Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Tennessee Prostitution Amnesty Law Analysis, Emma Sharou, Ally Biegel, Allene Fields, Kennedy Kittner

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Currently, people engaging in prostitution who report crimes in Tennessee can face charges should their involvement with prostitution come to light during the report. This barrier to services can prevent individuals from seeking help and infringes upon their rights as crime victims. The Tennessee Prostitution Amnesty Law aims to remove this barrier and seeks to combat the violence experienced by individuals engaging in prostitution by safely providing them with a voice to report crimes against themselves and others without facing charges for prostitution. Additionally, the law states that providing a voice for these individuals will in turn create more opportunities …

Polarization Et Al. Factors That Impact Voter Turnout In Developed Democracies, Artem Smith

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

There are well-researched institutional and societal factors that affect voter turnout. However, are there other factors that affect voter turnout in developed democracies? I review several prominent studies to gauge the depth and breadth of the literature regarding voter turnout. This paper seeks to examine in particular whether there is a relationship between polarization and voter turnout. I theorize that polarization is a significant factor that affects voter turnout. I also hold that other factors such as education, income, and electoral system impact voter turnout in developed democracies. I identify a few gaps in the literature and propose a couple …

The Prisoner Plateau: How Prisons Affect Rural Economies, Andi Ellis

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

For the last several decades, rural communities in the United States have struggled to keep their economies afloat. In an effort to revitalize such economies, local leaders have bid on being the host communities for prisons– both federal and private. Do these prison facilities actually affect rural economies? Equally, how do these prison hosting communities differ from neighboring counties that do not have prisons? By examining various rural prison counties from across the country, as well as their non-prison county counterparts, I argue that, despite an undeniable uptick in jobs, the quality of life in these communities is often unchanged, …

Keeping One's Friends Close: The Maintenance Of Cooperation In Supposedly Fragmenting Alliances, Ethan M. Ingram

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

From the perspective of an outside observer, interactions between sovereign states within the international arena seem to mirror the often paradoxical interpersonal complexities of their populace and those who govern them. Why did the Russian Empire and Poland-Lithuania choose to maintain a cooperative relationship in the early 1700s despite a shared desire to take control of the Baltic for themselves (Masse 1980)? How can one decipher the simultaneous desire of Turkey to stay in good graces with its NATO partners while also foraging ahead in its siding with the authoritarians of the world (Bekdil 2018)? All of these questions play …

“Esl Programs And The Limitations To Socioeconomic Mobility, Alexia Akhom, Grace Cleland, Jessica Mattsson, Nigel Marvin

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Research shows the intersectional inequality of lower socioeconomic status and Mexican-Americans, restrains the groups’ social mobility (Heller, et al. 2004; Rojas-García 2013). This restraint affects Mexican-Americans in their strides towards English proficiency through taking ESL courses. In previous studies, funding is identified as an issue within the ESL programs and their outcomes (Ruecker 2021). Proof of functioning ESL programs (Albritton 2021; Barnes 2021; Shiffman 2019) showcases the limitation which the lack of funding thus retains within these programs. In the case of which the word “functioning” is described here, the primary goal of this research topic is to examine the …

The Great Unifier: How Crisis Can Lead To National Unity, Ryan Vallone

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Scholars and researchers have spent a great deal of time looking into the phenomenon of the Rally Round the Flag Effect. They have studied the different crisis that led to the effect and the actors that can hurt or help the effect. During these events there is a sense of national unity and support for the president. This effect is very important to look at during the crisis. However, it is just as equally important to look at what happens to national unity after the crisis has ended. The purpose of this research and study is to look at what …

Elucidation Strategies: A Case Study Of The U.S Supreme Court, Gordon Carroll

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

The research encompassed a study on the consistency in judicial interpretations and factors that influenced U.S. Supreme Court decisions. To do this, the study explored literature and theoretical perspectives relating to judicial interpretations and decisions. The target population entailed officers in the Office of the Solicitor General for their experience in Court rulings. Interviews were conducted among ten respondents, with data collected, coded, and analyzed. The study results were then presented, discussed, and conclusions derived from them. Generally, the study found serious inconsistencies in interpretations not only between justices but also in almost similar cases. Decisions by justices were conflicting …

