Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Estrogen On Recovery Of Spatial Function After Cerebellar Lesion, Gerald William Stinson Jr.

Honors Theses

The traditional view of cerebellar processing has been that it plays a role in motor planning and function, now the cerebellum is also believed to be involved in spatial learning and cognition. Like the cerebellum’s involvement in cognition the role of estrogen in cerebellar functioning has only recently been investigated. The cerebellum normally has low levels of estrogen but aromatase activity is upregulated after brain injury, increasing estrogen levels. This upregulation after injury suggests that estrogen could be involved in neuroprotection. This study uses male zebra finches to investigate the role of the cerebellum in spatial function and the possible …

A Little Unwell: Madness In The World Of Tennessee Williams, Sarah Lynn Dickey

Honors Theses

Tennessee Williams is a prolific playwright and an American literary icon. He is second only to Shakespeare in the amount of scholarly analyses of his work. Although I am writing my thesis in a crowded field, I am pursuing a fresh topic by studying madness in Williams' works, specifically the subcategories of Eccentrics/Acutes and Chronics - a construct put forth in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. By applying Cuckoo's Nest and other texts involving madness to Tennessee Williams’ plays, I will explore the character of the mad individual, the impact of society upon the …

The Polarizing Effects Of Inflammatory Language In Political Blogs, Holly Sarah Hosford

Honors Theses

The Internet, as an unregulated and anonymous outlet, sometimes fosters uncivil political interaction, in which political debates escalate to hate speech or attacks on a social group. There is much debate on whether the political blogosphere will foster a purer democracy or create a more politically polarized society. In order to make conclusions about the societal effects of uncivil political dialogue, I examined the effects of Inflammatory political language on readers of weblogs and other online posts. I created and distributed five versions of an online survey, with each survey containing a different version of mock political blog comments. Each …

“¡Que Se Vayan Todos!” :Opportunity Structures, Social Movement Mobilization, And The Argentine Piquetero Movement, Daniel Palmer Hester

Honors Theses

The emergence of the Piquetero Movement in Argentina during the 1990s and early 2000s is the result of changing economic, political, and social processes at both the macro (national) and micro (local) levels. With Carlos Menem’s election to the presidency, Argentina began a state-led project for national economic development and modernization. The opening of the economy to foreign investment and the reductions of state interference in the national economy transformed the national economy. However, the long-term economic and social costs of these reforms saw the growth of widespread unemployment among the working class, a dismantling of state assistance networks, and …

The Political Mobilization Of Afro-Ecuadorians: A Comparison To The United States And Brazil, Sederia Gray

Honors Theses

SEDERIA NATASHA GRAY: The Political Mobilization of Afro-Ecuadorians: A comparison to the United States and Brazil (Under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Jackson)

In this thesis, I will use the theory of political mobilization in Brazil by Edward Telles. Telles argues that skin color, social class and residential concentration are the three main factors in politically mobilizing a community. When there is one, distinct race (skin color) and/ or social class political mobilization is high. Telles argues that skin color is an ethnic identity marker that causes political mobilization. In the case ofsocial class in Brazil, Telles argues that groups …

Religious Nationalism In The Post-Soviet World: A Case Study Of The Relationship Between The Russian Orthodox Church And Georgian Orthodox Church During The Five-Day War, Harrison Ford

Honors Theses

HARRISON FORD: Religious Nationalism in the Post-Soviet Sphere: A Case Study of the Relationship Between the Russian Orthodox Church and Georgian Orthodox Church During the Five­Day War (Under the direction of Dr. Ahmet Yukleyen)

This thesis explores religious nationalism through the study of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and its relationship with the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC). Its focus is mainly on the time period immediately before and after Russia-Georgia 2008 conflict, but relevant history of the relationship between the two will be discussed to provide context.

In the post-Soviet era, the Russian Orthodox Church and Russian Federation conduct what …

A Longitudinal Study Of Derived Relational Responding In An Infant With A Significant Language Delay, Charlves William Peterson Iv

Honors Theses

Henry, a child (23 months old at the beginning of the study) with an expressive language delay was trained to derive relations over a three month period. He was taught to match visual, vocal, and signed stimuli for several objects. The researchers were searching for a pattern in the development of matching relations, relations of mutual entailment, and relations of combinatorial entailment over the duration of the study. For each relation the researchers examined the number of trials needed for independent correct responding. The results showed the child’s performance on derived relational responding improved over time. Henry began to independently …

