Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Between “Student” And “Athlete”: The Academic Institution’S Role In The Self Identification Of Division I Student-Athletes, Helaina Sacco

Honors College

The present study was designed to investigate the role of the academic institution on the self-identification of Division I student-athletes. While acknowledging the importance of various forms of socialization for the development of the self, this study focuses on the importance of the academic institution as an external force on the student-athlete experience. A voluntary online survey, powered by Qualtrics, was administered to all 410 student-athletes at the University of Maine. A basic analysis of the survey results revealed that particular conduits of the academic institution may play an important role in the balance between “student” and “athlete,” including …

A Case Study Of How Systems For Innovation Can Impact Municipal Economic Development, Nathaniel Wildes

Honors College

This study examines the impact a system for innovation can have on local economic development. Traditional economic development in a University community focuses on three options: attract large companies to the area, develop tourism or expand R&D (Richert, 2011). While this model has a number of success stories over the last 50 years, the 21st century has made this model obsolete.

From globalization to a rapidly changing technological environment, 21st century factors mean towns are no longer able to develop strategies or objectives in a time frame adequate to meet the demands of a modern economy. Municipalities that have purposefully …

The Framing Of Animal Cruelty By Animal Advocacy Organizations, Cary Williams

Honors College

The purpose of this research project was to explore similarities and differences in framing activity of animal cruelty by animal advocacy organizations and to fill some of the gaps within the current literature. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Humane Society of the United States, and American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were selected for study, as they are the largest and most widely recognized animal advocacy organizations. Sections of the organizations’ websites (about us, positions, and frequently asked questions) and pamphlets from the organizations were analyzed using content analysis to see how the organizations define …

Exploring The Alcohol Deprivation Effect In Withdrawal-Seizure Prone And Withdrawal-Seizure Resistant Mice, Peter Brooks

Honors College

The alcohol deprivation effect (ADE) refers to a temporary increase in alcohol intake following a period of alcohol deprivation. Repeated ADE studies (Sinclair & Senter, 1968, Melendez, 2006) have shown that there is an innate tendency to increase consumption when access to alcohol is limited, and the ADE is considered to be an animal model for relapse drinking. The present study is the first to examine the ADE in mice selectively bred for high and low susceptibility for withdrawal seizures, withdrawal-seizure prone (WSP) and withdrawal-seizure resistant (WSR) mice, and the purpose of it was to determine the presence or absence …

Assessing The Controversy: Female Genital Mutilation Or Legitimate Rite Of Passage?, Morgan Haley Brockington

Honors College

Female genital cutting/circumcision, the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, is a common practice in many parts of Africa. To those who perceive female circumcision as a legitimate rite of passage, the practice is culturally approved and steeped in tradition. The negative reactions and harsh judgments of Westerners who then seek to eradicate the practice are seen as ethnocentric. On the other hand, opponents of female genital cutting emphasize that the practice is a ritualized form of violence and a detriment to women’s health. The practice deprives girls and women of the basic rights to physical wellbeing …

Electioneering Across The Ages: Examining The Application And Implication Of Media-Based Mobilization In American Presidential Campaigns Post-Radio, Cameron C. O'Brien

Honors College

This work follows the evolution of media-based mobilization strategies employed by presidential candidates and their campaign teams. Assessing how this practice has changed over the centuries involves examining the technologies and philosophies that underlie specific mobilization methodologies. Part of the discussion is compiled from uncovering national newspaper articles printed around Election Day each year from 1980 to 2000. Another section explores more deeply the two presidential campaigns that have occurred since the turn of the millennium.

Health Impacts At The Advent Of Agriculture, Erin L. Snape

Honors College

The transition from a hunting and gathering lifestyle to one based in agriculture may have been the most crucial development made by past peoples, transforming not only diet, but social structure, mobility, and resource use. I present human skeletal evidence illustrating the consequences of agriculture on human health using case studies from prehistoric Mesoamerica, the American southwest, and regions in Asia. Such evidence has indicated that intensification of maize agriculture in the New World correlates with increased infant mortality rate, dental caries, iron-deficiency anemia, and an overall decline in general health while these health problems have little to no correlation …

A History Of The Use Of Swedish Language In New Sweden, Maine, Kaitlyn Anderson

Honors College

Swedish has a significant role in the history of Aroostook County. In the 1870s, a group of Swedish immigrants settled in the then newly-formed Maine’s Swedish Colony. They brought traditional Swedish customs, dress, food and language. Meanwhile in Sweden, a change was occurring in the Swedish language that led to the development of modern Swedish into the contemporary Swedish that continues to be spoken in Sweden today. While many of the oldest generation of Swedes in New Sweden know this older style of Swedish, the language was not readily passed down to their children or their children’s children. Despite the …

