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Articles 1 - 30 of 6412
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
The Experiences Of Black Student-Athletes Across Different Institutions, Raniya Burkett
The Experiences Of Black Student-Athletes Across Different Institutions, Raniya Burkett
Psychology Summer Fellows
Sports, like many social institutions, require athletes to develop social competencies that shape performance, self-presentation, and behavior. Black collegiate athletes frequently experience these pressures and may conform to white supremacist ideals of propriety. Findings from this study will identify barriers to authenticity in athletic spaces and inform strategies to promote greater inclusivity and cultural sensitivity among coaches, teammates, and athletic programs.
Differentiating And Accommodating Ocd And Anxiety In Mathematical Contexts, Madeline F. Gavares
Differentiating And Accommodating Ocd And Anxiety In Mathematical Contexts, Madeline F. Gavares
Interdivisional Studies Summer Fellows
Students in mathematics classrooms may experience emotional and cognitive challenges that affect how they engage with coursework and assessments. While math anxiety has been widely documented, less attention has been given to how obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), particularly checking behaviors, may influence students’ experiences in math settings. This study explores how students who report math anxiety and those who report OCD symptoms describe their engagement with math tasks and test-taking. Drawing on survey and interview data from students and teachers, this study examines how these experiences are articulated and perceived in academic math contexts, rather than evaluating ability or outcomes. By …
Speaking Of Language: The Relationship Between Language As Capital And Minority Language Education, Alex J. Zelaya
Speaking Of Language: The Relationship Between Language As Capital And Minority Language Education, Alex J. Zelaya
Politics Honors Papers
The future of minority languages not only depends on intergenerational transmission but also on support for immersive instruction in minority languages within the educational system. This paper examines the factors that influence support for minority language education, arguing that language policy is shaped by societal attitudes, which in turn reflect dynamics of power. The paper draws upon Pierre Bourdieu’s conceptualization of different types of capital, including his theory on the relationship between economic, social, cultural and symbolic capital. Within this framework, language functions as a form of capital, reflecting and reinforcing social and economic stratification by conveying status or stigma. …
Payrolling In The Deep, Kyle Rosenfeld
Payrolling In The Deep, Kyle Rosenfeld
Business and Economics Honors Papers
This study examines how Major League Baseball teams can build their rosters to spend their payroll more efficiently. Using a manually constructed dataset, consisting of thirty teams over the past five years, this paper studies different payroll allocation strategies, such as the percentage of a team’s payroll to homegrown players or free agents, to improve the efficiency of how an MLB club is spending. Through running regression models, results have shown there is a statistically significant positive relationship between how efficient MLB teams spend their payrolls to the percentage of a team’s payroll designated to homegrown players. Additionally, there is …
Analyzing Preparedness For Compliance With The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (Cbam) Across Member States Of The European Union, Vincent Pfattner
Analyzing Preparedness For Compliance With The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (Cbam) Across Member States Of The European Union, Vincent Pfattner
Politics Honors Papers
The European Union’s implementation of the CBAM is a climate change-driven initiative aimed at preventing carbon leakages. This thesis aims to investigate the underlying reasons for the variation in preparedness to comply with CBAM. Exposure to CBAM-covered Extra-EU imports serves as a proxy for preparedness, a measure of the economic constraints EU countries face. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, including Regression Analysis, Bayesian model averaging, and comparative case studies of EU countries. The results show a strong association between preparedness levels and institutional factors, particularly regulatory capacity. In contrast, political, financial, and geographical factors exhibit limited influence on a …
What Is Happening In Major League Baseball? A Structural Snapshot In An Evolving Economic Landscape: A Case Study, Max K. Shilstone
What Is Happening In Major League Baseball? A Structural Snapshot In An Evolving Economic Landscape: A Case Study, Max K. Shilstone
Business and Economics Honors Papers
