Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Implications Of Truthers On Post Crisis Communication And Resolution, Lauren Semenas

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to better comprehend the strategies used in crisis denial videos from the perspective of kategoria. Benoit and Dorries taxonomy of kategoria was applied to crisis denial claims using the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting as a case study. The claims of prominent truther and YouTuber, Alex Jones, were coded and analyzed based on this taxonomy. The categories of the taxonomy include: accused committed the act before, accused planned the act, accused knew likely consequences of the act, accused benefitted from the act, and other. Two coders trained in identifying these criteria coded three transcribed …

Social Anxiety And Subtypes Of Empathy: The Moderating Influence Of Biological Sex, Samantha K. Berg

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Only a few studies have examined relationships between social anxiety and subtypes of empathy. Findings are mixed. The present study examined social anxiety severity on a continuum and how it related to affective and cognitive empathy in 684 nonpsychiatric adults (77% female). Participants completed an online battery of measures that included: a self-report measure of social anxiety severity (Fear of Negative Evaluation), a self-report measure with subscales for affective and cognitive empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index), and a behavioral measure of cognitive empathy (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task; MIE). After statistically covarying for general anxiety severity, biological sex moderated …

The Relationship Between Millennials' Attitudes Towards The United States And Their Goals And Personal Constructs, Angelica M. Hernandez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine various aspects of Millennials' attitudes related to their beliefs about the United States and in the context of their personal, career, and family goals and ethnic identity. Another purpose of this study was to determine if selected personality variables would predict attitudes toward the United States. It was found that Millennials who held positive attitudes toward the United States in terms of being a viable country for them also had relatively clear and developed personal, career, and family goals. Moreover, three personality variables—resiliency, optimism, and (inversely) cynicism significantly contributed to Millennials' views …

Memory Of Words: A Categorization Task, Paulina Maxim

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Through the years, the Deese-Roediger-McDermott Paradigm has demonstrated to be a useful method of observing false memories from semantically related word lists. The present study was conducted fully online and measured memory performance dependent on categorization of words by using groups, as well as dragging words across the page as a form of interaction. In a 2 (Categorized, Non-Categorized) x 2 (Interactive, Non-Interactive) between-subject factorial experiment, 56 undergraduate students were shown 18 different lists of 15 associative words to be studied, one list at a time. Participants were given a free recall test immediately after studying each individual list. Participants …

Irgc And Iranian Soft And Hard Power Influence Within The Middle East, Daryl F. Urbina

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The IRGC, or the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Iran have utilized soft power to increase their influence within the Middle East. By using military superiority; ideological influence; and trade, both the Iran and the IRGC established dependency between themselves and patron states. Of these patron states, the research focuses on Iraq; Syria; and Yemen, and how Iran and the IRGC affect them through soft power. This research suggests that Iran and the IRGC is using the disability of the aforementioned states to increase their own influence by making them dependent on Iranian military supplies; cultural indoctrination to align with …

Whose Sustainability? An Analysis Of A Community Farming Program's Food Justice And Environmental Sustainability Agenda, Sarah Davenport

Honors Undergraduate Theses

As the 1960s Environmental movement has grown, sustainability and justice discourses have come to the fore of the movement. While environmental justice discourse considers the unequal effects of environmental burdens, the language that frames "sustainability" is often socially and politically neutral. This thesis critically examines sustainability initiatives and practices of an urban farming organization in Florida. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in 2017, I explore the extent to which these initiatives incorporate race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic class when working to provide sustainably grown food in diverse communities. I argue that the organization's focus on justice for the environment, rather than for …

Corruption: Brazil's Everlasting Parasite, Patricia Vilhena

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore corruption in Brazil, how it has endured for so such a long period, and the effects it has in the country. Understanding the history of Brazil, how the government was established, and how the branches operate is crucial to comprehend the rooting causes of the Brazilian corruption. The focus is not just about what corruption is and the effects it has on education, economy, and infrastructure, but also on the factors that contributed to its expansion and the circumstances that allowed it to sustain until today. Brazil is a country known for …

What Women Want: A Study Of Communication, Sex And Personality, Landon C. Morley

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Sexual communication is important in overall sexual and relationship satisfaction.Women, in particular, report lower psychological well-being when sexual dysfunction occurs (Davison, Bell, LaChina, Holden & Davis, 2009). This study was designed to uncover precisely how important sexual communication is in relation to sexual satisfaction, whether there are any discrepancies between women’s desired sexual acts verses the acts they actively take part in, and to what degree personality has an effect on sexual communication and activity. Participants were 428 women from the psychology pool at University of Central Florida. The average age of the sample was 20.7 years (SD = 5.24). …