A Study Of Corruption In The Bulgarian Legal System, Stephanie A. Littlehale

Honors College

In modern Bulgaria corruption is one of the significant concerns plaguing the current legal system. With historical roots in the Ottoman Empire and the Communist regime, Bulgaria faces challenges in sustaining a strong judicial system that holds its members accountable. Since the transition from communism to democracy in 1989, Bulgaria’s biggest challenge has been reforming its judicial system to combat corruption. Despite the number of reforms to the system, the Bulgarian legal system is perceived to be among the most corrupt in the world. Addressing the issue of corruption in Bulgaria’s legal system is only possible through reforms centered around …

The Democratization Of The Democratic Party: An Analysis Of Democratic Party Reform 1972 - 2008, Benjamin D. Goodman

Honors College

Frustration over the undemocratic nature of the 1968 Democratic Party presidential nominating contest set forth a reform movement that forever changed the Democratic Party and America’s political system. The resulting Committee on Party Structure and Delegate Selection (better known as the McGovern-Fraser Commission), at the direction of the 1968 convention, opened the Democratic Party to those outside of the Democratic establishment. The next 14 years would see a struggle between the Democratic Party establishment and “outsiders” over who would control the Democratic Party and its nominating process.

This study examines the four major Democratic Party nominating process reform commissions over …

Motherhood As A Unifying Theme In Social Movements: Symbolic Essentialism, Environmental Justice, And The Movement Against Bisphenol A In Maine, Kalie Hess

Honors College

Environmental injustice has typically been an infringement of the rights of poor and minority communities from a “Not in my Backyard” mindset with regards to harmful chemicals. However, the pervasiveness of many chemicals, including bisphenol A has narrowed the exposure gap so that everyone, regardless of class or race, is affected by these chemicals. The United States has a history of being a responsive rather than a proactive agent regarding chemical regulation, but the environmental and health stakes are now too high to continue with this approach. The movement in Maine to reduce exposure to bisphenol A can be seen …

The Worst Angels Of Our Nature: Has Violence Declined?, Redyn Keller

Honors College

The purpose of this study is to examine and assess the accuracy of Table 6.1, Annual Warfare Death Rates, and Table 6.2, Percentage of Deaths Due to Warfare, in Lawrence Keeley’s text, War Before Civilization. There has been a lot of recent debate within anthropology about the intensity and impact of small-scale warfare. In this book, Keeley argues that pre-contact, small-scale warfare produced higher death rates than the most war-torn modern states. The following thesis will examine the war death percentages of these two tables and will evaluate the accuracy of Keeley’s calculations, citations, and the sources that he used …

The Economics Of Offshore Wind Energy, Caitlin M. Howland

Honors College

The global community is yearning for a solution to climate change. Research has shown one cause of climate change could be emissions from electricity production by fossil fuel sources. Deepwater offshore wind energy is being looked into as a potential solution, and with every new endeavor a cost analysis is necessary.

To conduct this study I reviewed reports, articles, and papers by economists, potential developers, and by research institutions and universities. I took this information and applied it to my own calculations on the cost of hypothetical deepwater offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine. I found it important …

The Effects Of Suggestion On Dream Recall Frequency, Jack Obery

Honors College

The present research was designed to examine whether the power of suggestion can play a substantial role in a participant’s dream recall frequency (DRF; i.e., the average number of dreams remembered nightly). Nineteen students participated in a lab session in exchange for course credit, during which they completed a task assessing working memory capacity and several questionnaires. Of the 19 students, five chose to participate in the second phase of the study, for which they received $10. These five participants were randomly assigned to a “high dream capacity” group (i.e., told they have the highest dream capacity of anyone studied …

A Study Of The Effect Of The Economy On The Outcome Of Presidential Reelections: 1992 And 2004 Examined, John F. Cox

Honors College

This study analyzed the varied impact of the economy in the 1992 and 2004 United States presidential elections. Initially, it was my contention that the economy is always the most important factor in deciding the outcome of a presidential reelections. Conventional wisdom states that a poor economy spells trouble for the incumbent candidate; this was the case in 1992. 2004 did not follow conventional wisdom, the economy was struggling but to a lesser degree and the incumbent candidate was victorious. However, as the study reveals elections and the campaigns that precede them are not merely matters of dollars and cents …