The Crown Act, Carrington Aytes

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Abstract

Communities of color within the state of Tennessee, based on the physical and cultural characteristics of hair texture and styling, have and are continuing to face injustices pertaining to the deprivation of opportunities within academic, recreational, and employment spaces. These instances of hair discrimination disproportionately impact Black individuals and other populations of color of whom come into contact with racial biases and prejudices due to a genetically predetermined factor. To combat these issues, bills HB0204 and SB0136 were proposed in January 2021 within the Tennessee General Assembly, and as introduced would establish the CROWN Act, or Create a Respectful …

Strengthening Adolescents With Anxiety Through Drama Therapy, Jeremy M. Moeller

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Strengthening Adolescents with Anxiety Through Drama Therapy

Jeremy Moeller

In recent years the issues associated with social anxiety have become increasingly common in adolescents. With these issues becoming more common it is important that they continue to be nurtured and helped. With so many forms of therapy though it may be hard for someone to find a practice that suits them. That is where drama therapy comes in. Drama therapy is a fairly new practice that helps these adolescents to become more expressive and engaging in their everyday lives, decrease their social anxieties, and build a new sense of confidence …

Coronavirus In America; Have Partisan Politics Permeated The Pandemic?, Annabelle G. Macrae

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

What level of influence do the actions and rhetoric of governors have on constituents' response to vaccination? In this paper, I analyze how the rhetoric of governors and their efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic has influenced the progression of coronavirus vaccination amongst their constituents. If governors take significant statewide steps and mitigation measures to combat coronavirus and vigorously enforce and advocate for vaccines, those who are of the same political party will become more opinionated in favor of vaccination, and those of opposite parties will become more resistant to vaccination.

Trust In Government And The Ideological Center Of The American Public, Madison Crenshaw

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

In the age of extreme political polarization, the American public stands more divided and more distrustful of government than ever before. Although polarization continues to persist, the average ideological center of the American public has continued to move to the left as distrust has continued to fall. This paper looks to establish a significant relationship between the American public's trust levels and the average ideological center of the American public from 1994-2017. By analyzing survey data means from Pew Research Center, this paper hopes to determine the influence of the ideological center on levels of trust in the American Public.

Psychology: The Effect Of Guided Meditation And Meditation History On False Memory Susceptibility, Caroline G. Firmin, Jessica Dahm, Khalil Dabdoub, Benjamin Brown

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Meditation is a practice that has been around for thousands of years with numerous benefits ranging from stress reduction to decreases in stress and anxiety. Research also suggests there may potentially be negative consequences of meditation. However, research has not assessed how long-term practitioners of meditation differ from those with less experience. Our study looks at long-term and short-term practitioners’ susceptibility to false memories. To do this, participants were randomly assigned to either a guided meditation or a mind-wandering condition and then tested on the DRM paradigm. Meditation history was also recorded through a questionnaire.

Social Physique Anxiety And Exercise Motivation, Elise Crause, Sade Alalade, Maeve Carei, Audrey Lyle, Beth Virostek, Patrick Morse Phd

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

The benefits of exercise are clear; they include better overall health, better mood, and less stress (Schultchen et. al., 2019). However, exercise motivations vary (Pate, 1995). Some of these motivations include: health and fitness benefits, social/emotional benefits, weight management, stress management, enjoyment, and appearance (Dacey, 2008). When exercising, many are exposed to an environment of comparison, which has been shown to foster social physique anxiety (Chen, Ku, & Wang, 2012), defined as the “feeling of distress associated with the perceived evaluation of one's physical self” (Frederick & Morrison, 1996). Exercise behavior has been found to change in people with higher …

Can State Gratitude Be Increased Through Mindfulness Practice And A Gratitude Story?, Grace Gray, Grace Harris, Gabrielle Givers, Caroline Hopper, Grabriella Gonzalez

