Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 30 of 57
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
How Do They Stay: An Exploration Of The Factors Contributing To College Completion Amongst African-American Women At The University Of Mississippi In The 21st Century., Hope Myriah Owens-Wilson
How Do They Stay: An Exploration Of The Factors Contributing To College Completion Amongst African-American Women At The University Of Mississippi In The 21st Century., Hope Myriah Owens-Wilson
Honors Theses
This study considers the factors that help increase the chances of black women continuing their studies at the University of Mississippi. Using a snowball method to contact participants and a video camera to record participants, findings showed that the black women who perceived their time at the University of Mississippi positively had previous contact with the University of Mississippi and clear academic goals within the university. Overall, the findings, while mostly consistent with the previous literature, point to areas that this research can delve deeper.
The Termination Of Government Programs: A Case Study Of The Recovery Audit Contracting Program, Ryan Henry
The Termination Of Government Programs: A Case Study Of The Recovery Audit Contracting Program, Ryan Henry
Honors Theses
One common view is that a majority of government programs persist beyond their useful lifespans giving the impression that once installed, government programs are 'immortal'. However, termination of government programs is an essential element in the policy making process. Several factors determine the projected lifespan of a program, and a program may be effectively terminated using several mechanisms. An analysis of the Recovery Audit Contracting program, a program designed to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid systems, shows that watchdog programs are inherently more prone to termination than other types of government programs.
Identifying Causes Of Variation Among Per Capita Incomes Of Sub-Saharan African States, Vinod Kannuthurai
Identifying Causes Of Variation Among Per Capita Incomes Of Sub-Saharan African States, Vinod Kannuthurai
Honors Theses
In this work, the author utilized a statistical analysis to assess variations in per capita incomes among sub-Saharan African states. The factors tested include education and healthcare investment, mineral and oil dependence, agricultural dependence, landmass size, population size, level of instability, economic freedom, and political freedom. Although the author found mineral and oil dependence to be the most statistically significant factor in determining variations in per capita income, there was still a great deal of variation among sub-Saharan African countries with mineral and oil dependence. Thus, the author employed a case-study involving Botswana and Zambia, two commodity dependent states with …
The Role Of Earmarking In Modern Day Congress, Charles Owen
The Role Of Earmarking In Modern Day Congress, Charles Owen
Honors Theses
This thesis is meant to analyze the correlation between earmarks and bi partisan voting behavior in the United Sates Congress. I collected earmarks data for the 111th Congress in order to understand how much was spent on both solo and joint earmarks. I then used this data to create a list of the top 87 bi partisan earmark partners for the 111th Congress. After creating the list of partners, I analyzed their voting behavior to see how often these bipartisan partners voted together in the 111th Congress because earmarks were present during this session. I then used the same partnerships …
The Evangelical Church And Creation Care, J. B. Burt
The Evangelical Church And Creation Care, J. B. Burt
Honors Theses
The purpose of this research is to determine the extent to which creation care is reaching and influencing the patrons in the pews of Evangelical Christian churches as well as to determine if Evangelicals will ever be prepared to take a strong and widespread stance on the environmental issues of our time. A mixed method research design was employed that consisted of three focus groups that served to directly inform the development of an online survey. Survey respondents consisted of 283 primarily Mississippi residents and students attending colleges and universities in Mississippi. Results illustrated that a majority of Evangelicals do …
Boredom And Memory For Positively And Negatively Valenced Words, James Kirchner
Boredom And Memory For Positively And Negatively Valenced Words, James Kirchner
Honors Theses
The purpose of the present study was to determine whether boredom affected memory for positively and negatively valenced words in addition to class names (e.g., History) that were presented in an auditory modality while participants listened to a recorded script. This was accomplished by comparing the recall of a doodling group, who were asked to shade in shapes while listening to a recorded script, with a non-doodling group, who simply listened to the script. The results indicated that participants in the non-doodling group recalled more class names (e.g. History) from the script than participants in the doodling group. In addition, …
The Changing Climate And Adaptation Strategies For The Mississippi Delta, John Jenks
The Changing Climate And Adaptation Strategies For The Mississippi Delta, John Jenks
Honors Theses
No abstract provided.