‘Skins’: A Contemporary Moral Panic, Jenna L. Hoops

Honors College

A moral panic is public opposition -- often highly emotional and morally charged -- to popular culture content distributed using a new form of mass communication. My thesis will be an analysis of commentary about the television show, Skins, which aired in 2011 on MTV. Opposition to the show focused on its portrayals of drug use, sexuality, and immoral behavior by actors under the age of 18. First, I will research the history of moral panics drawing on mass communication scholarship in order to identify the common aspects of media panics. Second, I will analyze commentary on the show …

At What Cost?: A Study Of The American Highway System And The Maine East-West Highway Proposal, Brian Philbrook

Honors College

Highway construction has been a staple of American development since the early twentieth century, drastically changing the American landscape. The United States is a nation characterized by, and dependent upon automobile transportation as constructed by this vast network of asphalt connectors, symbolizing a “high-modernist” ideology and state control.

Despite our obvious needs for road and highway construction, we must tread lightly. As America’s continued quest for increased connectivity and infrastructure grows, there must also be a balanced and fair look at both the benefits and costs related to highway construction. Political, sociological, economic and environmental concerns must be considered, and …

Imagine A Better World: Two Studies Of Imagined Intergroup Contact, Charles J. Bergeron

Honors College

A growing body of evidence indicates that positive contact with outgroups improves attitudes towards those outgroups. Unfortunately, those with the most negative attitudes towards outgroups often have the fewest opportunities to meaningfully interact with members of those groups. These studies investigate the effects of imagining intergroup contact with a Muslim person on measures of explicit (Studies 1 and 2) and implicit (Study 2) anti-Muslim prejudice among the most ideologically intolerant individuals. Local and national participants were asked to complete a short imaginative exercise followed by a brief online questionnaire. Results indicate that imagined intergroup contact was effective in improving attitudes …

A Study Of Childhood And Late Adolescent Fear: The Role Of Fear In Socioemotional Functioning, Stephanie M. Guillemette

Honors College

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role that fear in childhood plays in socio-emotional functioning in late adolescence. In addition, the role of parental support in this relationship was examined. Participants included 70 college students, ages 18-25 years, who completed measures that assessed their fears and perceptions of social support from parents in childhood, as well as aspects of their present wellbeing (e.g., self-esteem, mood, depressive symptoms). Results interestingly indicated that, “someone in the family dying” was the most highly rated fear in both childhood and late adolescence. Also, fear of family members dying and family members …

A Cultural Exploration Via The Mediums Of Music And Poetry, Colin S. Kolmar

Honors College

In order to prove the effectiveness of educational explorations conducted in extra-institutional settings, this thesis focuses on information collected in unconventional learning environments. The information gathered during these experiences was subsequently synthesized and conveyed via non-traditional scholastic mediums. This particular extra-institutional learning experience involved the investigation into jazz and hip hop music styles through cultural immersion. In order to achieve the desired result, I traveled to New York City to witness jazz and hip hop performances in venues situated in the city of origin for both styles. My New York research experience also included visiting museums and libraries dedicated to …

Gender Differences And Cognitive Constructs In Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Olivia Anna Teer

Honors College

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a psychological disorder currently recognized by the DSM-IV-TR, is typically associated with distorted cognitions, particularly in regards to high levels of excessive worry. Accordingly, much research has attempted to better understand these, and other cognitive factors that may predict symptoms consistent with such a diagnosis. One study conducted by Tull and colleagues (2009) found that cognitive factors such as anxiety sensitivity and difficulties in emotion regulation may serve as predisposing factors in the development of GAD. My study continues this line of research by assessing the predictive nature of several cognitive constructs (i.e., worry, rumination, coping …

Hybrid Healing: Reiki And The Integration Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine (Cam) Into Biomedicine, Heather M. White

Honors College

This thesis explores complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) through research on the modality of Reiki. Reiki is an energetic practice that uses the “laying on of hands” to facilitate healing. The aim is to give insight both on a specific mind-body-spiritual practice and on how Reiki and similar modalities might be accepted as treatments and integrated into biomedicine. Research was completed through standard anthropological methods: interviews, participant observation, and field notes. Twenty-seven Reiki practitioners were interviewed to learn about their perspectives on Reiki and the progression towards integration.