The Effect Of Mood On Short Term Memory, Amy Vitell

Honors Theses

ABSTRACT AMY VITELL: The Effect of Mood on Short Term Memory

Eighty-four undergraduate students (13 males and 71 females) from the University of Mississippi were tested on the effect of mood on short term memory. The participants, with a mean age of 19, were made up of 61 Caucasians, 21 African American, and 2 Asians. The participants took part in a free recall task involving 25 neutral words. Next, a film clip was shown to induce a particular mood (either positive or negative, depending on assigned condition). Following the mood manipulation the participants took part in a second recall task …

The Relationship Between Young Women's Self-Perceived Body-Esteems And Calculated Body Compositions, Alyssa Kay Ashmore

Honors Theses

Beginning at an early age, girls realize self-conscious feelings after being confronted with the issue of accepting their changing bodies (Halpem, Udry, Campbell & Suchindran, 1999). In the university setting, young women’s self-perceptions of body- esteem are sensitive to outside influences and peers (Heinberg & Thompson, 1992; Giles, Helme & Krcmar, 2007, Shomaker & Furman, 2007). This study observes the relationship between calculated body compositions and self-perceived body-esteems among female students at the University of Mississippi. Eighty-five female students between the ages of 18 and 23 volunteered to participate in the study. A questionnaire assessed body-esteem levels of the participants …

That Glorious Fire It Kindled: Extremes Of (Un)Righteous Sexuality In Books I And Iii Of Spenser's Faerie Queene, S. Erin Mclean

Honors Theses

Edmund Spenser's epic romance, The Faerie Queene (1590, 1596), claims to glorify Queen Elizabeth I, but the author hides an underlying critique of the queen throughout the poem. At the same time that Spenser openly praises the English monarch, he also reveals the faults and contradictions present in her image through how he presents the main characters in the story. In Faerie Queene, Spenser establishes a sexuality spectrum that features the lechery of Redcrosse Knight and the hypersensitive purity of Britomart; this demonstrates the various extremes of immoral sexuality. Studying both these characters reveals that the success of each knight's …

Sustainability In Practice: A Study Of The Sustainable Behaviors Of Students At The Univeristy Of Tennessee At Chattanooga, Audrey Glor

Honors Theses

Sustainable behaviors, such as recycling, are increasingly important as the world's population continues to rise. While many attempts have been made at various institutions, recycling on a grand scale has yet to become a social reality. This study was designed to look at the three broad factors influencing an individual's recycling behavior: social pressure, knowledge base, and convenience. It was hypothesized that social pressure would have the greatest influence on an individual's recycling behavior, while not overlooking the importance of the other two factors. A questionnaire was employed to collect data from a sample population at the University of Tennessee …

D-Day Through Song: Teaching History Through Music And The Theory Of Multiple Intelligences, Lucas Rewa

Honors Theses

Socials studies teachers know that making their lessons engaging for students in of utmost importance. History has a reputation of being one of those subjects that students think is boring. They think that history has no connection to their lives; it has no meaning for them. In order to get the students engaged in the material and to really learn, a teacher has to relate history to the students' lives. They need to foster an emotional attachment between the students and the material. "Emotion is the glue that makes history stick."

Modern Sophistry: On The "Economization" Of Higher Education, Michael Mcshane

Honors Theses

The best way for one to begin approaching political philosophy is to do just that, not as a theorist or philosopher, but as a student who examines the various works of theorists in general and sees what is gainful in each of them. It is a thing said to be pleasant – to gain from those who possess knowledge that exceeds one's own. The theorists themselves are taxed with a kind of work that would not appear to the student pleasurable in the slightest, and he might be better off conceding the great labors and accolades that come with this …

Mary's Wedding, Amelia Gay Hammond

Honors Theses

As the market for actor training programs becomes more competitive, university theatre departments are attempting to generate the most production opportunities possible to attract the highest quality students. Crucial to this agenda‟s success is remaining cost effective while finding new conduits of artistic growth and production experience to enrich the students‟ development. Coastal Carolina University‟s Department of Theatre forged an answer to this departmental balancing act. With almost all budget and faculty resources pledged to the full mainstage season, smaller, student produced work had begun to supplement the production offerings. These projects can provide a much-needed venue for actively engaging …

Students' Perceived Parenting Styles And Their Later Romantic Attachment Styles And Preferred Coping Tendencies, Shannon L. Bogart

Honors Theses

In the first of two studies, the use of data compiled from questionnaires concerning perceived parenting style and romantic attachment style of Coastal Carolina University students were used to test the hypothesis that the authoritative parenting style would be related to the secure attachment style. The researcher used the terms attachment style and romantic attachment style interchangeably throughout the study. These variables were then statistically analyzed by a chi-square test of independence and showed statistical significance to support the hypothesis. The frequency of students who answered to have both authoritative parenting and secure attachments was significantly higher than the other …

