Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Intuitive Thought And Consumer Decision Making, Morgan M. Moore

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Anytime the human mind makes a decision, intuitive thought has played a hidden role. There is more to consumer decision making than just logical, slow cognition. Exploring the intuitive mind through the works of Johnathan Haidt and Daniel Kahneman helps researchers understand the roles and origins of intuition. Proof of the presence and power of intuitive thought in cognitive processes is offered. A subset of the intuitive mind, termed the righteous mind by Haidt, is shown to be responsible for moral intuition. As the role of intuitive thought in consumer decision making is considered, numerous marketing applications are applied. Whether …

Manifestation Determinations: An Interdisciplinary And User-Friendly Guide To Best Practices, Molly E. Knudsen

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Rates of suspensions and expulsions are increasing in public schools in the United States, despite research stating that such exclusions have negative effects on students and are generally ineffective in addressing misbehavior. There is an overrepresentation of students with disabilities in the population of excluded students, which poses a threat to their right to a free and appropriate education (FAPE). When a student with a disability faces an exclusion, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires a manifestation determination review (MDR) to be held by a committee of school personnel and the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) to determine the cause of …

Lexicons Of Colonialism: A Grounded Theory Examination Of Indian And Supreme Court Definitions Of Sovereignty, Jacob Daniel Bosley

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Sovereignty has served as an important political principle in the United States in both its founding and its relations with Native peoples. While the United States signed hundreds of treaties with Native peoples that recognize tribal nations as separate political entities, the political status and legitimacy of Native peoples has constantly come into question. Sovereignty has been cited throughout America’s founding documents and major Supreme Court opinions as the measure of political authority used to judge the status of Native peoples relative to the United States overriding political authority. The precedent established by these citations of sovereignty remains unclear, and …

Indigenous Land Rights Of The Khoi In South Africa, Chelsea Wilkins

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Upon discussions in classes at James Madison University, I became aware of the Khoi people. I became interested in their way of life, as well as the implications of globalization and industrialization worldwide. After researching the topic, I decided I wanted to not only write my thesis on this topic, but I wanted to travel to South Africa to learn more. I wanted to know how a refreshment station at the Cape for the Dutch East India Company transformed into a fight for land that ultimately led to the extreme disenfranchisement of the Khoi people and their way of life. …

Factors Driving North Korean Military Provocations, Adam F. White

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This paper examines the causal factors underlying North Korea’s decision to use military actions against South Korean and U.S. personnel, both military and civilian, from the post-Korean War until the present day. It tests hypotheses at the systemic, domestic, and individual levels of analysis and draws conclusions as to what forces and theories appear to explain North Korean behavior across three different leaders. It concludes that North Korea is largely leadership-driven and that there has been a shift away from military provocations since the time of Kim Il-Sung in favor of nuclear weapons development.

The Year Of Change: Challenges Faced By First Year Students Based On Individual Identities, Holly K. Millet

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The first year of college is often a fresh start for students. For many, it is the first time away from home where students will have freedom to make their own decisions. During this year students gain new experiences, new knowledge, and a new understanding of themselves. However, it is commonly known that the transition into college is often accompanied by many challenges, including, homesickness, depression, inability to fit in, and financial instability. Often, students’ identities can influence the types of challenges they encounter throughout this transition. This study determines correlations between five social identities and challenges that first year …

A Study Of Domestic Violence And Patriarchal Ideologies In Popular Men’S Magazines, Annika M. Wilcox

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This study examines the prevalence and nature of the portrayals of domestic violence in popular men’s magazines. The sample consists of 20 articles drawn from five popular men’s magazines. The small size of the available sample exemplifies that articles discussing domestic violence continue to be relatively uncommon. Through the qualitative method of continuous comparative analysis, this study identifies four common perspectives that are exhibited within articles on domestic violence: gender symmetry, feminist, GS-Neutral, and F-Neutral. The most common perspective, gender symmetry, was exhibited by 45% (9 of 20) of the articles, and is characterized by an ignorance of the context …

Creation Of Weighted Theissen Polygons Using Python, Colin Spohn

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Abstract:

This project is an exploration into creating and manipulating Thiessen polygons. Thiessen polygons are zones created around points to show the area closer to each point than any other point in the set. Thiessen polygons are used to extend climate data from individual stations across areas. After creating the new procedure applications of the algorithm were considered.

The manipulation explored in the project focused on allowing the borders of traditional Thiessen polygons to be shifted based on values among the points. These manipulated Thiessen polygons have been dubbed weighted Thiessen polygons.

