Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Reverence For Rejection: Religiosity And Refugees In The United States, Nick Booth

Undergraduate Review

No abstract provided.

Rio 2016: Gender Victories, Defeats, And Progress? Examining Gendered Language In Coverage Of The 2016 Olympics, Megan Corcoran

Undergraduate Review

The purpose of this research was to see how gender was represented in different sports and media outlets during the Rio 2016 Olympics. Gender is a major component of social identity in our society and looking at how it is presented in sports coverage can show us whether and how females are making their mark in a once male-dominated realm. I performed a content analysis on articles written during the 2016 Olympics, coding each to see how the articles represented the athletes covered. This study shows varying results that both reinforce and push gender boundaries. Furthermore, one can see progress …

Burdens Of The Body Weigh More Than We Know: How Weight Impacts Judgments Of A Simulated Vehicular Pursuit, Holly Lonergan

Undergraduate Review

The purpose of this project was to replicate research on embodied cognition and extend it to the judgments related to law enforcement, specifically decisions associated with the use of force. Excessive use of force by police officers is often characterized as an act driven by racism and ethnic and social biases. However, decisions are far more complex and are shaped by many psychological and environmental factors. The current study examined how one of these factors, the perception of physical or metaphorical weight, may influence judgments about suspect dangerousness and incident severity. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions …

“Likes” For Self-Love? The Effects Of Social Media On Self-Perception, Elizabeth Gallinari

Undergraduate Review

Social comparison theory describes how people self-evaluate themselves based on social comparisons to others. The current research investigated whether receiving more “likes” on social media than someone else will cause women to feel better about themselves, whereas receiving fewer “likes” will cause them to feel worse. Previous research has shown that social comparisons using social media, specifically Facebook, does affect levels of self-worth. Research regarding Instagram is limited, which is why it is the focus of this current research. The study included 124 participants, all of whom were women aged 18 to 25. The study consisted of two conditions featuring …

A Just Framing Of Healthcare Reform: Distributive Justice Norms And The Success/Failure Of Healthcare Reform In America, Marisa Parker

Undergraduate Review

In 2010 President Obama did the politically unthinkable: he passed healthcare reform that has the effect of providing healthcare to all Americans. What makes this feat so impressive is that other presidents (Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton) all tried and failed in their efforts. Why did Obama succeed and these other presidents fail? Using agenda setting and issue framing theories, this study explores how each of these presidents framed their healthcare reform efforts. In particular, this study focuses on how each president framed reform in terms of distributive justice and the four principles of …

Objective Measurement Of Sleep By Smartphone Application: Comparison With Actigraphy And Relation To Cognition, Mood, And Self-Reported Sleep, Taylor Maynard

Undergraduate Review

No abstract provided.

Environmental Behavior Factors Influencing The Outlook Of Chinese College Students On The Domestic Adoption Of Solar Photovoltaic Technology, Emmanuel Amoako, John Taylor Wilson

Undergraduate Review

Over the last century, China has soared in economic growth and now stands as the world’s second-largest economy. However, rapid economic growth has given rise to environmental degradation. New visions and innovative technological systems, such as domestic solar photovoltaic systems, have been introduced to mitigate pollution from power generation. Despite the positive individual and environmental benefits associated with adopting this innovative system, adoption rates of solar PV system remain comparatively low in China. Survey data targeting environmental behavior factors were distributed among Chinese college students in Shanghai and Beijing to facilitate understanding of the low adoption rate and to shed …

Van Oster V. Kansas And The Unconstitutionality Of Civil Forfeiture, Thomas Senst

Undergraduate Review

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the contradictory nature of civil forfeiture through a case analysis of Van Oster v. Kansas and compare the precedent established in this case to current civil forfeiture laws. This case has not received the proper attention that it deserves in civil forfeiture scholarly literature. Van Oster represents a case in which the Supreme Court upheld civil forfeiture, yet the internal logic of their justification suggests that civil forfeiture is unconstitutional. Additionally, this paper will conceptualize judicial dictions and opinions delivered by Justice Brandeis and Justice Holmes, who both served on the Supreme …

Reclaiming Social Media: A Weird Stance Against The Social Marketplace, Andrew Houldcroft

Undergraduate Review

No abstract provided.