Authentic Assessment Versus Traditional Assessment: A Comparative Study, Nikki Brawley

Honors Theses

Assessment is defined as "almost any form of measurement and appraisal of what students know and can do." These forms can include, but are not limited to: tests, reports, observations, and questioning. There are two main subgroups used when describing assessment: trasitional and alternative. The term traditional assessment refers to a paper and pencil based test used to determine what a student knows and can recall, i.e. the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests (PACT). The term alternative assessment refers to "almost any type of assessment other than standardized tests." (McAfee & Leong, 2-3) This subgroup can be divided into various types …

The Inheritance Of Lawless Passion : An Examination Of Interracial Relationships Through Slave Narratives, Genna K. Murray

Honors Theses

WPA narratives uphold that during the institution of slavery there was a wide variety of interracial relationships that ranged from the most brutal rapes to the most loving relationships. While some white slave owners took sadistic pleasure in torturing their slave women, others jeopardized their social standing and career to be with the woman they loved. Therefore, it is difficult to make vast generalizations about interracial relationships during slavery and they should really be examined on a case‐ specific level. However, it can be argued that most interracial relationships fell somewhere in the middle of the two previously stated extremes. …

Communicative Violence In Romantic Relationships, Christina L. Moore

Honors Theses

Verbal abuse occurs in college relationships, but this form of abuse lacks a clear definition and definitive characteristics. I studied the dialogue that surrounds verbal abuse. I was interested in how verbal abuse was discussed instead of the specific details of the experiences. Verbal abuse was purposely studied separately from physical abuse. Prior research and legal statutes were reviewed before conducting this study. Through the use of focus groups, one-on-one interviews and key informant interviews a broader perspective of verbal abuse was gained. The six salient themes to emerge were (1) how to protect one’s identity, (2) characteristics of the …

Henry Steel Olcott : From Civil War Veteran To Sinalese Buddhist Nationalist, A Case Study In International Religious Activism, Jennifer Proch

Honors Theses

The nineteenth century was marked by a great deal of religious growth and change. Throughout the world, religion took on new forms, both with the introduction and expansion of movements like the Theosophical Society, and with the revival and reform of older faiths. Cultural exchange and broader exposure to religious ideals, in the form of missions and education were also important features of the century. At a cursory glance, an American Civil War veteran and a Buddhist monk from Ceylon would seem to share little in common, but during this time of increasing interconnectedness these two figures made contact. Henry …

The Effect Of Early Cochlear Implantation On Oral Language: A Review Of The Literature, Nicole Supplee

Honors Theses

Current research suggests that implantation of cochlear implants before 2 years of age significantly impacts oral language development, specifically in increased rate of oral language development. In addition, children who have been implanted early (between 12 months and two years) have been shown to obtain age-appropriate language skills, whereas children who have been implanted later (after 2 years of age), or not implanted at all, do not. Because of the documented benefits of early implantation, researchers have recently pushed to lower the current minimum age of implantation to below 12 months of age. Although research suggests improvements in language development …

The Impact Of Social Pressures On Referee's Sanctions In Professional Soccer : A Case Study Of Penalty Kicks In The Mls, Mariano Harari

Honors Theses

This paper examines referee bias in the Major League Soccer (MLS), particularly looking at referees’ decisions regarding penalty kicks. After analyzing the 520 penalty kicks sanctioned since the inception of the MLS, this study ascertains that referees’ display a considerable bias favoring the home team when awarding the initial penalty kick of a game. Additionally, this study demonstrates that in matches with more than one penalty kick, the penalties are disproportionately awarded to each team, suggesting that referees are compensating or atoning for their initial calls. Moreover, when sanctioning a second penalty kick, there is a bias effect of 5.4% …

The Courts As Policy-Makers : A Medical Malpractice Case Study, Jennifer A. Williams

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I argue that the courts are not effective policy-makers because they are a channel for resolving disputes between individuals. I first present the basics of medical malpractice litigation and some of the current literature on the courts as policy-makers. I then address the cultural trends that have made this form of individual dispute resolution common and acceptable, particularly for my case study of medical malpractice. Then I show how some of the individualized aspects of the legal system distort the deterrent effect of lawsuits. I focus on the poor fit between actual negligence and lawsuits that results …

Forecasting Utility Of Uk Consumer Sentiment Indexes In Real Time : Do Consumer Sentiment Surveys Improve Consumption Forecasts In Real Time?, Bradford M. Smith