Emotional Abuse In College Students: Gender Differences In Psychological Outcomes, Kayla G. Bushong

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Emotional abuse is defined as humiliation, controlling behavior, financial coercion, isolation, and threatening behavior, and both men and women experience emotional abuse. This paper examined the relationship between gender and the frequency of emotional abuse, the relationship between frequency of emotional abuse and mental health outcomes, and whether there are gender differences in the relationship between frequency of emotional abuse and mental health outcomes. A total of 101 college students who had been in a romantic relationship lasting at least six months completed an online survey assessing depression, anxiety, PTSD, self-esteem, and emotional abuse. Frequency of emotional abuse did not …

"Back" To The Future: An Evaluation Of Morphological Integration In Kyphosis, Kristyna L. Ceuninck

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Morphological integration refers to the interdependence of two or more phenotypic structures. The morphological integration concept is based on the fact that parts of complex organisms do not vary randomly and instead display degrees of non-independence that are thought to occur from shared genetic or developmental origins, and/or functional demands. Integrated traits may develop, evolve, and be inherited together. One instance of morphological integration can be found between the vertebral column and the skull. Due to the position of the skull resting atop of the vertebral column, posture may influence skull development and overall craniofacial morphology. Morphological integration within or …

Changing Traditions: Examining The Factors That Determine The Probability Of Bidding To Host The Olympic Games Over Time, Jessie R. Dickens

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In September 2017, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that, for the first time in its history, it would award the hosting of two different Olympic Games at the same time, giving the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympic Games to Paris and Los Angeles respectively. As a result, the question is raised as to why the IOC broke tradition in its host city selection process. The break of tradition is presumably due to a lack of candidates to host the 2028 Summer Olympics. With prior host cities reporting astronomical costs and high debt balances associated with hosting, many cities have …

New Courland, Tobago: A Gis Analysis Of A 17th-Century Settlement, Amanda Sumner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Caribbean island of Tobago was contested by several European powers. Among them was an unlikely colonizer, the small Duchy of Courland, located in the western part of modern-day Latvia, which established the New Courland colony on the west coast of Tobago, in May 1654. The aim of this study was to determine the exact geographic location of this settlement through examination of historical texts, maps, and geographic information systems (GIS) data. Remote sensing and GIS methods were used to map the Courlander Fort Jacob on the site of an earlier Dutch fortification, Nieuw …

Identifying Undergraduate Student's Motivation To Attend Tutoring For General Chemistry Courses, Alexis C. Hyacinthe

Honors Undergraduate Theses

General Chemistry II is a common chemistry course that is required for professional school such as, medical, dental, optometry schooling. Considering that it historically has a high drop, fail, withdrawal rate, it is surprising that less than 10% of students in chemistry II attend tutoring at the Student Academic Resource Center (SARC). In this tutoring center, sessions are led by students who have excelled previously in that specific course. The objective of this research is to investigate the relationship between student motivation and attendance in SARC peer tutoring sessions for chemistry II. More precisely, to better understand the connection between …

Ceramic Analysis At Ike's Cut, Bahamas Compared With Ft. Liberte, Haiti And El Mango, Cuba, Melissa A. Kays

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis compares pottery from Ike's Cut, Inagua, Bahamas with assemblages from the site of El Mango, Cuba, analyzed by Ashley Brooke Persons and the site of Ft. Liberte, Haiti, analyzed by Irving Rouse.

The Ike's Cut site was a seasonally occupied location on the largest bank on Inagua, and was utilized for its access to marine resources. The migrants living here brought with them Meillacoid ceramics that were manufactured somewhere in the Greater Antilles. The objective of this research was to evaluate whether the ceramics at Ike's Cut share more in common with either the Hispaniolan or Cuban assemblages. …

Feeding The Children: A Paleodietary Reconstruction Of Juveniles From Kuelap, Peru, Marley Denierio

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Before reaching adulthood, every individual experiences a period of dependency, the juvenile period, during which they rely on the older, more experienced members of their society for their security, subsistence and care. This juvenile period is an important stage of life for human physical and physiological development. In bioarchaeology, there has been limited research conducted on juveniles, particularly, the development of their own social identity and influences. The research method of stable carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotope analysis is used to reconstruct the paleodiet of juveniles to determine their dietary composition. Specifically, this research is focused on Kuelap, located …