Police Contacts And Attitudes Toward Police: A Study Of Race And Policing, Gary Portway

Undergraduate Review

In the past couple of years, different police departments in the United States have ignited intense criticism for allegedly operating in unethical and unconstitutional ways, namely facilitating the law under racist principles. Since the structure of policing often shifts based on changes within general society, it has become a common standard that policing must match the highest degree of ethics adopted by citizens of the United States. There is a compelling need for more research to be done on the police-citizen relationship. This research studies whether there is disproportionality, with a specific focus on race and ethnicity, in some of …

2014 In Black & White: A Measure Of Social Policy Attitudes, Femi Stoltz

Undergraduate Review

Introduction:
In American society, various social and antipoverty policies remain highly controversial among American voters. As one might expect, the relevance of race in relation to such policies can also be quite controversial. Incorporated within this research is an investigation of political attitudes and policy preferences of American voters. Using affirmative action and state welfare spending as dependent variables, I gauge the effects of respondents’ race and party identification on policy preferences and other behavior patterns. This measure of attitudes will contribute to a further understanding of race, social and antipoverty policies, and the ways in which these variables interact …

The Relationship Between Circadian Dysfunction And Cognitive Impairment In Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Andrew Leonard

Undergraduate Review

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a brain disorder associated with a variety of motor (e.g., rigidity, tremor) and nonmotor (e.g., cognitive impairment, sleep dysfunction) symptoms. Recent evidence suggests that PD patients may also have dysfunctional circadian rhythms: oscillators responsible for many behavioral and physiological functions (e.g., sleep-wake cycle, cognitive performance). No study to date has measured both circadian rhythms and cognitive functioning in the same group of PD patients. This was the aim of the current project. The archival data set included 34 PD patients and 12 normal control participants (NC) matched by age and education. Cognition was measured through a …

Processes Of Racialization Through Media Depictions Of Transracial Violence, Megan Allen

Undergraduate Review

In this research project, I explore the process of racialization in media coverage of White-on-Black violent events (both crimes and incidents not recognized by the legal system as crimes) using a critical race theory framework. The past three years have seen a series of killings of and assaults on African American people that have become newsworthy, as they have been seen, often controversially, as unjustified. The controversy has largely broken down on racial and political lines, with minority Americans and the left seeing these incidents as evidence and example of ongoing racial inequality, with whites and the right, in particular …

Closer Than You Think: The Influence Of Border Bias On Perceptions Of Mapped Hazards, Sarah D. Gardiner

Undergraduate Review

In a replication and extension of “border bias” research conducted by Mishra and Mishra (2010) and Molloy and colleagues (2012; 2013), who found that mapped threats within state borders were judged to be a greater risk than equidistant out of state threats, the effects of color (added to indicate zones of potential exposure) and a “double border” (on maps and in the lab) were measured. Support was found for border bias in that state boundaries appeared to influence risk perception. As hypothesized, there was also a significant effect for color boundaries, and participants avoided a location shown at an equidistant …

Personality Traits In Parkinson's Disease, Lindsey Clark

Undergraduate Review

Parkinson’s disease (PD) has been associated with certain personality characteristics, including low novelty seeking and high harm avoidance, but examination of the literature reveals mixed results. One limitation of studies to date is their failure to examine gender differences or to even include both male and female participants in their studies. The aim of the present study was to examine gender differences in personality traits among individuals with and without PD. Twenty-three non-demented PD patients (12F/11M) and 21 age and education matched normal control adults (NC; 11F/10M) were administered the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), a 240-item self-report questionnaire assessing …

From Goal-Striving To "Right Intention": A Grounded Theory Analysis Of Interviews With Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Participants, Julia Field

Undergraduate Review

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) helps people to manage stress reactivity through contemplative practices such as meditation. The creator of the program, Kabat-Zinn, (1994) defines mindfulness as “…paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” (p. 4). Shapiro et al. (2006) clarified this definition as consisting of three mechanisms of mindfulness. In particular, their mechanism “intention” captures Kabat-Zinn’s phrase “on purpose.” Historically, mindfulness practices were intended to cultivate compassion and enlightenment; thus, these should be included in a psychological model of mindfulness (Shapiro & Schwartz, 2000). In keeping with their approach, this project explored the …

