Digital Commons Network^™

Dognition : The Effect Of Pet Ownership On Cognition In Older Adults, Molly Mcsweeney

Honors Theses

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of pet ownership on cognition in older adults. Previous research has indicated that interactions with pets are associated with improved mental and physical health in humans. We predicted that these benefits of human-pet interactions will extend to expose superior cognitive functioning in cat-owning or dog-owning older adults as compared to older adults who do not own pets. More specifically, we hypothesized that dog-owners would perform significantly better than cat-owners and non-pet owners on cognitive tasks as owning a dog requires exceeding attention, training, and exercise. We tested this effect …

The Effects Of Financial Leverage On The Output Decision Of An Exploration And Production Company, Michael Levine

Honors Theses

I examine companies focused on the exploration, production and exploitation of oil and gas assets to test whether there is a significant relationship between a firm’s debt burden and its production decision. I am most interested in debt’s effect on a firm’s price elasticity of supply as this would allow me to conclude how a highly levered firm would react to changes in price relative to other firms. I use data from 81 publicly traded exploration and production companies with varying degrees of leverage over the last ten years. This time frame captures two price cycles for the oil and …

How Does One Child Policy Influence Chinese Household Saving Behavior, Yueyang Cao

Honors Theses

This paper investigates the influence the decline in the family size on household size through a Chinese family planning policy, the One-Child Policy (OCP). I find the evidence of the negative effect at the micro level using Chinese household survey data. I also study the aggregated effect using Chinese provincial level data. With the concern of endogeneity, I use a two-stage least square regression with financial punishments for having more than one child and share of population that were exempted from the restriction as instruments for the fertility variable. This regression shows a positive impact of the implementation of the …

Police Impunity In Mexico: Creating Openings For Justice In A New Democracy, Emily Boyce

Honors Theses

In this project, I investigate why police impunity has persisted in Mexico, and why the application of justice, when it does occur, happens unequally. Mexico has undergone a democratic transition with a specific focus on increasing accountability in the judiciary. These persistent trends of police impunity and unequal application of justice are especially puzzling in the face of these recent shifts. Existing literature argues that the institutional changes that occur as a result of democratization should yield changes that further the individual rights of citizens. A majority of the scholarly work regarding police impunity and justice in Mexico focuses on …

"I Don't Think Of All The Misery, But Of The Beauty That Still Remains": Holocaust Education In The Music Classroom, Kathryn Eileen Stiadle

Honors Theses

On June 26, 2014, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett signed a law requiring mandatory Holocaust and Genocide education in all Pennsylvania schools. This legislation, the result of efforts made by Holocaust author and advocated Rhonda Fink-Whitman, made Pennsylvania the sixth state to require Holocaust and Genocide education. However, the law does not state how to teach about this rather difficult topic. According to anthropologist and ethnomusicologist Alan Merriam, one of the functions of music in any society is "emotional expression." Because music gives us the ability to convey emotions in a way that speech perhaps cannot, it is a beneficial tool …

Fan Perceptions Of Selling Alcoholic Beverages At A College Football Stadium, Danielle E. Hennessy

Honors Theses

Consuming alcohol while watching a sporting event has become a tradition within the sport commnnity. Almost one in ten sports fans leave major league stadiums with a blood alcohol level over the legal limit, with 40% of spectators consuming alcohol during the game (Lopatto, 2011). Due to this tradition, many colleges and universities have struggled to answer the question, should alcohol be sold at our athletic events? To answer this question research has been done on many factors including binge drinking, violence and safety, alcohol control policies, tailgating and attendance.