Honors Theses

This paper builds on recent research utilizing real time datasets in order to assess the forecasting utility of consumer sentiment indexes in the United Kingdom. Academic researchers have consistently found that consumer confidence indexes accurately predict consumer spending in the near term. Few of these examinations, however, have utilized out of sample forecasting and only one has incorporated real time data. In an effort to recreate the exact dataset that is available to economic forecasters in real time, this paper utilizes the recently published Gross Domestic Product Real-Time Database from the Bank of England in order to produce forecasts of …

Catholic Nationalism And Feminism In Twentieth-Century Ireland, Jennifer M. Donohue

Honors Theses

In the early 1900s, Ireland experienced a surge in nationalism as its political leanings shifted away from allegiance to the British Parliament and towards a pro-Ireland and pro-independence stance. The landscape of Ireland during this period was changed dramatically by the subversive popularity of the Irish political party, Sinn Fein, which campaigned for an Ireland for the Irish. Much of the political rhetoric surrounding this campaign alludes to the fact that Ireland was not inherently “British” because it defined itself by two unique, un-British characteristics – the Gaelic language and the Catholic faith.

As Sinn Fein’s hold on Ireland increased, …

Visual Discrimination Training For Rats : Developing A New Methodology To Explore Laterality Differences, Tiffany R. Brunelli

Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to examine right hemisphere specialization for faces at the neuronal level. Research has shown that facial recognition relies on the right anterior temporal lobe and involves integrating multiple features (Bukach, Gauthier, & Tarr, 2006). Evidence from rat studies confirms that the anterior temporal lobe is involved in integrating multiple object features (Eacott, Machin, & Gaffan, 2001). However, these studies did not examine differences between the brain’s right and left hemispheres. It was hypothesized that the right anterior temporal lobe is more important for feature integration. The current study aimed to develop a methodology for …

Appropriation In Opera : Modern Performance Practice Of Racially Evocative Works, Katelin French

Honors Theses

The repertoire of a classically trained singer has developed over centuries of cultural influence. As singers prepare for recitals, they decide which pieces they will include and how to perform each one. Many factors are essential for these decisions. In the 21st century, our environments challenge us to explore these conditions of creating a recital program. In a post-civil rights era, factors of race and ethnicity should become more important to programming than they were before. The consideration is not whether minority populations are portrayed, but how they are evoked on stage. In the following exposition, I will consider how …

From Birth To Death Of Cool, Brandon Theriault

Honors Theses

I first heard the music of Miles when I would visit my uncle in his surburban neighborhood outside Detroit. He celebrates Miles's entire discography, a value I do not share, but we do agree on when Miles was truly "kickin' it": 1965-1974. The "adolescence and early manhood of cool" always grabbed me with its transitioning attitude and sea of creative performers assembled by Davis. His whole career is teeming with innovative ideas and outstanding sidemen, but my obsequious writ will favor the years he "kicked it".

Reducing The Negative Attidudes Of Religious Fundamentalists Toward Homosexuals, John A. Frank

Honors Theses

In this study, participants who vary in their level of religious fundamentalism were exposed to different interventions designed to change their attitudes toward homosexuals. The interventions involved writing a few paragraphs about positive gay figures in society or thinking about a passage from the Bible about acceptance. Their attitudes toward homosexuals were measured using the Implicit Association Test and Herek's Attitudes toward Gay and Lesbian scale. They also completed some behavioral intention measures that examined how their attitudes relate to their behaviors. It was hypothesized that short- term contact with an admired outgroup member would change the negative attitudes or …

The Effects Of Market Sentiment On Crude Oil Futures Markets, Nathan Somayaji

Honors Theses

This paper uses a behavioral finance approach to examine the effect of psychological factors on pricing in futures markets. Specifically, I assess the impact of the contemporaneous market sentiment on price discovery in crude oil futures markets. A considerable amount of previous research has shown that futures prices in crude oil markets lead spot prices, as futures act as a mechanism for determining spot prices. My analysis addresses whether the lead-lag relationship between futures and spot varies with differing market sentiment. I hypothesize that futures pricing will lead in times of increased uncertainty due to lower transactions costs and greater …

Treating Animals Right : Introducing A New Fairness Approach, Xenia Corali Schneider

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis, thus, is to provide a convincing account of the proper ethical treatment of animals. I will discuss some of the most popular theoretical frameworks, utilitarianism, Kantianism, and contractarianism, and see how they apply to animals. After explaining and critiquing these theories I will provide an alternative theory for the ethical treatment of animals, which should serve as the basis for our actions and guide our behavior towards animals, especially the eating of meat.

The argument I will be defending is neither abolitionist-granting animals the same rights as human beings and therefore rejecting all institutions involving …