Harnessing The Power Of Social Media: How Four Fortune 500 Companies Utilize Social Media, Mary Elizabeth Cronk
Harnessing The Power Of Social Media: How Four Fortune 500 Companies Utilize Social Media, Mary Elizabeth Cronk
Honors Theses
Harnessing the Power of Social Media: How Four Fortune 500 Companies Utilize Social Media to Drive Increased Sales and Optimize Marketing. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how Fortune 500 companies use social media as an effective marketing strategy. The researcher interviewed social media managers and marketing professionals at the following four Fortune 500 companies in Atlanta, Ga.: The Coca-Cola Company, AT&T, United Parcel Service and Georgia Power Company. This case study found that executives at the four selected Fortune 500 companies maintain relevant social media websites and perceive company involvement as a powerful marketing tool. However, executives …
Observing Academic Performance Based On Increased Educational Spending: An Assessment Of The Fedex Center At The University Of Mississippi, Matthew Williams
Observing Academic Performance Based On Increased Educational Spending: An Assessment Of The Fedex Center At The University Of Mississippi, Matthew Williams
Honors Theses
In 2007, the FedEx Student-Athlete Academic Support Center, a renovation from the Starnes Center, was completed at the University of Mississippi to provide student- athletes a facility to improve academic performance in the classroom. FedEx donated $2.5 million to the project, covering half of the total expenditure. This private funding presents an opportunity to study how increased spending on education affected performance amongst student athletes in the classroom. Using semester-by-semester GPA of student-athletes and graduation rates from 2003 to 2009, it is possible to identify which students were exposed to the new facilities and thus, able to assess the effect …
Validation Of A Recurrent Nitroglycerin Migraine Model In The Rat, Ainslee Johnson
Validation Of A Recurrent Nitroglycerin Migraine Model In The Rat, Ainslee Johnson
Honors Theses
The present research sought to determine if repeated nitroglycerin (NTG) administrations elicited responses on clinically relevant behavioral endpoints of migraine in rats. Rats were given five saline, three NTG or five NTG administrations over a two-week period. After their fifth injection rats were evaluated using the rat grimace scale, modified light/dark box, thermal tail flick tests, elevated plus maze and forced swim test. Repeated NTG administration affected weight gain, movement in the modified light/dark box and photophobia. The thermal tail flick tests, elevated plus maze and forced swim test did not reveal treatment effects. Based on these findings, we conclude …
Ja, Ich Will: Framing The Same-Sex Marriage Debate In The 17th Session Of The German Bundestag, Stephen Colby Woods
Ja, Ich Will: Framing The Same-Sex Marriage Debate In The 17th Session Of The German Bundestag, Stephen Colby Woods
Honors Theses
In 2001, Germany passed the Life Partnership Act (Gesetz über die Eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft), establishing civil partnerships for same-sex couples. At the time, Germany was a forerunner in the legal recognition of same-sex relationships. Despite the approval of 74% of Germans, same-sex marriage was a fiercely debated topic from 2009 to 2013 in the 17th session of the Bundestag. During this session, the Christian Democratic Union, Christian Social Union, and Free Democratic Party make up the Majority government, and the Social Democratic Party, Alliance 90/the Greens, and the Left made up the Opposition. This thesis uses framing theory to examine what …
The Eurozone: Effects On Spain After The Implementation Of The Euro, Caroline Mürer Rohde-Moe
The Eurozone: Effects On Spain After The Implementation Of The Euro, Caroline Mürer Rohde-Moe
Honors Theses
This thesis examines the current situation in the Eurozone and how the entry into the currency union has affected the member countries. I have especially focused on the consequences the implementation of the euro has had on Spain because of the deeper recession that this country has experienced compared to many of the other Eurozone countries. I wanted to figure out what has caused some nations to struggle at a different level than others. By comparing Spain to countries such as Germany, United Kingdom, and France I have tried to look into how much of the domestic problems seen in …
Defining College Experiences And Changing Drinking Trends Over The Course Of One Freshman Semester, Cipriano Louis Apicelli
Defining College Experiences And Changing Drinking Trends Over The Course Of One Freshman Semester, Cipriano Louis Apicelli
Honors Theses