The Phenomenon Of Homegrown Radicalization In The United States, Austin W. Mceldred

Honors Theses

The phenomenon of homegrown radicalization in the United States has become a disturbing trend for many Americans in the past decade. Many of these radicalized individuals raised in the United States come from affluent families and have had many of the opportunities that any other Americans are granted. In this thesis content analysis and case study examinations are used to explore the question of what is leading to individuals becoming radicalized in the United States. This study examines five cases of homegrown radicalization to determine the role that traumatic events, alienation, poverty, internet usage, a perceived divide between the West …

Shatranj, Anushka J. Mehrotra

Honors Theses

Shatranj contains the prologue and first five chapters of an in-progress novel completed as an Honors Thesis in Creative Writing. The story is set in Mumbai, India and tells the story of a fictional assassin company called the Fireflies. The story is told through the perspectives of multiple characters; Ishan, the protagonist, a new recruit to the group; Rhea a former Firefly who left the group and joined a group of other Firefly deserters; Tahiliani, one of the heads of the group; and Akash, a senior member of the Fireflies who desperately wants to prove himself and replace Tahiliani as …

Student Nurse Behaviors And Barriers To Successful Completion Of The Traditonal Bachelor's In Science Of Nursing (Bsn) Program., Carri Shaw

Honors Theses

Change is often said to be the only constant in life. This holds true to the rapidly growing field of nursing. In order to meet the demands of new challenges that emerge in nursing, the way future nurses are educated also has changed. Not all nursing students find that the profession is for them. Therefore, some attrition from school is expected. This descriptive study will explore factors that the literature suggests are related to attrition at a mid-sized public university in the Midwest. A survey given to two different level nursing cohorts will give insight to pre-licensure nursing students’ experiences …

Explorations Of Dystopia: Challenging Expectations Through Composition, Bryan Pfiester

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Recommendations For The Development Of New Hospital Guidelines Due To The Effects Of Antibiotics On Clostridium Difficile Colitis, Megan Kohsel

Honors Theses

Clostridium difficile colitis is an infection that causes inflammation of the colon and diarrhea. This can even lead to death in some cases. The incidence of this infection and its overall effects have been on the rise throughout the last twenty years as antibiotics have been prescribed more frequently. Therefore, it is necessary that the rate of C. difficile infection is lowered by improved guidelines for hospitals, so that fewer people are infected and also that fewer antibiotics are prescribed to avoid the infection with C. difficle.

Experiential Avoidance Post-Trauma: Investigating Predictors Of Traumatic Stress And Problematic Behavior., Elise Trim

Honors Theses

Experiential avoidance (EA) is the unwillingness to remain in contact with distressing thoughts, feelings, memories, and other private experiences (Hayes et al., 2004; Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999). Although the use of EA may lead to immediate reductions in distress, prolonged use can result in problem behaviors such as substance misuse (Hayes, Wilson, Gifford, Follette, & Strosahl, 1996). Although a strong temporal relationship has yet to be established, findings suggest a possibility that EA could be a mechanism by which posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are developed and maintained (Krause, Mendelson, & Lynch, 2003; Rosenthal, Polusny, & Follette, 2006; Dvorak, …

Parentification, Alicia Wayne

Honors Theses

The phenomena of Parentification. Parentification is best outlined by Boszormenyi-Nagy & Spark (1973), as a family process in which children or adolescents assume adult responsibilities and/or parental roles that may be developmentally inappropriate. There has been much research done on the topic of Parentification and the effects of the psychopathology on the individual. (e.g. substance abuse, depression, self-esteem, recidivism, anxiety, etc.) Although some research has been done on birth order and/or family structure and how it correlates to parentification, no published research was found on parentification and its repercussions or ramifications for the youngest sibling(s) (i.e. those adolescent’s that were …

Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study Of Mikey, Gabrielle Lober

Honors Theses

This paper describes Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) including diagnostic criteria, suspected causes, prevalence, comorbidities, and influences on client factors. A hypothetical case study is presented to give readers an illustration of what someone with ASD might look like. Possible treatment based on evidence and selected frame of references will be given for the hypothetical client. This paper is not all inclusive of the role of occupational therapy in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, but gives an illustrative example.

