Digital Commons Network^™

A Photo Illicit Study Of Black Women's Sense Of Belonging At A Predominately White Institution, Kayla Alexandria Slusher

Masters Theses

This qualitative study sought to examine how Black women define and create their sense of belonging while attending a predominately White institution using a photovoice approach. The women took photographs of spaces that they frequently occupy and then engaged in a face-to-face interview to discuss the photographs. The researcher also investigated four Black women, ranging from junior to graduate level, to identify how they developed a sense of belonging at the research site institution. Results of the study showed that a feeling of comfort was most important when identifying belongingness in a space. The participants were able to create a …

Investigating The Impact Of Foreign Direct Investment On Domestic Investment In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case Study Of Kenya And South Africa, George Anaman

Masters Theses

In the progression towards economic growth, countries consider investment as a critical feature in raising productivity levels by boosting technological progress and reducing the unemployment rate. In recent years, the government of South Africa and Kenya have both enacted policies to entice Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the view of creating more jobs and bolstering the economy. However, in the bid to attract these foreign investors, FDI may either end up complementing or stifling local investments over time. From this perspective, the objective of the study is to investigate the impact of FDI on Domestic Investments in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) …

Women Autonomy In Household Decisionmaking In Nigeria: Analysis Of 2013 Demographic And Health Survey Data, Temiyemi Akinsuyi

Masters Theses

Wealth generated in a household unit is very instrumental to the economy at large through involvement in economic activities. A modest step to improving women's voices and participation in the society is to allow them a full range of choices. Consequences of limiting the rights of women is detrimental to households, communities and the economy at large. The specific objective of this study is to examine the association between women's autonomy and household decision making. I do this by analyzing the data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. The methodology employed in investigating this relationship is the Ordered …

Digit Ratio As A Predictor Of Risk Taking And Sensation Seeking Personality Traits And Behaviors, Hanna Elizabeth Hobson

Masters Theses

Digit ratio is the difference in length between the pointer finger and the ring finger on either hand. Commonly referred to as the 2D:4D ratio, this ratio is determined prior to birth, and serves as an indicator of prenatal hormone exposure. Digit ratio has been found to correlate with fundamental personality and behavior characteristics in adulthood. Digit ratio is also thought to be a determinate of sexual orientation in both men and women, but has been debated in the literature. This study examined multiple 2D:4D relationships. Men who were found to have a more masculinized (ie. lower) digit ratio had …

Is The Relationship Between College Drinking Behaviors And Social Anxiety Mediated By Alcohol Expectancies And Traumatic Life Experiences?, Cortney Lin Kingsmill

Masters Theses

The relationship between alcohol consumption and social anxiety is difficult to understand, as there have been mixed findings in the research. In general, a positive correlation has been found between the two, with a focus on the mediating effect of alcohol outcome expectancies. Both positive expectancies and trauma have been correlated positively with social anxiety and drinking behavior. This paper reviews the literature and examines the relationship between social anxiety and alcohol consumption. A mediated model between these two variables with the mediators being alcohol expectancies and traumatic experiences was proposed, but this model did not fit the date. Specifically, …

The Effects Of Two Different Sports Drinks On Rpe And Finishing Speed Of An Endurance Run In Highly Trained Distance Runners, Matthew J. Feldhake

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a protein-containing sport drink with a traditional non-protein sport drink has on ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and finishing speed of an half marathon. Of the possible factors that would support including protein in a sport drink the primary one was its inhibitory effect on serotonin release in the brain. This could help attenuate perceived exertion, thus allowing individuals to compete at a higher level for longer durations (Davis, Alderson, & Welsh, 2000).

This study was conducted using nine members of the Eastern Illinois University Men's Cross Country team. …

Binge Eating Disorder: Relationship To Physical And Emotional Factors, Taylor M. Mcmillan

Masters Theses

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a new core diagnosis within the Diagnostic Statistical Manual Fifth Edition (DSM-5; APA, 2013). Because binge eating disorder is a new diagnosis, research within this area is both lacking and developing quickly. Social physique anxiety and emotion regulation have been linked previously to binge eating disorder. In contrast, there is little research on the potential link between physical activity and binge eating disorder; however, physical activity has been shown to have potential treatment benefits for binge eating. This study examined BED on a continuum and its links to physical activity, emotion regulation, and subtypes of …