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Abstract

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful and readily showing appreciation for opportunities in life. Gratitude in an individual can be experienced on two levels: trait and state. Trait gratitude involves a predisposition, interpersonal experience that an individual holds on a daily basis. State gratitude is context based and is experienced during specific events. In past research there seems to be a relationship between meditation practice and levels of trait gratitude, but there is little literature investigating this same connection with state gratitude (Chen et al., 2017). For our research, we wanted to expand on this research and test …

An Exploration Of Online Sex Work, Olivia Haffey, Carolyn Miller, Emily Isbell

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Sex work is deemed one of the world’s most ancient professions, but it has undergone substantial changes within even the last 20 years (Kipling 1888; Jones 2015; Sanders, Connelly and King 2016). The emergence of the Internet has shifted the work locations of sex work from saunas, brothels, and street work to online platforms as well as the use of the Internet as a mediator for in-person sex work (Jones 2015; Jonsson, Sveden and Hyden 2014). This migration in the nature of sex work has changed its delivery and interaction for both workers and clients. The appeals of online sex …

The Relationship Between Moral Foundations And Substance Abuse Attitudes, Olivia Haffey, Christina Duncan, Samantha Driggers

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Individuals who abuse substances are often morally judged and disregarded in society. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between moral values and attitudes towards substance abuse. Participants were recruited from introductory to psychology courses at Belmont University and given a modified version of the Perceived Substance Abuse Scale and a scale to measure how they value certain domains of morality (harm, ingroup, purity, authority, reciprocity) using the Moral Foundations Questionnaire. We expect to find positive correlations between the harm, purity, ingroup, and authority domains of morality with negative attitudes towards substance abuse. We also expect there …

Personality & Covid Attitudes, Riley Herman, Camille Witt, Devanee Pappas, Talaia Goodman, Adriana Calzavara, Kaylee Franzen

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

No abstract provided.

Material World: The Effects Of Meditation Content On Materialistic Values, Azalia White, Katie Young, Hannah Wright, Nicole Walheim, Samantha Urban

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

In the twenty-first century, Western cultures are highly materialistic and defined by consumeristic goals to garner as much “stuff” as possible (Berger, 2015). This constant pursuit has demonstrable adverse effects on personal and social well being (Bahl et al., 2016; Wang, et al., 2017), while overconsumption also has devastating impacts on the global environment. Previous studies found a negative relationship between levels of mindfulness and levels of materialism (Nagpaul & Pang, 2015; Watson, 2019), indicating the potential for mindfulness to combat otherwise materialistic behaviors. Furthermore, previous research demonstrated gratitude interventions led to lower scores on materialism (Chaplin, et al., 2018), …

Color And Memory, Hanna Vafiades, Alyssa Stephens, Tanner Clark, Sydney Susano

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Effects of Color on Working Memory Performance

Primary Investigator: Hanna Vafiades

Associate Investigators: Tanner Clark, Sydney Susano, Alyssa Stephens

The intersection of color and working memory is a fascinating but inconclusive domain of cognitive psychological research. Some studies have demonstrated that the color black is found to be the least stimulating in terms of attention and memory (Meacham 2005), whereas colors found in nature are effective in facilitating attention and memory in young children (Dutta & Baruah, 2018). Another study found that only images or image descriptions in grayscale are better for memory tasks and that color memory is poor …

The Epic Journey Of Pepe The Frog: A Study In Post-Truth, Jaq Webb

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Abstract

The internet meme Pepe the Frog is an excellent avenue for exploring the relationship between post-truth politics, new media, and viral ideas. While memes as conceptualized by Richard Dawkins are essentially timeless components of human society, internet memes as exemplified by the hijacking of Pepe the Frog by the Alt-Right and the Trump campaign are a novel force with uniquely dark implications for liberal democracy. In this study, I attempt a leftist analysis of the best thinking about Post-Truth Trump-era politics and the communication tactics of the Alt-Right, which suggests that some of the same cultural and material forces …