The first semester of college is a formative stage in the lives of young adults. It is a period of transformation and adaptation, and certain experiences may set the tone for the rest of the student's college career. It has long been apparent that a number of problems at the level of secondary education can be traced to the use and, particularly, the abuse of alcohol. Problems with alcohol consumption as one of the contributing factors range from poor grades, emergency room visits, to events such as unwanted sexual advances and in extreme cases, even assaults. In this study, I …
An Analysis Of New Performance Metrics In The Nba And Their Effects On Win Production And Salary, Daniel Rust
An Analysis Of New Performance Metrics In The Nba And Their Effects On Win Production And Salary, Daniel Rust
Honors Theses
In this study I perform statistical analysis on new metrics in the NBA designed to expose information about the inputs of basketball production. These input data were collected manually for every NBA player in the 2012-13 season, along with common advanced statistics. With these new metrics regression analysis is used to separately determine their effects on existing win production metrics and salary. In this analysis I control for team and position effects. Once these effects were determined, I was able to compare them and look for specific skills or strategies that may be undervalued or overvalued by NBA teams relative …
The Evolution Of A Social Movement: A Study Of The Madres De Plaza De Mayo, Grace Anne Boyd
The Evolution Of A Social Movement: A Study Of The Madres De Plaza De Mayo, Grace Anne Boyd
Honors Theses
This thesis investigates the evolution of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo social movement in Argentina from 1979-2014. The Madres de Plaza de Mayo are a social movement that initiated protests against the military junta that controlled Argentina from 1976-1982. The Madres were the mothers of people the junta had disappeared during its regime, and the protests were a demand for information about the missing children. After the fall of the dictatorship, the movement continued its protest for information. During this time, the movement underwent a structural split that coincided with ideological structure. I analyzed both internal and external factors …
Investment In The Developing World: Democracy And/Or Transparency, John Carter
Investment In The Developing World: Democracy And/Or Transparency, John Carter
Honors Theses
This thesis examines the concept of transparency and its role in international investment in the developing world. Investment is essential to developing nations because of its overarching economic benefits, such as new avenues of employment, exposure to new markets and the financing of diverse development projects. The desire for increased capital from foreign investors has influenced and shaped the economic policies of developing democratic and autocratic states. One of the most recent trends in economic policy is the formulation and adoption of transparent vehicles, such as access-to-information legislation, which address perceived investor risk through certain actions, such as publishing various …
Analysis Of Body Type Preferences Among Young Adults, Khyati Maheshkumar Ganatra
Analysis Of Body Type Preferences Among Young Adults, Khyati Maheshkumar Ganatra
Honors Theses
Based on a study conducted by Devendra Singh in 1993, it is believed that males prefer females with a lower waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7, as compared to higher ones. This may be due to the evolutionary advantage of these females being more fertile and able to reproduce. However, social media has been suggesting that thinner females are more attractive. One way society measures thinness is by a characteristic known as the 'thigh-gap' that many females strive to obtain. This study was conducted to discover whether or not a difference exists between males and females regarding their preference of the thigh-gap …
Online Sales Tax Policy: A Study Of New York And Georgia State Laws And The Federal Marketplace Fairness Act, Madison Elizabeth Coburn
Online Sales Tax Policy: A Study Of New York And Georgia State Laws And The Federal Marketplace Fairness Act, Madison Elizabeth Coburn
Honors Theses
The physical presence standard for remote sales tax collection, established in 1967, remains the standard for sales tax collection today. Advances in technology have led to increases in online shopping. Online retailers act under the physical presence standard. Throughout the United States, many individual states are facing economic challenges either as a result of or in conjunction with states' inability to collect sales tax from some online vendors without a physical presence in the state. The challenges include loss of revenue due to uncollected online sales tax and lack of fairness for brick-and-mortar retailers that do remit sales tax to …
An Analysis Of The Media's Coverage Of The Columbine High School And Sandy Hook Elementary School Shootings, Mara Joffe
An Analysis Of The Media's Coverage Of The Columbine High School And Sandy Hook Elementary School Shootings, Mara Joffe