These weighted Thiessen polygons were created using the …

Impacts Of Consumer Horticulture On Stormwater And Nutrient Management: Investigating Public Perception, Knowledge, And Practices In The Shenandoah River Watershed, Christopher P. Parker

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The South Fork Shenandoah River is a tributary to the Chesapeake Bay that is a significant contributor to nitrogen and phosphorus that enter the Bay and leads to increased eutrophication. These nutrients also cause problems in the South Fork Shenandoah River. The United States Environmental Protection agency has implemented strict regulation to reduce nutrients entering the Bay by developing the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. While the TMDL has strict regulation on wastewater treatment, agriculture, and industry, there are still sources of nutrients entering the Bay through unregulated sources. Urban/suburban runoff is one of these sources, particularly runoff from home owner’s lawns. …

Identity Disclosure In Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Patient-Provider Communication, Nicole Hudak

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals have encountered barriers in accessing healthcare. Barriers to accessing medical care can stem from discrimination within healthcare, which includes the medicalization of homosexuality. Literature demonstrates that both providers and LGB patients recognize that there are inefficiencies in the current healthcare system for LGB patients. This thesis sought to find how LGB individuals navigated the disclosure of their sexual identities with their providers and what types of communication barriers existed between them. Qualitative, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 LGB identified participants. The recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a constant comparative method. Four themes …

Place, Space, And Family: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Resistance Rhetoric Of Judy Bonds, Alex K. Davenport

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This thesis examines the ways that rhetorics of resistance can operate in contemporary social conditions. I do this specifically by examining the rhetoric of Judy Bonds, an environmental justice activist who opposed mountaintop removal (MTR) mining in Appalachia. I utilize a qualitative rhetorical approach to examine 34 instances of Bonds’ discourse as well as my own autoethnographic reflections focused on my work with Mountain Justice, a regional anti-MTR activist organization. Pairing the constant comparative method with principles of ideological criticism, informed by theories of place, voice, memory, and narrative, forms this qualitative rhetorical approach. The postmodern turn allows for the …

Making Sense Of Mediation: The Intersection Of Critical Event Narratives At A Community Conflict Resolution Center, Eric Dirth

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This research investigated the unique narratives of one community mediation center’s stakeholders to illuminate the interconnectedness of the center’s stakeholders and the role critical events play in their retrospective sensemaking. A qualitative study, employing an autoethnographic and narrative analysis, was conducted at a local mediation center over a period of six months to explore the communicative interactions involved in the stakeholders’ tellings and retellings of stories of significant change. Results offered a rich understanding of the significant moments taking place at the community mediation center and the communicative triggers of these critical event experiences. Critical event triggers included: accelerated learning, …

Let’S Chat: Willingness To Communicate And The Development Of A Destigmatizing Campaign, Ethan D. Smith

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Abstract

Low treatment rates for depression are commonly observed among young adults of typical college age in particular. Fear of social judgement makes stigma a commonly identified barrier to depression treatment. What is unclear is how the willingness of university students to communicate about depression may influence or be influenced by stigma. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Health Belief Model, the present thesis investigates the stigma attitudes of students toward depression, as well as their willingness to communicate about depression. To do this, an online survey was conducted with depression stigma scales and adapted willingness to …

The Influence Of The Cyp1a2 Polymorphism On The Effect Of Caffeine Ingestion And Mouth Rinsing On 3km Cycling Performance, Mark W. Pataky

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

PURPOSE: The objectives were to determine the effects of caffeine ingestion and mouth rinsing on cycling performance, and to assess whether the CYP1A2 gene is related to the size of the performance effects. METHODS: Thirty-eight recreational cyclists completed four simulated 3-kilometer time trials (TT). Subjects ingested either 6mg/kgBW of caffeine or placebo one hour prior to each TT. Additionally, 25 ml of 1.14% caffeine, or placebo solution was mouth rinsed before each TT. Treatments were: placebo ingestion+placebo rinse (Placebo), placebo ingestion+caffeine rinse (Rinse), caffeine ingestion+caffeine rinse (Ingestion+Rinse), caffeine ingestion+placebo rinse (Ingestion). Subjects …

Policing Charities: A Genealogy Of The American Nonprofit In The Context Of Neoliberalism, Jaclyn Carroll

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This project offers a critical rhetorical history of “the nonprofit” over the last 50 years of American political discourses. The author explicates the value of genealogy and rhetorical history as methodologies in critical communication studies. She then examines three discursive junctures. Beginning with Ronald Reagan’s public addresses and his deployment of the neoliberal epideictic, the author traces different rhetorical treatments of “the nonprofit.” The author then examines the emergence of nonprofit watchdogging agencies in the 1990s, and discourses of surveillance and resistance that developed at this time. Particular attention is paid to the discursive shifts surrounding September 11, 2001.