This qualitative case study examines the most visible business and economic factors currently impacting Major League Baseball (MLB). Specifically, it analyzes how current labor and collective bargaining issues, the changing media and broadcasting landscape, and the league’s reliance on locally generated revenue are shaping the league’s current and future business environment. Using a multi-method qualitative approach, this case study draws from academic scholarship, contemporary industry reporting, league documents, existing interviews, and six semi-structured interviews with professionals working in or around MLB. The evidence was analyzed through thematic coding and triangulated across sources to identify recurring themes and validate emerging findings. …
Ticking Time Bomb: The Economic Ramifications Of Mlb's Pitch Clock, Katie Ciuffreda
Ticking Time Bomb: The Economic Ramifications Of Mlb's Pitch Clock, Katie Ciuffreda
Business and Economics Honors Papers
In recent years, Major League Baseball has been challenged with declining engagement and attendance, particularly with younger audiences, with the long duration of games most commonly cited as the reason for disinterest. In response to this, MLB implemented a pitch clock that worked its way through the minor league system until it was introduced to the majors for the 2023 season. The goal for the clock was to reduce game times by increasing pace of play. While early evidence shows that the clock has been successful in that regard, its impact on player performance remains to be explored. This study …
When Wedding Bells Stop Ringing: An Economic Analysis Of The U.S. Fertility Crisis, Mia Sideris
When Wedding Bells Stop Ringing: An Economic Analysis Of The U.S. Fertility Crisis, Mia Sideris
Business and Economics Honors Papers
Fertility in the U.S. has been in steady decline since the Great Recession. Surveyed opinions suggest this trend stems less from changing attitudes in ideal family size, and more from tangible barriers preventing people from having as many children as they desire. This paper explores several economic and social pressures that may have contributed to this discrepancy, with an emphasis on marriage. Marriage is considered to be the infrastructure that enables childbearing by minimizing both monetary and time costs. Using fixed effects and random forest regression, we estimate the impact of these measures and their relative importance on fertility decisions. …
The Impatience Of Winning: An Analysis Of Time Discounting, Predictive Modeling, And The Nba Draft, Alec R. Plante
The Impatience Of Winning: An Analysis Of Time Discounting, Predictive Modeling, And The Nba Draft, Alec R. Plante
Business and Economics Honors Papers
This paper examines whether NBA draft decisions can be better explained by incorporating non-geometric time discounting into a model of general manager decision making. Using a dataset of 285 NBA draft prospects over a 12-year period, the impact of college statistics on Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) is determined, and these impact values are then used to create a “predicted” VORP for the first 4 seasons of each player’s career: a projection of what a general manager might think of a prospect’s future value given their college statistics. Following this, geometric and hyperbolic time discounting models are applied to estimate …
Anti-French Sentiment As A Factor In The Coup Belt, Foster P. Mcgrath
Anti-French Sentiment As A Factor In The Coup Belt, Foster P. Mcgrath
Politics Honors Papers
This thesis examines if anti-French sentiment is a significant factor influencing individuals' support for coups d'état in former French colonies in Africa, mostly in the sub-Saharan Sahel region which has earned the term "Coup Belt."
From Embarrassment To Prejudice: Online “Cringe Culture” As An Affective And Social Phenomenon, Maxwell Seebold
From Embarrassment To Prejudice: Online “Cringe Culture” As An Affective And Social Phenomenon, Maxwell Seebold
Sociology Summer Fellows
When scrolling through the myriad content found online, you’re bound to find something that leaves you with negative emotions strong enough that you cringe. While this is largely an involuntary response, “cringe” becoming an adjective, and therefore a label, occurs due to the conscious othering of a user for the nature or presentation of their content. This project conceptualizes cringe as a multidimensional phenomenon rather than a singular emotion, which allows us to more easily make sense of how online cringe specifically has morphed into what is colloquially known as “cringe culture.” Through analysis of academic literature (from disciplines ranging …
Is Inequity In Nba Team Salaries Hurting Team Performance?, Alec R. Plante
Is Inequity In Nba Team Salaries Hurting Team Performance?, Alec R. Plante
Business and Economics Summer Fellows
The NBA is known for being the premier basketball league. However, are the allegedly best minds in the sport choosing salaries in a way that contributes to success? Our research extrapolates trends between team equity and win rates. We use Gini coefficients to establish team equities across the league between the 2011-2012 and 2024-2025 seasons. Our research establishes a relationship between team equity and win rates. This suggests that more equitable teams, in relation to held constant variables like All-NBA selections, may be more successful compared to other teams. We speculate on the reasons for this effect, including the possibility …
Shutdowns And Startups: How Covid-19 Policies Shaped Entrepreneurial Trends Across U.S. States, Mia Sideris