Involuntary Memory And Conceptual Priming, Emma P. Petersen

Masters Theses

The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between involuntary memory and conceptual priming. Conceptual priming is priming that revolves around personal concepts like people and places. Two forms of conceptual priming were examined: immediate conceptual priming and delayed (24 hour) conceptual priming. First, participants were instructed to recall specific memories in a priming activity. After, they engaged in a vigilance task. Participants in the immediate group engaged in the vigilance task immediately after completing the priming activity, whereas participants in the delayed group engaged in the vigilance task 24 hours after completing the priming activity. An independent judge determined …

A Guide To Patient-Provider Interactions In Women's Healthcare, Emma Welton

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Linguistic Correlates Of The Quiet Ego In Narratives About The Self, Katherine Maurer

Masters Theses

Increasingly, research has shown that the drive to elevate the self and the excessive pursuit of self-esteem have negative effects on well-being and mental health. In addition, many of the defensive and aggressive tendencies seen in psychological research can be seen as efforts to defend and elevate the self. In contrast to these tendencies, the quiet ego construct describes a state of ego balance characterized by an inclusive sense of identity, perspective-taking, detached awareness (mindfulness), and growth orientation. The quiet ego and related qualities have been associated with many positive outcomes. A body of research using the Linguistic Inquiry and …

Kids, Spouses, School, Oh My! The Non-Traditional Student Experience, Amber J. Webb

Masters Theses

According to the Hussar and Bailey (2017) the number of non-traditional students on college campuses are expected to rise, closing the size of gap in enrollment numbers between traditional and non-traditional students. Though, the non-traditional student has traditionally been defined as students aged 25 and older, this study used Horn and Carroll's (1996) definition, as students who possess certain characteristics that make them vulnerable to academic problems (i.e. delayed enrollment, part-time enrollment, financial independence, full-time employment while enrolled, having dependents, being a single parent, or not receiving a standard high school diploma). Horn and Carroll (1996) further used these characteristics …

Factors Influencing Persistence Of Students With Learning Disabilities At Four-Year Institutions, Abigail Frye

Masters Theses

This study investigated the persistence and transition of college students with learning disabilities at a mid-sized Midwestern university. The qualitative, narrative approach was used to determine which factors influenced the persistence of students with learning disabilities at a four-year, mid-sized university and which college services and resources students with learning disabilities utilized. This research found that students do utilize college services and supports to assist through their transitions into college. The participants in this research relied on the support of their family and friends while they approached and navigated their college transition. This study found that students with learning disabilities …

Resolution Of The Nutritional Requirements And Metabolic Profile Of Clostridium Scindens Atcc 35704, A Major Bile Acid-Dehydroxylating Anaerobe In The Human Gut, Rachana Shrestha

Masters Theses

Bile acids (cholate and chenodeoxycholate) are synthesized from cholesterol in the human liver, and secreted in small intestine for food digestion. However, a portion of these primary bile acids is converted in the colon to toxic secondary bile acids, deoxycholate and lithocholate. Secondary bile acid formation is the result of 7α-dehydroxylating anaerobes, and one of the key players in this conversion is Clostridium scindens. Interestingly, little is known about the basic physiology and nutrition of C. scindens. Therefore, the goal of this research was to understand the nutritional requirement, and determine the 7α-dehydroxylation activity and end products from …

Social Anxiety And Drinking Behaviors In College Students: Mediated By Alcohol Outcome Expectancies Specific To Social Situations?, Toby Board

Masters Theses

Understanding the relationship between social anxiety and problematic drinking is a difficult task. Studies examining this relationship have commonly found a positive correlation between social anxiety and drinking behaviors, although the literature is marked by mixed results. If social anxiety does positively predict alcohol use, then what accounts for this relationship? Some researchers posit that alcohol outcome expectancies may be a mediator for this relationship. Alcohol outcome expectancies specific to the context of social evaluative situations may be a stronger mediator than general alcohol outcome expectancies. A study to test this mediation was conducted with xxx undergraduate students. Results showed …

Relational Aggression In College Students, Nicole Parker

Masters Theses

Researchers have long theorized that females may be as equally aggressive as males, but the form of aggression most frequently manifested by females may be nonphysical. This thinking lead to the examination of relational aggression, which is a type of aggression intended to harm others' peer relationships. Numerous studies over the last 20 years have examined relational aggression in children and the maladaptive behaviors associated with such aggression. However, far less is known about relational aggression in older students or young adults. Thus, this paper reviews the present literature on relational aggression in college students, focusing on three potential predictors …

Bigheaded Carp Reproduction In Large River Tributaries With Evaluation Of Sampling Gear Performance, Daniel R. Roth

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Temperature Increase On Freshwater Fish Species: Energetics And Muscle Mechanics Of Two Centrarchids, Israt Jahan