Psychometric Properties Of A Working Memory Span Task, Juan M. Alzate Vanegas

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to examine the psychometric properties of a complex span task (CST) developed to measure working memory capacity (WMC) using measurements obtained from a sample of 68 undergraduate students at the University of Central Florida. The Grocery List Task (GLT) promises several design improvements over traditional CSTs in a prior study about individual differences in WMC and distraction effects on driving performance, and it offers potential benefits for studying WMC as well as the serial-position effect. Currently, the working memory system is composed of domain-general memorial storage processes and information-processing, which involves the use of …

The Student Debt Crisis And Political Polarization In The Millennial Generation, Dylan Wallace

Honors Undergraduate Theses

According to the Pew Research Center, the modern wave of political polarization began in 1994, and is the strongest today than it has ever been during the 23-year period. (2007) Polarization in the US party system is evidenced by several factors including: growing consistent partisan views, partisan antipathy, ideological bubbles, growing difference in preferences, a shrinking political center, and the lack of political compromise. (Pew Research Center 2014) The question I attempt to answer in this thesis is on the factors associated with political polarization within the millennial generation. One of the most pressing issues to this generation is what …

Openness To Experience: A Predictor Of Technology Use At Any Age?, Olivia Ojalvo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Technology is an integral part of both modern culture and day-to-day communication. Older adults' relationships with technology are completely different than younger adults' because of the way they have learned to incorporate it into their lives. Past research has shown that certain personality traits can predict technology use in younger adults. The current research hopes to take that finding and see if it applies to older adults, too. Four hypotheses were generated. Participants took a survey that consisted of five different scales and measures. Participants also were asked to answer demographic questions. Independent-sample t-tests and bivariate correlations were run on …

Mutual Gaze Among Strangers, Allie Vaknin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reactions people experienced when engaged in extended eye contact with a stranger. Artist Marina Abramović and an organization entitled The Liberators International have demonstrated a spectrum of reactions, many emotionally-charged, that have occurred from the opportunity to sit across from and gaze into the eyes of a stranger. Current research on eye contact has been predominantly quantitative, with no available research that qualitatively investigates the scenario in focus. The design of this study involved interviewing 35 people who participated in "The World’s Biggest Eye Contact Experiment," where individuals paired with a …

Sexualized Music's Effect On Adolescent And Emerging Adult Behavior: A Meta-Analysis, Brittany M. Scholl

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Reports on sexual activity among U.S. adolescents have shown a rise in their seriousness (Martino, Collins, Elliott, Strachman, Kanouse, & Berry, 2006). Such young sexual initiation is seen as a predictor of overall riskier sexual behavior such as having a multitude of sexual partners, not using any protective birth control and taking part in unwanted sex (Brown, L'Engle, Pardun, Guo, Kenneavy, & Jackson, 2006; Martino et at., 2006; Parkes, Wight, Hunt, Henderson, & Sargent, 2013; Price & Hyde, 2009; Primack, Douglas, Fine, & Dalton, 2009; Steinberg & Monahan, 2010). It is apparent that such riskier sexual behaviors result in higher …

The Effect Of Controlling Messages On Doctor-Patient Communication, Kayla A. Ladez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The doctor-patient relationship is a very important aspect of a patient's health and wellbeing. It is a complex relationship that requires trust and understanding by both parties. Doctor shopping and changes in technology that allow patients to independently learn about their health have further complicated this relationship. This study looks at how participants perceive controlling language depending on the gender of the doctor. Participants were 339 University of Central Florida undergraduate students (112 men and 227 women, age M= 19.29, SD = 3.60) recruited through SONA. Participants first listened to a recording of a male or female doctor speaking to …

When The Clocks Strike Thirteen: Political Repression In Modern America (1990-2015), Faiza Begani

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Abounding acts of repression committed in democracies have continued to be overlooked and under-analyzed by many researchers and scholars due to "democratic exceptionalism". As the United States enters yet another consecutive year of declining political satisfaction and freedom. It has become pertinent that as conflict study researchers, scholars, and readers alike that there is a basic understanding of coercion including acts that have been committed within our own countries. Countless scholars have focused conflict study research on underdeveloped or emerging democracies, yet many have overlooked the seamy side of developed ones. This article aims to explain the relationship between the …

A Deviance Regulation Theory Intervention To Reduce Alcohol Problems Among First-Year College Students, Angelina V. Leary