Shutdowns And Startups: How Covid-19 Policies Shaped Entrepreneurial Trends Across U.S. States, Mia Sideris
Business and Economics Summer Fellows
The COVID-19 pandemic had an unprecedented impact on the US economy. Severe restrictions were placed on nearly every state, culminating with the declaration of a national emergency in March 2020. The intent of these restrictions was to safeguard public health, while unintentionally imposing operational burdens on businesses. This paper explores how heterogeneity in state level policy responses influenced entrepreneurial activity. Using the synthetic control method and data on mandated workplace closures, we estimate the impact of these actions on business applications per capita in the state of South Carolina, which was late to impose these measures. We find that if …
The Effects Of Athletic Culture On Intersectional Identities In Higher Education, Raniya Burkett
The Effects Of Athletic Culture On Intersectional Identities In Higher Education, Raniya Burkett
Psychology Summer Fellows
Athletic culture thrives on a basis of oneness that habituates spaces designed for athletes. Unfortunately, the concept of unity employed within athletic settings disregards intersecting identities that shape how many student-athletes navigate their lives, allowing biases to go unchecked and harmful rhetoric to permeate formerly safe environments. This project will investigate the experiences of student-athletes in higher education to uncover the environments curated by teams, individuals, coaches, and academic advisors. Moreover, focusing on institutions with dominant group demographics will help identify the pervasiveness of oppression and illuminate the stories of students who are often overlooked.
Identity As A College Student Predicts Life Satisfaction And Personal Growth, Julia Gallo
Identity As A College Student Predicts Life Satisfaction And Personal Growth, Julia Gallo
Psychology Presentations
There are a multitude of influences that contribute to the identity development seen throughout emerging adulthood. Both personal and social factors contribute to this development and can differentially impact personal growth and life satisfaction. This study was conducted to identify how a mixture of psychological, social, and developmental factors influences personal growth and initiative, and life satisfaction among traditional-aged, college students. An online questionnaire was distributed to students attending a liberal arts college in the mid-Atlantic region. The meaning and value of being a college student was measured using a multidimensional measures of identity scale (using college student as the …
Social Identity And Belongingness: College Students’ Happiness, Life Satisfaction, And Personal Growth, Julia Gallo
Social Identity And Belongingness: College Students’ Happiness, Life Satisfaction, And Personal Growth, Julia Gallo
Psychology Honors Papers
This study examines how a mixture of psychological, social, and developmental factors influences processes by which individuals develop their identities throughout college. It was hypothesized that these processes would be different for first-generation college students compared to non-first-generation college students, for transfer students compared to non-transfer students, and for commuter students compared to non-commuter, residential students. To measure this, an online survey was constructed using established measures of happiness, life satisfaction, personal growth, affective forecasting as well as other psychological, social and developmental measures (e.g. psychological- contingencies of self-worth, e.g. social- university belongingness, e.g. developmental- emerging adulthood). Data was collected …
Are All Sports Betting Losses Created Equal?, Dylan M. Hollick
Are All Sports Betting Losses Created Equal?, Dylan M. Hollick
Business and Economics Honors Papers
This study investigates how the cash out feature in sports betting influences bettor reaction to loss and short-term bet likelihood. The cash out changes the mechanics of a sports betting loss outcome in several ways. By getting some of the bet’s stake back through a cash out loss, the transaction mimics a larger loss-smaller gain joint outcome as opposed to a single loss at the time of the bet’s placement. The cash out also introduces the opportunity for regret or positive counterfactuals depending on the cash outs “correctness”. Using survey data from college students responding to hypothetical betting scenarios, it …
Cover Cropping: How Sustainability & Economics Can Work Hand In Hand (Pt. Ii), Emma Reyes
Cover Cropping: How Sustainability & Economics Can Work Hand In Hand (Pt. Ii), Emma Reyes
Business and Economics Honors Papers
Research finds that while the average rate of soil erosion under natural conditions occurs at less than 1.9 Mg per hectare per year, the current rate of erosion for United States agricultural soils occurs at 6.7 Mg per hectare per year (Nearing et al., 2017). This problem is further heightened by the fact that many farmers are concerned about the added expenses that may come from the use of sustainable practices. As a result, this may lead to an increase in the practice of more harmful conventional agricultural techniques if they continue to be considered more economically beneficial in comparison. …