Honors Theses
The primary purpose of the current research was to determine what ethical challenges have evolved for journalists covering breaking news stories, focusing on the differences in print coverage between the 1999 Columbine school shooting and the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting. A total of 435 news stories originating from the Denver Post, the Hartford Courant and the Chicago Tribune were used in the analysis, categorized by type, main point, length and tone of each article. Overall, several of the findings were consistent with the literature. Two results hold major implications for the journalism field. First, the increase in interpretive, opinion …
Legal Education Reform: An Analysis Of The Current State Of The American Legal Education System Post Maccrate, Matthew Todd Kiefer
Legal Education Reform: An Analysis Of The Current State Of The American Legal Education System Post Maccrate, Matthew Todd Kiefer
Honors Theses
The legal education continuum in the United States is under scrutiny from external and internal forces. This thesis examines a wide range of legal reports that focus on the current state of the most important part of the continuum, law schools. It specifically asks the question whether there is need for significant and possibly comprehensive change in law schools and if so what those changes would need to be. The thesis first explores the history and formation of legal education in America and its regulatory associations. Then it focuses on the MacCrate Report as comprehensive tool for understanding the legal …
An Investigation Of The Effects Of Hysteresis On The Rotation Percept, Maximilian James Shumake
An Investigation Of The Effects Of Hysteresis On The Rotation Percept, Maximilian James Shumake
Honors Theses
Although much research has been done on the role of hysteresis in apparent motion displays, no research has investigated the effects of hysteresis for rotary motion. The present experiment sought to determine and quantify the effects of hysteresis on the rotation percept. Participants viewed two types of apparent motion stimuli, which consisted of tokens appearing to move in a clockwise, counterclockwise, or chaotic fashion. One of the displays slowly changed from favoring a percept of rotation to a percept of non-rotation and vice versa. We fit the data using a logistic function and compared the point at which the direction …
The Effect Of Sumatriptan On Clinically Relevant Behavioral Endpoints In A Recurrent Nitroglycerin Migraine Model In Rats, Morgan Elizabeth Davis
The Effect Of Sumatriptan On Clinically Relevant Behavioral Endpoints In A Recurrent Nitroglycerin Migraine Model In Rats, Morgan Elizabeth Davis
Honors Theses
The present research sought to determine the effects of sumatriptan on clinically relevant behavioral endpoints in migraine produced by repeated nitroglycerin (NTG) administrations in rats. Rats were given 5 NTG administrations each of which was followed by either saline, 0.3 mg/kg sumatriptan, or 1.0 mg/kg sumatriptan over a 2-week period. During their 5th NTG migraine episode, behavioral endpoints were the Rat Grimace Scale, photophobia, and movement. Sumatriptan dose dependently attenuated a) loss in weight, b) elevated Rat Grimace Scale pain scores, and c) decreased movement in the modified light-dark box. In addition, rats with the highest dose of sumatriptan tended …
Reshaping The Message: Marketing The Quest For Marriage Equality In Mississippi, Nathaniel Weathersby
Reshaping The Message: Marketing The Quest For Marriage Equality In Mississippi, Nathaniel Weathersby
Honors Theses
The case for marriage equality is one that is becoming more and more prevalent in the States. Currently 17 states allow for the performance and recognition of same-sex marriages. The other 33 have constitutional bans on same-sex marriage. Of the 17 states that have same-sex marriage 3 of those made marriage constitutional through popular vote. This thesis sought to provide evidence and tactics for an Integrated Marketing Communications campaign that would advocate for the passing of a hypothetical ballot measure amending Mississippi's current status on same-sex marriage. This thesis compiles the research of multiple research institutions and polling services focused …
The Effectiveness Of Basel Ii, Rachel Shaw
The Effectiveness Of Basel Ii, Rachel Shaw
Honors Theses
The New Capital Accord, Basel II, was published in 2004. It features updated capital requirements and new ways to measure bank risk; however, the validity of these new standards was called into question during the financial crisis that began in 2008. The measures that intend to stabilize our banking system did not appear sufficient. Doubt was cast upon capital requirements, and the advantages of another system, such as contingent liability, can be seen. This thesis aims to test the effectiveness of Basel II, specifically its capital requirements, in reducing bank risk. After running a fixed effects model, one can clearly …