The …

Exploring Nonprofits In The Social Economy: The Social Enterprise Phenomena, Kofi S. Adimado

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Social enterprises in the United States is experiencing a healthy growth evident in the growing literature. However, there have been debates as to whether these organizational types are nonprofits, private, quasi-public or hybrid organizations. Thus no new policies have been created to accommodate the business activities of social enterprises. This study attempts to provide a context for the debate by arguing that if indeed social enterprises are distinct organizational types then SBDCs who are the first point of call for most small and medium scale businesses would be better placed to help provide empirical evidence for this ensuing debate.

Nonprofit Leadership: A Study Of Governance Changes Over Time, Daisha M. Merritt

Dissertations, 2014-2019

This is a leadership study understood through board governance in nonprofit organizations. The study sought to discover if there were indicators of coercive institutional isomorphism occurring in human service nonprofit organizations in the United States. IRS 990 tax forms were compiled from 2008- 2012 to determine if there were increasing levels of reported governance practices. Methodology included factor analysis, comparison of means, trend analysis, and regression models. Results indicated that there is an overall trend of increasing reported practices of governance in human service nonprofit organizations. Board size is the most significant indicator associated with changes in reported governance practices. …

A Mixed-Methods Study Of Head Start Family Service Worker Qualifications And Family Services Utilization: Implications For Policy And Leadership, Laura H. Trull

Dissertations, 2014-2019

This mixed-methods research study utilized Shared Leadership and Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) design and looked at the relationship between qualities of Family Service Workers (FSWs) in Head Start and family outcomes. Head Start is a federally funded comprehensive early child development program serving families of low income children ages birth to five. Fifty Head Start FSW participants from a convenience sample in Virginia provided complete responses to a survey instrument distributed at the Virginia Head Start Association Health and Family Conference in November 2014. FSWs from Culpeper Head Start served as CBPR participants and contributed to the selection of variables, …

Organizational Use Of Social Media: The Shift In Communication, Collaboration And Decision-Making, Dhruvi A. Naik

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Organizational use of social media: The shift in communication, collaboration and decision-making

Social media has driven organizational communication, collaboration and decision-making in recent times. This thesis focuses first on the popularity and widespread usage of social media like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and how it has provided businesses with platforms to collaborate and communicate virtually. It then explores how organizations can implement social media for the purpose of external marketing and advertising, to connect to consumers and for the purpose of internal communications. For example, how can organizations tap the potential of social media and connect with consumers? Social media …

The Psychological Response To A Low Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet In Combination With A Six-Week Strength Training Protocol, Matthew T. Thorp

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The aim of the present study was to determine whether or not long-term adherence to a Low-Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet (LCKD) combined with a powerlifting strength training protocol could produce a positive psychological response. This six-week randomized control trial consisted of a treatment (LCKD) group (7% carbohydrates, 50% fat and 45% protein) and a control (CON) group (ad libitum). Both groups completed a validated powerlifting training protocol, as well as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Profile of Mood States. Multivariate testing and general linear modeling statistical analyses were used to compare psychological response between groups (p < 0.05) and found that there was a significant decrease in anxiety over the duration of six-weeks among both groups. No other psychological responses, including negative responses, were found to be significant. All participants significantly improved one-repetition max bench press, back squat, and deadlift (p < 0.05). The main findings of this study suggest that some positive psychological responses exist from long-term LCKD adherence, as well as potential increases in strength performance.

Enhancing Psychology Majors’ Meta-Cognitive Understanding Of Desirable Workplace Skills Using A Short Discussion-Based In-Class Activity, Alena S. Gordienko

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The skills psychology students possess that employers look for in job applicants include: reliability, integrity, work ethic, communication, technology, critical thinking, teamwork, and professionalism (Rodgers, 2012). I conducted a study to determine whether participating in a brief classroom activity would improve students’ ability to effectively describe their skills. Students were asked to write a cover letter before and after the activity. The activity included a discussion of four skills and student reflection on their experiences that demonstrated these skills. I hypothesized that overall letter-writing would improve, that students’ self-reported levels of preparedness to find a job would improve, that students …

Establishing Conditioned Reinforcers In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kristen Rollman

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often demonstrate restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities, often involving preoccupations with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest and an inability to adjust to changes in daily routines and schedules. Academic achievement and skill acquisition present a challenge in children with ASD, often times due to a lack of reinforcer options resulting from these deficits. The current study examines the use of free-operant stimulus preference assessments, progressive-ratio schedule reinforcer analyses, and a Pavlovian conditioning procedure in order to evaluate the establishment of new reinforcers that may be used to …

Delay Discounting: Are Magnitude Effects Moderated By Domain Effects?, David A. Williams Jr.