Simulated Recovery: Measuring The Impact Of Structural Adjustment On Economic Development In Latin America, Daniel Espinal
Simulated Recovery: Measuring The Impact Of Structural Adjustment On Economic Development In Latin America, Daniel Espinal
Business and Economics Honors Papers
This paper uses synthetic control analysis to assess the long-term effects of structural adjustment policies on economic development. Focusing on Mexico as a case study, the findings indicate that these policies may have contributed to economic stagnation and widening inequality. By comparing actual outcomes with a synthetic counterfactual, the analysis reveals a notable divergence in performance over time. Reforms intended to stabilize the economy and promote growth—such as austerity, liberalization, and privatization—often led to reduced public investment, weakened institutions, and increased social vulnerability. The results support broader critiques of structural adjustment, suggesting that the costs of such interventions can outweigh …
Waiting: A Case Study Of The Norristown Transportation Center, Colin Brier
Waiting: A Case Study Of The Norristown Transportation Center, Colin Brier
Sociology Honors Papers
In his 1963 book Behavior in Public Places, Erving Goffman described the concept of civil inattention as the most proper form of public interaction with strangers. It takes the form of a simple nod or glance as we pass by a stranger on the street. Civil inattention strikes a balance between asking too much of strangers or ignoring them entirely. It allows us to acknowledge one another just long enough to establish politeness and trust that both parties are using the established place as intended and do not pose a threat to one another. Through an observational case study of …
Decade-Long Deals: The Forces Driving Mlb’S Lengthening Contracts, Benjamin Cuccolo
Decade-Long Deals: The Forces Driving Mlb’S Lengthening Contracts, Benjamin Cuccolo
Business and Economics Honors Papers
This study investigates the economic and institutional factors that influence lengthening contracts in Major League Baseball. Using a dataset of 652 free agent position players that signed for two years or longer from 1991 to 2025, this paper explores how factors such as age, relative player performance, collective bargaining agreements, and risk management strategies affect contract length. Results from the regression model show that younger players that are higher performing are more likely to receive long-term deals. Additionally, those that are extended a qualifying offer also typically sign for longer term deals as suggested by the regression results. A separate …
Colonial Waste And Liminal Space: A Look Behind The Muhlenberg General Store, Ciara S. Chagnon
Colonial Waste And Liminal Space: A Look Behind The Muhlenberg General Store, Ciara S. Chagnon
Anthropology Honors Papers
The following project includes both a comprehensive site report on the archaeological field school hosted by Ursinus College and Historic Trappe in the summer of 2024, as well as spatial representations and analysis of colonial window glass distribution over the excavation units. Descriptions of the results of this archaeological investigation aim to expand on the body of knowledge concerning the Muhlenberg general store and the Speaker’s House property where the field school was conducted. An exploration of liminality and archaeological boundaries provides a lens into the structural nature of the general store zone as well as its colonial-era functions. In-depth …
Next Time, There Will Be No Next Time: The Short Vs. Long Term Policy Debate For Catastrophe, Analyzed Through Major Events In The United States Of America During 2020, Lauren K. Barlow
Politics Honors Papers
What accounts for citizens’ policy preferences between short-term payoff and long-term investment policies? How are these beliefs impacted by the personal construction of time horizons in relation to “end of times” experiences or disasters? In this research study, I will investigate whether the year 2020 shifted certain demographic groups either towards or away from supporting long-term investment policies in the three aforementioned areas. I compare the preferences of sample groups of Americans before, during, and after 2020, to determine whether the endurance of this time period shifted individuals towards a “Never again” or a “Not Now” mentality, and what the …
Bars, Barristers, And Bias: A Content Analysis Of Legal Plays, Evan Chartock
Bars, Barristers, And Bias: A Content Analysis Of Legal Plays, Evan Chartock
Media and Communication Studies Honors Papers
This content analysis paper investigates the portrayal of the legal profession onstage within legal dramas first performed in the twenty-first century. There has been no previous research that has focused on a comprehensive analysis of the specific content of legal dramas, so this study is exploratory in nature. This study emphasizes the importance of learning about the content characteristics of legal plays and legal characters. This content analysis seeks to answer two research questions. First, do playwrights of legal plays first performed between 2000-2024 belong to similar identity demographics, write about similar content, and/or have similar messaging regarding the notion …