Masters Theses

Fishes have evolved physiologically to live within a specific range of environmental variation and existence outside of that range can be stressful or fatal. These ranges can coincide for fishes that evolved in similar habitats. This study investigates physiological processes limiting thermal tolerance, specifically how changes in water temperature affect the swimming energetics and muscle mechanics in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus). I focused on the impact of temperature change at the muscle level in these two species and the capacity to adapt to rapid changes in the environment. Fish were housed at …

Chemotaxis Of Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Zoospores In Response To Live Amphibians, David Bartholow

Masters Theses

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is one of the primary drivers of amphibian decline, and has spread rapidly on a global scale, but the mechanisms of Bd movement on small spatial scales are poorly understood and may play a role in transmission and infection. The flagellated zoospores of this fungus exhibit chemotaxis in response to single chemical cues, towards potential nutrient sources and away from metabolites of anti-fungal bacteria (AFB) present on amphibian skin. Levels of cutaneous AFB were manipulated on Eurycea bislineata hosts (either by bathing in a culture of the AFB Janthinobacterium lividum, or bathing in antibiotics) …

Evaluation Of Myplate Recommendations And Dietary Habits Of Eiu Rotc Cadets: A Mixed Methods Approach, Lilibeth Nevarez

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if MyPlate recommendation knowledge, dietary habits, and eating for performance influence the daily consumption among Eastern Illinois University ROTC Cadets. The sample population included EIU ROTC cadets (n=19), between the ages of 18 to 28 years old. A mixed-method approach, using a questionnaire along with focus groups interviews of six to ten cadets from all class levels, was used to obtain data. Results indicated that the highest mean score was 18.9 for MyPlate recommendation knowledge. In addition, five themes were analyzed: Inconsistency of dietary intake, High cost of eating healthy, Post workout …

An Ethnohistorical Study Of The Dowagiac Chieftains, Kathryn A. Bishop

Masters Theses

This research uses ethnohistorical methods to examine the use of imagery appropriated from American Indian cultures by the Dowagiac Union Schools. High School yearbooks from 1899- 2014, along with other artifacts, were identified as sources of information to describe students’ experiences. Applying Brayboy’s (2005) Tribal Critical Race Theory, an off-shoot of Critical Race Theory, combined with the research of historical and theoretical scholars like Davis (2002), Pewewardy (2001), and Deloria, King, and Springwood (2001), a case is made for the removal of American Indian mascots used by educational institutions, including the Dowagiac Chieftains. Though over 1,750 occasions of American Indian-appropriated …

Phosphorus Retention In West Michigan Two-Stage Agricultural Ditches, Emily Kindervater

Masters Theses

Input of excess nutrients into a water body can negatively impact ecological structure and function, as well as the economic vitality of surrounding communities, by contributing to eutrophication. For example, phosphorus (P) and sediment inputs from agricultural drainage have facilitated the development of hypereutrophic conditions in Lake Macatawa, a drowned river mouth lake located in Holland, Michigan. Two-stage ditches, an agricultural best management practice (BMP), are used in some areas of the Midwest to reduce N export downstream via denitrification. This BMP simulates a mini-floodplain by replacing a traditional, trapezoidal ditch with a channel that has excavated benches on each …

The Effect Of Dietary Specialism And Generalism On Evolutionary Longevity In An Early Paleogene Mammalian Community, Samantha Glonek

Masters Theses

This study examines the relationship between relief index (RFI) on first and second mandibular molars and longevity of the genus. The molars were extracted from small-bodied, arboreal mammals during the late-Paleocene, early-Eocene in the Bighorn Basin in Wyoming. This study site is a well-known location to research and study fossil mammals of this time period. The study was conducted and analyzed at the genus level due to the relatively small number of specimens available and identifiable at the species level. Dietary breadth, or how broad or narrow a dietary preference is for a mammal, is an area of concentration within …

Role Of Race/Ethniciy, Pre-Pregnancy Bmi, And Socioeconomic Status On Risk For Large-For-Gestational (Lga) Infants Born To Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (Gdm), Anna M. Kiefer

Masters Theses

Background Fetal macrosomia occurs in approximately 10% of all pregnancies taking place in the United States. Babies born LGA are placed at a greater risk for shoulder dystocia, perinatal trauma, cesarean section, jaundice, hypoglycemia, and neonatal intensive care admission. Even more, the long-term impacts are severe and include increased risk of becoming overweight or obese and developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have higher rates of delivering macrosomic offspring due to insulin resistance taking place beyond what is normal during a pregnancy. Additionally, maternal obesity, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity have been associated with …