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Delay discounting is a phenomenon wherein a commodity loses its value as the delay to its receipt increases. It may be conceptualized as a measure of patience, or impatience. There are several aspects of a commodity that contribute to its loss in value, in addition to the delay to its receipt. Specifically, there are differential rates in delay discounting across commodity types (domain effects) and commodity amounts (magnitude effects). Interestingly, magnitude effects occur almost exclusively in relation to a particular commodity type: monetary rewards. The present study sought to isolate magnitude effects from a particular quality of monetary rewards: fungibility. …

The Effects Of Ordinal Data On Coefficient Alpha, Kathryn E. Pinder

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Given coefficient alpha’s wide prevalence as a measure of internal reliability, it is important to know the conditions under which it is an appropriate estimate of reliability. The present paper explores alpha’s assumption of uncorrelated errors when used with ordinal data. Alpha overestimates true reliability when correlated errors are present. In this paper, I use a simulation study to recreate three mechanisms proposed to create correlated errors in ordinal data. The first mechanism, misclassification error, occurs when there are correlated measurement errors present in the data. The second mechanism, grouping error, occurs when there are not enough categories to represent …

Traumatic Experiences And Cognition: How Do Static And Dynamic Variables Contribute To Current Functioning?, Cathryn Richmond

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Approximately 25% of children in the United States will witness or experience a traumatic event before age 4, and individuals with a history of trauma, particularly traumatic events in childhood, have a much higher likelihood of developing psychopathology in adulthood. Prior research indicates that the vast majority of individuals with a serious mental illness, particularly those in community mental health centers and psychiatric inpatient settings, have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. These individuals require special consideration in treatment planning, and a large range of neurodevelopmental and environmental factors must be taken into account when interpreting results …

Predicting Bystander Attitudes Using Rape Myth Acceptance And Adherence To The Commodity Model Of Sex, Kimberly J. Johnson

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The high rate of sexual assault on college campuses has become a growing concern among college administrators. To combat the prevalence of sexual assault, colleges and universities have begun implementing mandatory bystander intervention training programs, which teach students to look for warning signs indicative of sexual assault and intervene before an assault occurs. Previous research has indicated that an individual’s endorsement of rape myths may play a role in whether or not that individual will intervene in a situation that may lead to sexual assault; however, little research has investigated from where beliefs in rape myths might stem. Sex educators …

The Use Of Differential Reinforcement To Increase Participation/Engagement In Children With Autism In An Inclusion Setting, Kayla Gionti

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) would gain more from instructional material if they increased their participation and engagement in general education classrooms. However, these children often grow dependent on prompts from teachers and paraprofessionals to participate. This can impede the children from participating independently in other settings and from engaging with the instructional material presented to them. The purpose of this study was to increase independent participation, while decreasing the prompt dependency of 3 children with ASD in a general education classroom. The use of differential reinforcement and prompt fading increased the hand raising behavior of all three …

Propensity Score Matching In Higher Education Assessment, Heather D. Harris

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The applied nature of higher education assessment does not lend itself to rigorous experimental research designs. However, assessment practitioners would like to make claims about the influence of educational programs on student learning outcomes. Propensity score matching (PSM) methods are quasi-experimental techniques that allow researchers to control for known confounding variables. In the context of higher education, PSM techniques allow assessment practitioners to control for confounding variables related to students’ self-selected participation in university programs. Research and recommendations on how to apply PSM techniques are scattered throughout several disciplines. However, additional research is needed to evaluate how well PSM techniques …

Myside Bias In Probabilistic Ethical Decision Making, Richard E. Hohn

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This study examined the extent to which myside bias was observed in the context of ethical decision making. In judgment and decision making research the resistance of myside bias is described as a component of rational thinking. Thus, to some effect, this study aimed to examine the extent to which people act rationally when making ethical decisions. Measures of thinking dispositions (actively open-minded thinking and need for cognition) as well as measures of cognitive reflection and probabilistic knowledge were included in the study to examine their associations with myside bias in ethical decisions. Modest myside bias effects were observed between …

Persons Can Speak Louder Than Variables: Person-Centered Analyses And The Prediction Of Student Success, Elisabeth M. Pyburn

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

In order to ensure that analyses are appropriate for one’s research question(s), it is important to consider whether a person-centered or variable-centered approach is needed. Person-centered approaches are often not considered in situations for which they would be appropriate. To that end, a description of the characteristics and procedures of two common person-centered analyses (cluster analysis and mixture modeling) are provided. Although both analyses accomplish the same general aim – to group persons based on their similarity on a series of variables, thus providing ease of interpretation – the methods employed for each analysis differ considerably. As illustration, both analyses …