Through analysis of the interview transcripts and participant observation, I developed a …

Transdiagnostic Factors: The Mediating Role Of Rumination In Health Anxiety And Premenstrual Distress, Kristina S. Anderson

Honors College

Recent evidence has suggested that multiple disorders may share transdiagnostic factors. Transdiagnostic means a factor that may account for the comorbidity of symptoms between certain psychopathologies. Recently, researchers have posited that rumination, the tendency to dwell on thoughts and feelings, may be a transdiagnostic factor in several psychological disorders. It is also possible that rumination may exacerbate other psychological constructs or physical concerns (e.g., experiential avoidance, health anxiety, premenstrual distress). Previous research found that rumination partially mediated the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and premenstrual distress. In addition to the research on correlates of premenstrual distress, recently researchers have begun to …

Coping And Gender Differences In Seasonality And Seasonal Affective Disorder, Alisha S. Gagnon

Honors College

Research indicates an individual’s tendency to ruminate in response to seasonal changes predicts the severity of seasonality as well as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). However, research on the relationship between other coping strategies and SAD is sparse. My hypothesis was that maladaptive coping strategies such as mental disengagement would be related to higher levels of SAD. My research used archival data from 607 undergraduate students who reported on SAD symptoms and a variety of other measures. Statistically significant differences between coping strategies were found for women and men. In addition, predictors of seasonality were not consistent across gender. The present …

How Does Context Shape Comedy As A Successful Social Criticism As Demonstrated By Eddie Murphy’S Snl Sketch “White Like Me?”, Abigail Jones

Honors College

This thesis explores the theory of comedy as social criticism through an interpretive investigation. For comedy to be a potent criticism it is important for the audience to understand the context surrounding the sketch. Without understanding the context the sketch still has the ability to be humorous, but the critique is harder to acknowledge. “White Like Me” as performed by Eddie Murphy on Saturday Night Live will be used as an example for understanding the social criticisms presented in the sketch. This will be descriptively analyzed by dissecting the three major jokes shown and then, to conclude the thesis, there …

Objecting To Objectivity, Elizabeth R. Kevit

Honors College

This study was designed to gauge how hyperlinks are used by four news organizations in order to provide suggestions about using hyperlinks to attain a more transparent style of journalism. The idea for the study grew out of discussion about the shortcomings of the traditional ideal of journalistic objectivity, such as a reliance on “he said/she said” reporting in order to avoid accusations of bias by not giving the sides of an argument equal play in an article. I propose that news organizations can better inform their readers if they eschew the idea of objectivity and, more specifically, the idea …

Improving Assistive Technology Through Phenomenology: A Comparative Analysis Of Research Methods, Rafael M. Ramos Iv

Honors College

The work discussed in this thesis contrasts traditional interviewing perspectives with those of phenomenological methods for conducting research for use in the development of assistive technology. Assistive technology helps to provide greater independence by enabling people to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing, by providing enhancements to, or changing methods of interacting with, the technology needed to accomplish such tasks. However, users of certain technologies from the field, such as visually impaired users of navigational devices, often report dissatisfaction based on features of the device that are necessarily linked with their experiences …

The Use Of Mass Communication In Animal Rights Fundraising Campaigns, Jaime E.R. Shorter

Honors College

Animal abuse and neglect is an ongoing, documented problem for society. Cases of animal harm stream in and out of news reports and public discussion. With changes in technology, mass communication has become more than a convenient outlet for publicizing stories about animal harm. Not-for-profit organizations look to mass communication as a way to gain support from the public.

Animal welfare organizations use mass communication to benefit their causes and reach multiple groups through their use of fundraising campaigns. Animal welfare organizations were created to address the problem of abuse and harm. But, as not-for-profit organizations, they rely heavily on …

A Growing Town: Developing A Local Food System In Orono, Maine, Gregory Viens

Honors College

Local food systems are different from industrial agriculture systems in their social interaction, economic size and stability, political support and assistance, and environmental impacts. Industrial agriculture has flourished, while the ability of widespread local food systems to survive for the long term has yet to be determined. Research of local food systems reveals that dedicated and involved communities, motivated and knowledgeable managers, and political and financial support are the most essential determinants of successful systems. This research explores three existing local food system models and examines the extent to which Orono, Maine could support these models. A suitability analysis of …

Sentencing And Treatment Of Juvenile Offenders: A Review And Critique, Jessica R. Talbot

Honors College

Adolescents account for a large percentage of crime. Given this, it is vital that we are constantly examining and critiquing the juvenile justice system to ensure positive outcomes such as low recidivism. This thesis takes an in-depth look at the ways in which the United States responds to this unique class of offenders and which treatment options are most effective. Several factors play a role in the selection of a program for individuals in the juvenile justice system, including definitions of violence, assessment, and availability of the treatment desired.