The Secret Life Of Nim: How Regulation Affects Bank Balance Sheets And Consumer Consequences, Alexandra Nenish
The Secret Life Of Nim: How Regulation Affects Bank Balance Sheets And Consumer Consequences, Alexandra Nenish
Business and Economics Honors Papers
After the Great Recession of 2008, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was passed by the Obama Administration in 2010 with hopes to protect citizens against economic downturn spurred by poor banking behaviors. This act of federal financial oversight was unprecedented, and its magnitude and level of strictness caused banks to see an increase in costs, such as increases in personnel numbers and non-interest earning reserve requirements. This research analyzes how banks, specifically community banks, paid for these increased costs by focusing on the net interest margin (NIM). The NIM is a prominent profitability ratio for banking …
Support For Progressive Taxation Amidst Economic Inequality, Emma J. Jones
Support For Progressive Taxation Amidst Economic Inequality, Emma J. Jones
Business and Economics Honors Papers
Progressive taxation remains a heavily debated topic. Among mixed evidence on the effectiveness of progressive tax systems, there is also mixed evidence on what impacts public support for progressive taxation. It is important to explore this as it can better inform politicians or NGOs how to communicate with audiences to shape support for or opposition to this policy. This thesis approaches this question through the lens of relative deprivation, where one’s sense of economic security is influenced by the status of comparison groups. Using cross-national and cross-temporal survey data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), I use logit regression …
"Nothing About Us Without Us": State-Level Disability Accommodation In The Wake Of The Ada, Megan F. Matteucci
"Nothing About Us Without Us": State-Level Disability Accommodation In The Wake Of The Ada, Megan F. Matteucci
Politics Honors Papers
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990 and protects people with disabilities (PWDs) from discrimination and includes provisions to make society more accommodating. The issue is that the ADA is federal legislation, but most of the implementation occurs at the state-level which means that some states are more accommodating than others. This project attempts to answer the following question: What factors contribute to the discrepancies in state-level disability policy and accommodation? It includes a quantitative study of all 50 states and investigates the impact of state income per capita, state partisanship, and business and disability interest group …
Variation In Bike Infrastructure Across American Cities, Jason D. Greenberg
Variation In Bike Infrastructure Across American Cities, Jason D. Greenberg
Politics Honors Papers
What explains why some cities have developed extensive bike infrastructure while others have not? Bicycling is a low-cost transportation option and is becoming increasingly popular in the 21st century. While there is extensive literature on bike infrastructure in the United States and its relationship with gentrification and advocacy, there is not significant, explicit dedication and focus toward explaining why variation exists across American cities. In my research design, I examine several factors that could point toward an explanation. The results show that policy diffusion is the most significant factor for bike infrastructure adoption, lending credence to prior literature on …
Border Restrictions In The Rise Of Anti-Immigration Politics, Katherine Hein
Border Restrictions In The Rise Of Anti-Immigration Politics, Katherine Hein
Politics Honors Papers
As anti-immigration sentiments have increased across the world, border restrictions have come under the spotlight from extremist right parties (ERPs). In a number of countries, ERPs are gaining support from their immigration rhetoric, which calls for heavily restricting or sometimes closing borders. This thesis examines the impact of restrictive border policies on support for anti-immigration platforms and ERPs. Using the Dataset of World Refugee and Asylum Policies Index and voting records of ERPs over time, a relationship between anti-immigration parties and border restrictions is hypothesized to produce one of three results: the more restrictive a border, the more likely an …
Everything But Wrestling: How Women Wrestlers Perform Dominance, Lauren Gherman
Everything But Wrestling: How Women Wrestlers Perform Dominance, Lauren Gherman
Anthropology Honors Papers
Women’s wrestling continues to grow at the high school level, with more young girls joining the sport each year. Yet, as more women join wrestling, a heavily masculine sport, questions about gender preintimation on women’s teams arise. This study asks three questions about the role of gender on women’s teams: 1) Does an individual’s gender identity, in a heavily gendered sport like wrestling, factor into the development of team culture? 2) What, if any, forms of gendered socialization emerge as women enter wrestling? 3) In what way are women socialized because of their gender? Data was gathered via interviews, in …