Honors Undergraduate Theses

OBJECTIVE: An alcohol-drinking culture exists among first-time-in-college students, where many of these students come to their university relatively inexperienced with alcohol, which may increase alcohol-related consequences. Several interventions exist to combat this campus problem. The current study investigates the use of a Deviance Regulation Theory (DRT) intervention, presented in a web-based manner, to increase alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS), such as monitoring drinks, using a designated driver, and drinking water in between alcoholic beverages, among college freshmen. METHOD: College freshmen participants (N = 157) completed web-based surveys examining alcohol behaviors once a week for six weeks. Participants were randomly …

A Method For Determining Damage Within Historic Cemeteries: A First Step For Digital Heritage, Justin E. Malcolm

Honors Undergraduate Theses

While it is true that historic cemeteries are places that contain a wealth of knowledge about the history of a community they are sometimes not well maintained. The information within can be lost as grave-markers are damaged either by natural causes or human interaction. In larger cemeteries preserving these significant places can sometimes be difficult due to a number of different factors. Therefore focusing preservation efforts on specific locations where damage is more likely to occur is crucial to ensure that the monuments that are the most at risk are preserved. One possible way of accomplishing this is through the …

Nato Enlargement: Poland, The Baltics, Ukraine And Georgia, Christopher M. Radcliffe

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Over the past two decades, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has enlarged several times to include a number of new countries. The first two case studies that are analyzed within this paper include key countries that were added in the 1999 and 2004 rounds of NATO enlargement: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. The third case study takes a closer look at two countries, Ukraine and Georgia, that sought to become members of NATO but were denied Membership Action Plans (MAPs) because of Russian discontent and military intervention. It is questionable if Russia will use military force to disrupt the …

Exploring What It Is Like To Be An Undocumented Alien In Seek Of Healthcare, Eliany C. Torrez Pon

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Currently, there are about 11.8 million undocumented aliens in the United States who are not eligible for public insurance or any type of private coverage obtained through the American Health Care Act of 2017. This creates barriers to healthcare for this large population and has negative implications for the healthcare system. Despite the availability of clinics and low-cost healthcare, this group tends to underuse resources or seek healthcare for emergencies only which leads to increased cost totaling approximately $1.1 billion a year. The goal of this qualitative study is to better understand what it is like to be an undocumented …

The Effects Of An Increasing Federal Minimum Wage On Federal Unemployment And Job Automation Levels, Kiana Krayeski

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The industrial revolution was the start of increasing technological advancements that are continuing to grow today. Technology improves accuracy, efficiency and is more productive in comparison to human labor as it does not require breaks and cannot violate any labor laws. With many innovations available today, firms have more options to choose from and can select the relatively cheaper solution. The push for a fifteen-dollar minimum wage affects the firm's options, and the use of technology might increasingly become the more viable choice. This study took data from the years 1993 to 2016 and created two regressions using the unemployment …

Crystal Healing Practices In The Western World And Beyond, Kristine D. Carlos

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Humans have been using crystals for various healing and ritual reasons for centuries. Both geographically and culturally, a diverse range of groups have turned to crystals and gemstones to address diverse needs over the millennia. While the oldest legends of crystal magic date back to the mythical ancient continent of Atlantis whose people allegedly used crystals for telepathic communication (Raphael 1985), it is believed that the crystal customs continued to perpetuate in Egypt, South America, and Tibet over subsequent centuries. Over recent decades, a renewed interest in crystals and gemstones has emerged in various New Age and mainstream contexts. In …

The Political Development Of Central Florida's I-4 Corridor From 1944 To 2016, Ethan M. Conkwright

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to analyze the political development of the six counties comprising the I-4 Corridor from 1944 to 2016. The literature review will develop an understanding of realignment theory and its application to Southern and Florida politics. The data analysis will analyze Presidential, Gubernatorial and Senate Election Results from the six counties, compared with census data for each of the six counties to show voting trends at a county-level basis. U.S. Census Data from 1940 to 2010 will also be used to analyze population and population density of the region at-large, and at a countywide level, …

Florida Nonpartisan Trial Court Elections: An Analysis Of Voter Turnout And Ballot Roll-Off, Shannon L. Fagan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research explains the variance in voter turnout and ballot roll-off in county and circuit nonpartisan judicial elections in Florida from 2014 and 2016. Based on theory, a collection of constituent (demographic and socioeconomic), candidate, competition, and contextual variables is gathered to construct four regression models. Two full regression models were constructed for turnout and roll-off and analyzed using SPSS software, in addition to two best regression models analyzing five statistically significant variables found within each full model. Presidential year elections and higher populations age 65 and up had positive impacts on voter turnout, while primary elections, campaign expenditures, and …