Covid, Is It Me Or Is It You?, Jillian Graham, Sondos El-Hulu

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Previous research has shown that individuals who have been infected with COVID-19 may struggle with cognitive impairment and extreme cases of fatigue after recovery (Ceban et al., 2022; Crispo et al., 2021). However, these studies have mainly focused on populations of older individuals and those who are high risk (Garnier‐Crussard et al., 2020; García-Portilla et al., 2020). There is a gap in the literature in terms of the long-term effects that COVID-19 has on a young generally healthy population. Given the high numbers of COVID-19 cases and transmission rates observed across college campuses (Andersen et al., 2021), it is important …

Perceptions Of Parenting, Self-Esteem, And Relationships, John Bannec, Georgia Foss, Essence Hamer, Mary Elizabeth Holloway, Lauren Peterson

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Levels of satisfaction in our close relationships can be the direct causes of break-ups, divorces, longevity, and many other outcomes. Using self-esteem as a connecting variable, it is possible to trace our satisfaction in relationships all the way back to the way in which we were treated as children. Specifically, children who grow up in a household with authoritative parenting end up with higher self-esteem than those who don’t (Zakeri & Karimpour, 2011; Pinquart & Gerke, 2019; Yousaf, 2015). Further, individuals with higher levels of self-esteem tend to have higher levels of satisfaction in their close relationships, romantic or platonic, …

The Relationship Between Neuroticism And Situation Perception, Elizabeth G. Lester, Gigi Emiliani, Keeley Trainer, Kaylianna Mccormick

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Personality traits, in particular neuroticism, can influence the way individuals perceive situations as seen in Rauthmann’s study (2015) that saw consistent perceptions within the same traits. A study by Thomson (2016) found evidence for a relationship between negative perspectives and neuroticism. Additionally, McNulty (2008) saw that neurotic couples tended to have more relationship difficulties due to the negative assumptions. These negative viewpoints and assumptions translate to situation perception. The participants were recruited from Belmont University’s Introduction to Psychological courses. The subjects took two self-reported surveys regarding their personality, particularly anxiety and neuroticism, and were presented with hypothetical situations to see …

Awareness Of Racial Disparities In Healthcare: An Analysis Of Undergraduate Science Students’ Perceptions, Liz Bleyer

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

General and systemic racial inequalities, including slavery, mass incarceration, and health disparities, have existed throughout the history of the United States. Recent public health issues, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic, have shed light on enduring health disparities, including the disproportionate impact on black communities and other racial minorities. A crucial first step towards a more equitable healthcare system is increasing general awareness of the presence and effects of racial disparities. Previous research has quantified and described the awareness of racial disparities in healthcare practitioners, including medical students and practicing physicians, but little research has been dedicated to understanding the perspectives of …

The Implications And Concerns Of Algorithms In The Modern World, Melody Scott, Isabella Kear, Camden Morris, Michaela Dolph

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

In an ever emerging world of technology and advancements, there should be an increase in the importance and awareness of what each user is allowing and agreeing to on the Internet. Algorithms are becoming a part of everyday life, and many individuals don’t know just how much of their data, personal information, and privacy is being violated and collected from different companies and applications that they use. There needs to be an increase in the awareness and acknowledgement of algorithms and the “F.E.A.T” principles that companies should be following. New technologies from companies, like Google and Nimo, that are considered …

Relationships Among Personality, Burnout, Perceived Stress In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Emma Keegan, Kate Grady, Teya Haughey, Camille Witt

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

The COVID-19 Pandemic and the measures taken for social distancing have caused a wide range of consequences for one’s social life, mobility, and working life (Getzmann, Stephan, et al. 2021). Personality can be a protective or risk factor in relation to these changes, as it influences not only the exposure to potential stressors or negative stimuli, but can also exert influence on the way each adolescent manages them (Plomecka, Martyna, et al. 2021). Studies have found that personality differences are related to distinct behavior patterns in school context (Carvalho et al., 2014). Our study aims to uncover the differences in …