John Jasper: The Creation Of A Character, Blake Price

Honors Theses

On November 13th, 2015, I will be participating in my last mainstage performance at Western Michigan University. To say I’m excited to be finishing my college career as John Jasper in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, would be an absolute understatement. Over the course of the past three and a half years, I have had the rare privilege to split my time evenly between performing plays and musicals, which does not always happen for Music Theatre Performance majors. The ability to work with new directors on a variety of different styles of plays and musicals has given me the opportunity …

Comparison Of Shareholder Value Between Full-Service Airlines (Fsas) And Low-Cost Carriers (Lccs)., William Kee

Honors Theses

Shareholders in the airline industry invest in a service industry that is met with high fixed costs, capital, and external factors such as customer satisfaction and fluctuations in crude oil prices. On one end of the airline spectrum in the United States lie the full-service airlines, such as Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, or United Airlines adopting a product differentiation approach to capture a competitive advantage by providing greater benefits, comfort, and experience to the customer. This approach attracts customers that value the experience more so than simply the price of the fare, but is often met with high operating …

The Impact Of Globalization On Access For Individuals With Disabilities, Katherine Williamson

Honors Theses

This comparative ethnomethodology study is focused on the global context elements that help explain public policies and its consequences on types of access available to individuals with disabilities in the United States Midwest and West Africa. The goal of this study is to identify the role of individuals with disabilities in a global society by answering two research questions. First, what are the public policies in place for physical, social, and educational access in the United States Midwest and West Africa? Second, how is physical, social, and educational access being provided in the United States Midwest and West Africa? The …

For The Fund$ Of It: Product Development, Josie Marshall

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Gigapan Education, Marissa Morgan

Honors Theses

Secondary-school students and teachers need a safe, secure website where they can experience the life of their peers around the world through GigaPan panoramic images. Using a simple point and shoot camera, students can create deep-zoomable panoramas called GigaPans. A Ruby on Rails website was created to provide a location and interface for sharing and discussing these GigaPan panoramas between students and teachers across the globe. By sharing experiences and culture through this technology, the website aims to create a community of technologically and culturally aware young people.

Multi-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Jacob Dean, James Mixter, Jordan Barr

Honors Theses

An open-source Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capable of performing at the same capacity as many top commercially available multi-rotor vehicles is developed. The system allows users unfamiliar with multi-rotor vehicles to achieve flight and land safely, while also serving as a flexible foundation for other UAV projects and opening the door to features that are not currently available. Applications of drone technology are explored.

Widr Fm's Constitution: Restatement, Revision, And Analysis Of Genre, Joseph Silver

Honors Theses

I have been involved with WIDR FM for 18 months as its employed Music Director and a volunteer DJ. I am one of six part-time paid student directors who oversee the general management of the station. My tenure at WIDR has been especially exciting in that this is the first year of WIDR's affiliation with Student Media Group–a new organization funded by the University that collaborates WIDR FM with the Western Herald and the Young Broadcasters of Tomorrow. It is designed to guide these organizations toward greater interactivity, scholarship, and fiscal solvency. The Student Media Group brings many changes to …

The Trickster And Queen, Jagjit Sidhu

Honors Theses

The trickster is a primary motif that appears in numerous cultures in the form of a mischievous and impulsive character, who tricks others to get what he wants. However, in reality the trickster is far from a simple-minded clown. He is actually very complex and sees through the facade of society and it’s strict hypocritical cultures and traditions, seeking to challenge these mechanisms that restrict the flow of logic and pleasure. For this paper, I will theoretically analyze the mechanism of the trickster, and the intimate relation between his trickery and his role as a culture-hero. I will apply this …

Adapting Architectural Models For Visualization Using Virtual Reality Headsets, Bernardo Martinez

Honors Theses

Business contracts represent a main source of income for Architects. Acquiring these contracts requires the latest and most immersive technology that improves their sales against competitors. Virtual reality provides an in-depth experience that allows clients to have a reasonable assurance that the building meets their physical expectations. Videos and photos are detached and mundane; while they provide some visual representation they will not allow the user to compare his physical characteristics (height, length, width) with a 3D model. In this paper, I describe a procedure for automatically importing 3D models from Revit into Unreal4. I also describe the workflow required …

¿Dónde Están Todas Las Mujeres?: The Impact Of Female Labor Force Participation On Female Political Representation In Latin America, Murakami A. Carpenter

