars end, but on whether post-war structures support compliance, legitimacy, and economic resilience. The central claim is that post-war peace is more likely to endure when enforcement mechanisms deter spoilers, inclusive political frameworks prevent renewed grievances, and economic recovery restores state capacity and legitimacy. Using a most similar …

Institutional Connectedness And Social Support Among College Students: Links To Campus Involvement, Carissa Strum

Honors Theses

Background. College is a pivotal period in the lives of students, and an important aspect of the experience is involvement within the campus. College student wellness is also a growing area of interest in higher education, with increased attention on ways to help students thrive. This study explores which aspects of campus involvement contribute to students’ feelings of connectedness and social support. This study aims to 1) assess the association between campus involvement and social support among college students, 2) assess the association between campus involvement and institutional connectedness among college students, and 3) examine whether the association between campus …

Associations Between Tiktok Use And Undergraduate Nursing Professional Identity, Parker M. Watts

Honors Theses

Background. The global surge in social media usage prompts extensive research into its links with nursing professional identity. College-aged individuals who are in nursing school or are going to be in nursing school in the future must navigate their professional identity as they face heightened susceptibility to subjective opinions about the career of a nurse due to their frequent engagement with social media platforms. Among these platforms is that of TikTok, a platform of which has rapidly gained traction, especially among younger demographics. TikTok remains relatively underexplored in terms of its impact on nursing professional identity. This study seeks to …

Cooking For A Cause: Food Insecurity In Lafayette County, Ms, Anna K. Richie

Honors Theses

Many people in Lafayette County, MS, experience ongoing difficulties with consistent access to healthy food options. According to the Mississippi Health & Hunger Atlas, “food insecurity rates in Mississippi are consistently and statistically higher than national averages—having been ranked as #1 or #2 for highest food insecurity rate every year for the past 15 years” (Haggard, Cafer & Green, 2017). This capstone project examines how a Little Free Pantry (LFP) initiative can contribute to local food security efforts and evaluates cooking demonstration outcomes using ingredients found in LFPs. The approach combines quantitative and qualitative methods by tracking pantry inventory data …

The Influence Of Religion On Anchoring And Adjustment In Sentencing Decisions, Kaylee Reid

Honors Theses

Religious beliefs and values often color people’s perceptions and interpretations of the world around them. This research has explored the relationship between religion and the anchoring and adjustment heuristic, with regard to how this affects sentencing decisions. The study served to determine whether certain beliefs held by participants – Catholicism and Wicca –along with the anchoring and adjustment heuristic, impact the sentence issued by a potential juror. Participants were undergraduate students from the University of New Haven who were provided with a vignette depicting an armed robbery and then issued their sentencing decision in years within the frame that they …

The Harmful Effects Of Book Banning In New York State, Ella Kelly

Honors Theses

There have been 4,231 book bans across America just in the 2023-2024 school year (PEN America, 2024). Book Banning is becoming an increasingly prevalent issue in today's society, and with our current political climate, it has the potential to worsen. This research will focus on where book bans originated from, and how they have continued to happen in modern day education. Through literary analysis, this research will examine how censorship is affecting elementary education and its students. There will be a focus on New York State, and how book banning is affecting public education here.

The Effect Of Self - Conscious Emotions On Help- Seeking Behavior, Kiera Blankinship

Honors Theses

Self-conscious emotions are a select category of emotions which are of special interest in the field of psychology because of the impact they have in the therapy room and beyond. Shame, pride, and guilt are incredibly influential in behavior, self-concept, and many other areas, yet we still know so little about them. This study addresses a gap in the literature regarding the interaction and correlation between proneness to self-conscious emotions and intentions to seek help for mental health issues. The research questions were evaluated using a quasi-experimental survey design utilizing the Test of Self- Conscious Affect (TOSCA) and the General …

Mentorship As Experienced By Black Woman In Stem At Predominantly White Institutions, Chelsei Lasha Arnold

Honors Theses

Black female college students have experienced a marginalized history in STEM higher education. Although students associated with this identity are enrolling and earning college degrees at historic rates, there is a gap in the resources available, especially at predominantly white institutions (PWIs), for these students once they reach collegiate level. The goal of this study is to examine the role of mentorship in the lived experiences of Black women STEM students at PWIs. I used interpretive phenomenological analysis on transcribed interviews to examine psychological patterns, and then I carefully analyzed the phenomenon of being mentored. Through the analysis, I sought …

From Surviving To Thriving: Sense Of Belonging And Imposter Syndrome In College Students With Ptsd, Amaree Walker

Honors Theses

This study explored how PTSD affects college students’ sense of belonging and experiences of Imposter Syndrome. Guided by cognitive-behavioral theory, attachment theory, and post-traumatic growth (PTG) theory, the research aimed to identify cognitive and relational experiences in students with PTSD. PTSD correlated with increased sense of belonging and increased feeling of Imposter Syndrome, influenced by cognitive distortions and insecure attachment styles. psychological well-being was revealed as a mediator in each of these relationships. This research sought to understand how trauma impacts potential cognitive and relational shifts in students with PTSD. The findings can inform future interventions targeting PTSD-related challenges for …

The Effect Of Pickleball On Postural Control For Young Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Emma Wilkinson

Honors Theses

Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior, impacting various aspects of life, including balance. Individuals with IDD often experience balance deficits due to muscle weakness, sensory deficits, and slower processing times, leading to an increased risk of falls and injuries. Traditional balance training programs such as yoga, aquatic exercises, and exergaming have shown promise in improving balance and physical health in this population.

This study explores the potential of pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, as an alternative balance training intervention for young adults with IDD. Pickleball's unique combination of physical …

The Dark Core Of Humanity: The Influence Of Dark Tetrad Traits On Activism, Hannah L. Cundiff

Honors Theses

In times of growing concern for the future of humanity, levels of overall activism are increasing. Thus, it is important to determine the personality types drawn to engage in either peaceful or violent forms of activism. Previous studies have focused on the Dark Triad traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism) and the Big Five personality traits as variables influencing the amount, and type (i.e., peaceful vs. violent), of participation in activism, overlooking the influence of sadism. The current study aimed to expand on existing literature through a conceptual replication of Zacher (2024), who found that the Dark Triad traits and left-wing …

Animation Therapy, Leah Bernhardt

Honors Theses

Can viewing a meditative animation help student athletes with their mental health? My creative project involves seven one-minute animations that are based on the concept of the seven chakras found in the physical body. Each chakra has specific characteristics that can affect our emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. If we can learn how to keep these energies stable within the body, we can learn how to become mentally and physically balanced. My animation consists of animals that best represent each chakra's characteristics. The viewer can imagine themselves as that animal and incorporate those characteristics into their daily life. I presented …

Influence Of Hearing Loss On Self-Reported Hearing Ability And Listening Fatigue In Persons With Aphasia, Ashlyn Kilgore

Honors Theses

Aphasia is an acquired disorder, often caused by stroke, that results in language deficits. It can greatly impact a person's ability to communicate with others. Cognitive deficits may accompany aphasia. Additionally, hearing loss is a disability likely to co-occur with aphasia, as they both most commonly impact the same age group. When a person has hearing loss, the quality of the auditory signal is degraded when it reaches the brain. The poor signal quality, compounded with linguistic and possible cognitive deficits that are associated with aphasia, makes it more difficult for persons with aphasia (PWA) to comprehend speech.

For all …