Is The U.S. Missing Out? The Effects Of Parental Leave Benefits On Business, Katharine J. West

Undergraduate Review

The United States has the fewest mandatory parental benefits of all the leading nations in the world. However, it would be economically beneficial to both employers and employees if a more comprehensive leave program were to be offered in the United States. Data from European countries, that do have paid leave programs, shows an increase in the labor force and no economic loss after the mandated policies went into effect. Turnover is quite costly to a firm and studies of paid leave programs show that paid leave is associated with higher retention rates. Firms that have implemented paid leave policies …

The Online Sex Sting, Michael Cryan

Undergraduate Review

The Youth Internet Safety Surveys are indicative of a small subset of minors who have had contact with sexual offenders in person. Internet sex stings serve to target these adults through the use of police deception, but their use has been on the decline. Sexual offenders are a heterogeneous group; laws often mistakenly lump these various members together. This paper discusses different sources that can take responsible action to prevent online predators from reaching minors and the issue of vigilantism against offenders. Our current laws on sexual predators do not reflect the deeper, more prevalent issue of acquaintance rape.

Treatment Of Women Veterans With Ptsd, Julie Boucher

Undergraduate Review

This study addresses the question, what is the most effective treatment method for female veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? Female veterans experience unique difficulties when dealing with symptoms of PTSD that their male counterparts do not. Some of the causes of their PTSD are different as well. Evidence suggests that treatment programs should be developed in a manner that tailors to gender-specific needs. This research consisted of a thorough review of the literature, including peer- reviewed articles.

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the top …

Intuitive Impressions: Comparing Law Enforcement And The General Population’S Perception Of Stress In Others, Lukas Klapatch

Undergraduate Review

Although much research has addressed the physiological and behavioral differences between challenged and threatened stress levels (Blascovich, 2008; Frings, et al., 2012; McEwen, 2000; Vine, et al., 2013), limited attention has been paid to the ability of an observer to read behavioral cues in others and correctly identify the type of stress the target might be feeling. The purpose of the current work was to help address this gap in the literature and to compare the accuracy of participants from two groups, the general population and those with law enforcement training, who classified targets in silent video clips as challenged …

The Sociolinguistic Situation And National Identity Of Cape Verde, Melissa Oquendo

Undergraduate Review

Cape Verde is a West African country located in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Senegal. The archipelago is composed of 10 islands, 9 of which are populated (Santo Antão, São Vicente, São Nicolau, Sal, Boa Vista, Maio, Santiago, Fogo, and Brava). Santa Luzia is the only uninhabited island. Cape Verde was colonized by the Portuguese and therefore includes a rich mix of Portuguese and African cultures.

Because today’s Cape Verdeans are descendants of both the Portuguese and West Africans, there are elements of both in their languages, traditions, history, and development as a nation. These Portuguese and West …

James Wilson's Judge As Agent-Plus, Geena Bournazian

Undergraduate Review

James Wilson’s theory of constitutional interpretation is based on a multidimensional view of sovereignty, both principled and derived. While the American people serve as the principle sovereign, they delegate authority to the Court (their agents) to uphold the Constitution and educate the American people about the Constitution, its principles, and the duties of the sovereign people. In rendering their decisions, Wilson argues that judges should apply principles of common sense natural law and natural right that informed the sovereign people’s original understanding of the Constitution. By applying Wilson’s multidimensional concept of sovereignty, the role of the judge can be used …

Victim Worthiness: The Effect Of Media Coverage On The Portrayal Of Homicide Victims, Danielle Christenson

Undergraduate Review

In the last thirty years with the growth of 24-hour news channels, Internet only news sites and the decline of the newspaper, there have been tremendous changes in how the media covers crimes. Whether it is a catastrophic terrorist attack, school shooting or a low-profile homicide, violent crime is a staple of news coverage. The field of victimology has documented that the media does not portray all crime victims the same. The race and class of the victim as well as seemingly non-relevant factors such as their age, profession and the location of the crime as well as the demographics …

Anterior And Posterior Types Of Neuropsychological Deficits In Parkinson’S Disease: A Subgroup Classification Of Cognitiveoutcome, Megan Risi