Overcoming Ideology: Examining The Tension Between Sex Work And Anti-Human Trafficking Advocacy, Emily R. Williams

Masters Theses

Human trafficking has become a national conversation and concern. Grassroots organizations designed to combat human trafficking spring up rapidly and help shape public perception on what trafficking is – and what it isn’t. Drawing on participant observation and indepth interviewing, I speak with anti-trafficking advocates determined to eradicate human trafficking and sex workers who prefer to stay in their profession. This thesis will largely explore the unintended consequences of well-meaning advocacy, and the tension between their views on the sex industry and the views from within the sex industry. I aim to use this work not only as a local …

Groundwater-Surface Water Interaction In The Headwater Of The White River, Manistee National Forest, Michigan, Ziqian Li

Masters Theses

Groundwater is a significant fresh water source in most areas and can be affected by potential changes to climate and precipitation from anthropogenic influences. Considering groundwater and surface water can be regarded as one hydrologic system, it is significant to understand the dynamics between precipitation, shallow groundwater and surface water in order to manage these resources.

Water samples were collected roughly biweekly from July 2016 to June 2017, and analyzed for electrical conductivity and stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen. During sample collection site visits, stream discharge and the groundwater heads from different wells were measured.

The stable isotopes of …

The Effect Of Auditory Stimuli On Test Performance: Testing The Arousal Hypothesis, Ian Thomas Kells

Masters Theses

Since the publication of Rauscher, Shaw, and Ky’s study in 1993 on the “Mozart Effect”, the study of music and its effect on cognition and performance has gained significant attention. Roth and Smith (2008) investigated this “Mozart Effect” and suggested a continuation of research and interpretation through an arousal theory. This study examined the effects of a subject-identified arousing stimulus on performance on the Verbal Reasoning portion of the GRE, analyzed through an arousal theory framework. A sample of 24 non-music Western Michigan University students took part in one 60-minute testing period using subject-preferred music, which was then analyzed across …

A Longitudinal Study Of Prenatal Care And Prenatal Outcomes Of Women In Foster Care Across Michigan Counties, Lauryn Jianrattanasawat

Masters Theses

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, at any given time, there are approximately 13,000 youth in foster care throughout Michigan. This study used secondary data of linked child welfare case records and State of Michigan Medicaid claims from January 1, 2009 to September 30, 2012 to research the effects of individual, foster care and spatial characteristics experienced by 307 women that became pregnant and delivered while still enrolled in foster care in Michigan on their prenatal care and prenatal outcomes. While, the majority of the analyses resulted in insignificant relationships, significant differences between foster care characteristics …

Finding A Baseline For Accountability In Diversion Programming, Anthony G. Frontiera

Masters Theses

This present study looked at a Mid-West American Juvenile Justice institution with the hope of helping to build a baseline of understanding in terms of how their diversion programming efforts are shaping out. Historically, research and funding have not been directed into diversion efforts in the same ways that re-entry efforts have seen. Studies have shown that if diversion efforts are not effective, then another cohort of youth are consigned to 50% higher recidivism rates than otherwise. The research before you was conducted to assist this institution in understanding and then changing their course of action with regards to diversion …

Testing The Arousal Hypothesis: The Effect Of Music On Arousal As Measured By Electrodermal Activity During Verbal Processing, Meghan E. Feeman

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to assess the arousal hypothesis by implementing an auditory stimulus (music) at various times during a task (Verbal Processing section of the GRE) to analyze changes in arousal, as measured by electrodermal activity (EDA). Testing is administered for one hour with music implemented before testing and twice during testing. EDA levels are used to measure physiological response and are collected over the one hour testing period. For analysis, testing material is broken into different time blocks to assess arousal levels through mean slope, mean skin conductance level (SCL), mean skin conductance response (xSCR), …

The Influence Of Road Salt On Seasonal Mixing And Redox Stratification In Three Southwest Michigan Kettle Lakes, Danielle Dupuis

Masters Theses

Influxes of saline water from roads treated with deicers can alter the density structure of urban lakes. This can delay or halt turnover events, which may lead to persistent hypolimnetic anoxia in nutrient-rich lakes. In this study, the lake columns of two urban lakes (Woods Lake and Asylum Lake) and one rural lake (North Lake), were sampled once a month from March 2016 to June 2017. Lake column water was analyzed for conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, ferrous iron, manganese, sulfide, calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride and methane concentrations as a function of depth. All three lakes are eutrophic with anoxic hypolimnia …