Honors Theses

Do higher levels of female labor force participation increase female political representation? Over the past 40 years, the involvement of Latina women in the labor force and the number of female legislators in Latin America has been steadily increasing. To determine if there is a correlation between these two variables, this research builds on the socio-economic status model created by Brady, Verba and Schlozman (1995). Using both a bivariate and a multivariate model, I test for a correlation between the number of women working and the number of elected female legislators in 24 Latin American countries. Contrary to expectations, I …

The Brutal Truth About Police Brutality, Markhel D. Hargrove

Honors Theses

Police brutality is a very timely issue as a new case has seemed to pop up every couple of weeks or so; however, police brutality is not a recent phenomenon, but for some reason, it is getting a lot of media attention today. This is perhaps due to the pattern that is occurring in these instances: black victims and white cops. In order to prevent police brutality from happening, several steps must be made to improve the way that police officers act and think in certain situations. First, it is important to teach officers how to properly handle the mentally …

Finland Vs. The United States: Similarities And Differences In Kindergarten, Rebecca L. Ulrich

Honors Theses

Understanding successful educational systems and the qualities they incorporate is imperative in the quest for student achievement. Finland is known worldwide for their success in the classroom and its educators do a great job preparing young students for primary education in their Kindergarten classrooms. Kindergarten is a very important grade for young students. It prepares them for grades to come and introduces them to a school setting. By using qualitative research methods and comparing and contrasting of published data, Finland’s kindergarten system and three kindergarten teachers who represent the typical kindergarten milieu in Lamar County, Mississippi will be analyzed through …

Characterization Of Embryonic Stem Cell-Differentiated Cells As Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Rachael N. Kuehn

Honors Theses

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs), due to their ability to differentiate into different cell types while still maintaining a high proliferation capacity, have been considered as a potential cell source in regenerative medicine. However, current ESC differentiation methods are low yielding and create heterogeneous cell populations. If transplanted in the human body, differentiated ESCs could be rejected by the immune system, form tumors, or may not function normally within the human body. On the other hand, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a type of adult stem cell typically derived from bone marrow, have proved to be excellent candidates in clinical applications due …

Democratizing Dionysus: The Origins Controversy And The Dual Evolution Of Tragedy And Civism, Belen Plaza-Gainza

Honors Theses

Finding the origins of tragedy has been a fascinating subject since late antiquity, and it continues to be a source of academic debate. The controversy I have examined is from the early years of our twenty-first century, and has questioned the testimony of Aristotle, opening the debate once again. The evidence continues to prove that tragedy’s origins were religious, and even though there is no hard evidence to prove that it evolved from Dionysiac ritual, there is no hard evidence to disprove this theory either.

I have taken this opportunity to examine the origins of tragedy from its evolution, which …

Private Labels Related To Time & Risk Preferences, Darryn Taylor

Honors Theses

Purpose: This paper explores the linkages between demographics, time preferences, and risk preferences of private label food products.

Design/methodology/approach: More than 600 adults were surveyed on their perceptions of private labels, hedonic traits, and impulsive consumption along with their time and risk preferences.

Findings: Time preference and hedonic trait are relevant to consumer’s private label preferences.

Originality/Value: By developing measures on time and risk preferences relating to demographics, this thesis provides more detailed explanations of the consumer’s willingness to use private label brands. The scales that were developed for measuring time and risk preferences have not been previously used in …

Exploration Of The United States’ Cultural Legacy In Panama Through Analysis Of American Foreign Policy And Public Opinion, Katherine A. Boss

Honors Theses

The study of a culture is nearly too difficult to accomplish academically, therefore the consilience of data, personal experience, and public opinion offers the most comprehensive approach. The Panama Canal has just celebrated its centennial and remains to this day one of the most important geopolitical and global economic hubs in the world. Nearly every country that participates in maritime trade utilizes the canal. Panama has ambitious plans for the canal’s future, as it nears completion of a multibillion dollar expansion project; however predicting how Panama handles this growth and new responsibility as a major world power is directly related …