Undergraduate Review

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a pervasive neurodegenerative disorder with a prevalence rate of approximately 150 out of 100,000 individuals in the United States and Western Europe (Checkoway & Nelson, 1999). The most widely recognized motor symptoms associated with PD include a resting tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement (i.e., bradykinesia), freezing, and gait abnormalities. Non-motor symptoms typically consist of depression, hallucinations, sleep disturbances, fatigue, autonomic nervous system impairment, and cognitive deficits (see e.g., Stacy, 2011). The frequency and severity of these nonmotor impairments typically increase with disease duration, and they are not exclusively linked to the motor symptoms (see e.g., Yu …

Adam Smith - Providing Morality In A Free Market Economy, Kendra Tully

Undergraduate Review

Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments (TMS) and Wealth of Nations (WN) appear to suffer from an irresolvable tension: TMS extols human sympathy whereas WN extols the consequences of self-interest. This paper takes a comprehensive approach, adding to scholarship on what has become known as the “Adam Smith Problem.” Through a textual analysis of TMS and WN that focuses on prudence, the nature of happiness and Smith’s rhetorical style, the inconsistency between his two texts disappears. The emphasis Smith places on prudence in WN can only be properly understood when one considers its foundations in sympathy found in TMS. By …

Massachusetts County Government: A Viable Institution?, Brendan Concannon

Undergraduate Review

County government has had an impact on the lives of the people of Massachusetts since 1643, predating the American federal system by well over a century. The various services that county government provides, and has provided in the past, are essential to the residents of those counties. Despite such an extensive history, counties in Massachusetts, and New England as a whole, are distinct from other counties throughout the nation. Deviating from many states, the functions and duties typically performed by a county are performed by the state government or by cities in Massachusetts. In an era where we continually seek …

Lgbt Homeless Youth In Boston Ma: Experiences Regarding Resources And Potential Barriers, Brittney Connery

Undergraduate Review

LGBT youth are at an escalated risk of leaving home, mental health concerns, victimization, substance abuse, and risky sexual behavior. However, research shows a lack of LGBT-specific resources. This raises concern as LGBT youth comprise 20 to 40 percent of homeless youth – disproportionate to the general youth population which is only 10 percent LGBT. The purpose of this research was to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of LGBT homeless youth in Boston, Massachusetts regarding their use of resources and any potential barriers they may face. Furthermore, this study examined whether or not current resources are safe, welcoming …

The Experiences Of Transgender Students In Massachusetts’ Colleges And Universities, Kayla Spagna

Undergraduate Review

This research examines the experiences of transgender students attending four-year colleges or universities in Massachusetts. I pursued a series of qualitative interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the resources available to transgender students and to identify potential barriers to full integration on college campuses. Ten transgender students were interviewed; all were between the ages of 18 and 24 years. Data were coded using grounded theory and a constant comparative approach. Themes include: awareness, safety, college and university policies, and support by trans-inclusion through programs and policies. These findings highlight the importance of transgender-specific information and broader education for both …

The Effects Of Earlier School Start Times On Cognition And Sleep In Children Ages 7-10, Kimberly Bryant

Undergraduate Review

Adolescent sleep deprivation has been the focus of recent research; its primary cause is a shift in adolescents’ biological rhythms (Carskadon, Wolfson, Acebo, Tzischinsky, & Seifer, 1998). As a result, many school systems have chosen to restructure their school start times to allow high school students to start school later, resulting in younger students going to school earlier. Despite the research describing the benefits this change in school start times will provide adolescents, there has been virtually no research regarding its effects on younger children. This study examines the effects that a change in school start time between 2nd grade …

The Object Of Desire: How Being Objectified Creates Sexual Pressure For Heterosexual Women In Relationships, Tiffany Hoyt

Undergraduate Review

The objectification of women is widespread in the United States (American Psychological Association, 2007). In heterosexual relationships, a woman can feel objectified by her partner. When a woman feels objectified by her partner, she may internalize the objectification, feel like she has less control, and perceive more sexual pressure and coercion. However, there is relatively little research on objectification in romantic relationships. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to explore how partner objectification might be related to sexual pressure in heterosexual relationships. A sample of 162 women from all over the United States participated in an online study that …