The Role Of The United States Navy In Sustaining And Protecting The Global Economy, Richard U. Beneke
The Role Of The United States Navy In Sustaining And Protecting The Global Economy, Richard U. Beneke
Honors Theses
Because of the rapid changes occurring in the world, the United States government is being forced to evaluate if the navy has become obsolete. With current cuts coming to the navy it seemed an important aspect to investigate. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether or not the United States should cut funding for the Navy by looking specifically at the impact the United States Navy has on the Global Economy by securing shipping lanes and the free navigation of the sea. The study will be conducted as a literature review. In the thesis, the nature of …
The Success Of An Ethnic Political Party: A Case Study Of Arab Political Parties In Israel, Samira Abunemeh
The Success Of An Ethnic Political Party: A Case Study Of Arab Political Parties In Israel, Samira Abunemeh
Honors Theses
Israeli Arab political parties are observed to determine if these ethnic political parties are successful in Israel. A brief explanation of four Israeli Arab political parties, Hadash, Arab Democratic Party, Balad, and United Arab List, is given as well as a brief description of Israeli history and the Israeli political system. The total performance as well as individual party performances is compared to the percentage of Israeli Arabs in Israeli society in order to determine that overall Israeli Arab political parties are not successful, although there are nuances to the term of success that the parties achieve.
The Currency Union Effect On Trade: The Role Of Financial Development, Walker Lee Messer
The Currency Union Effect On Trade: The Role Of Financial Development, Walker Lee Messer
Honors Theses
The effect of currency union formation on trade growth may depend on an economy's level of financial development. Economies with lower levels of financial development have less capacity to hedge exchange rate risk, are susceptible to hysteresis, and have little to overcome the large fixed costs of entering foreign markets. These barriers may be partially overcome through the use of common currencies. Economies with high levels of financial development may already be capable of overcoming these barriers to trade and will likely not gain significant trade from common currency formation. This paper tests the hypothesis that the currency union effect …
Exploring The Potential Effects Of Election Day Voter Registration In Mississippi, Adam M. Blackwell
Exploring The Potential Effects Of Election Day Voter Registration In Mississippi, Adam M. Blackwell
Honors Theses
With recent Supreme Court decisions and state legislative initiatives, policymakers and scholars heatedly debate voting rights in America. The debate typically centers on policies that seek to affect the accessibility of voting. Election Day Registration (EDR) is one voting policy being discussed. Allowing voters to register on Election Day is a policy currently used in eleven states and the District of Columbia, and states with EDR rank highest in the nation's voter turnout rates. In this thesis, I analyze the voter turnout effects and Election Day Registration policies in North Carolina and Minnesota, as well as the political environments surrounding …
La Alegría Ya Viene: How Chile's Youth Are Reshaping History, Anna Terry
La Alegría Ya Viene: How Chile's Youth Are Reshaping History, Anna Terry
Honors Theses
The highly controversial military dictatorship in Chile lasted from 1973 to 1989. General Augusto Pinochet's neoliberal policies saved the country from economic ruin in the 1980's, but Chile became highly socially unequal as a result. After he was democratically voted out of office, politicians decided not to change his economic policies in order to avoid a collapse, and those policies are still in place today, specifically in terms of education. Therefore, an entire generation of Chileans has grown up after the dictatorship under these same highly unequal education policies, and as a result, they have begun to protest. What started …
The Dólar Blue: The Black Market Exchange Rate For Dollars In Argentina, Brad Brunson Lanier
The Dólar Blue: The Black Market Exchange Rate For Dollars In Argentina, Brad Brunson Lanier
Honors Theses
At the beginning of October 2011, Argentina saw the emergence of a black market exchange rate for U.S. dollars. This black market exchange rate is known locally as the Dólar Blue. The importance of the Dólar Blue has become so public that it even has its own websites and social media accounts to inform its users of its daily rates as well as how and where to locate the human intermediary aspect of the black market known as the arbolitos. As a whole, black market exchange rates better reflect people's expectations about the true purchasing power of their currency and …