Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

You Are What You Eat: Gastronomy And Geography Of Southern Spain, Katherine F. Perry

Honors Theses

Using empirical and numeric data, this study explores the use of food as a proxy to understand the cultural-historical geography of southern Spain. After spending three months in Granada, Spain, I compiled the most commonly used thirty-five ingredients from a selection of Spanish cookbooks and contextualized them within the broader history of Spain. The elements of traditional Andalucían cooking fit into three primary chapters of Iberian history: Roman occupation, the Moorish invasion beginning in the 8^th century, and the Columbian exchange, or the exchange of goods that took place between the Americas and Old World following European discovery of …

Young And Unemployed: A Multivariable Analysis Of Youth Unemployment In Jordan, Morgan E. Mabry

Honors Theses

The level of youth unemployment in the Middle East is higher than any other region in the world. The detrimental effects of early unemployment can be broad and long lasting. This paper discusses some of the factors of youth unemployment in the Middle East, such as poor education systems and underdeveloped labor markets; and the social effects such as delayed marriages and political unrest. It then goes on to analyze the School-to-Work Transition Survey (SWTS) to understand the impact of age, sex, individual education, and parental education on the transition from school to work. The results indicated that sex and …

Creando Las Estrellas: Determining The Quality Of The Dominican And Cuban Player Development Systems, Samuel C. Hearn

Honors Theses

Recently, there has been a huge rise in the number of Cuban ballplayers, or peloteros, as the baseball playing Latinos are known. Why do Major League Baseball (MLB) teams go to such lengths to sign Cubans, when a heavy presence already exists in Cuba’s Caribbean neighbor, the Dominican Republic? Through the comparison educational systems, statistics of each country’s elite players, and comparative accounts of the Dominican and Cuban player development systems, the contrast between the two systems is evident. Though the Dominican system creates a large return in the investment MLB teams make in the country, the socialized sport system …

The Effects Of Mindfulness Meditation And Mind-Wandering On Coping-Related Hopefulness In Undergraduate College Students, Shelby N. Green

Honors Theses

High levels of stress in college students are extremely prevalent. This is evident in time-consuming academic responsibilities overlapping with family life, work duties, and personal life. Stress can have negative impacts on academic performance and physical health in college students , and it has been correlated with various negative outcomes including anxiety and depression (Segrin,1999), increases in headaches (Labbe, Murphy & O’Brien, 1997), increased rates of athletic injury (Brewer & Petrie, 1996), suicidal ideation and hopelessness (Dixon, Rumford, Heppner, & Lipps, 1992), sleep disturbances (Verlander, Benedict, & Hanson, 1999), poor health behaviors (Sadava & Pak, 1993; Naquin & Gilbert, 1996), …

Relation Between Parental Divorce And Adjustment In College Students, Breanna Connel

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Socially Deviant Communities Online: How The Pro-Anorexia Movement Utilizes The Anonymity Provided By The Internet To Thrive, Samantha Thomas

Honors Theses

The creation of the internet has produced an environment in which many communities have been able to develop into strong and thriving societies. A large number of communities that are now predominantly online were unable to exist successfully before the establishment of the internet for a variety of reasons. The internet has made it easier for people from different backgrounds and locations to network, form communities, and share information with one another. Unfortunately the internet has also given harmful underground communities the opportunity to develop and thrive as well. Socially deviant communities, groups that support ideas and behaviors deemed unacceptable …

Shared Prosperity Initiative As A Solution To The City Of Kalamazoo's Impoverished, Maurice Washington

Honors Theses

The Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo Initiative acts a combatant to reducing poverty for the City of Kalamazoo rather than a solution. Combining micro social work training of treatment plans for clients and its incorporated methodologies to the macro problem of poverty for the City’s constituents emphasizes a unique but valuable perspective to have as a potential policy maker. The question is whether such a perspective is truly applicable and such was the goal of the nearly year-long research. Data obtained from interviews, meetings, focus groups and interviews were reviewed from a prior initiative to formulate much of the research and analysis. …

The Representation Of The Individualism-Collectivism Cultural Value Dimension In Film Portrayals Of Intercultural Communication, Courtney J. Mcmullan

Honors Theses

Globalization and modernization have changed the world in which we live, bringing intercultural communication to the forefront in our daily lives. Cultural values vary around the world, and these values impact the way people communicate with one another. This study focused on the cultural value of individualism-collectivism and how it impacts intercultural, interpersonal communication and the way it is presented in film. The aim of this study was to conduct quantitative analyses of data gathered from intercultural films to identify the way in which nations' individualism-collectivism tendencies are displayed in film in comparison to a cultural value dimension scale and …

An Empirical Test For Overrepresentation Of Black Youth Arrests In Mississippi, Ashley R. Mcknight

Honors Theses

The objective of this study is to empirically test for black youth overrepresentation at the initial contact (arrest) stage of the juvenile justice system. In 2002, an amendment was made to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 which called for states to monitor disproportionate minority contact at all levels of the juvenile justice system. Arrest data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics has been gathered to determine the rate and percentage at which black youth are arrested compared to white youth. More so, youth population statistics are acquired from the U.S. Census and are converted to percentages. …

The Culture Of Sustainability At Southern Miss, Amy J. Ball

Honors Theses

The sustainability movement has been studied in general before, but little research has been done on topic of the sustainability movement at universities. This study aims to contribute to the larger conversation on sustainability by looking at the ideas and motivations behind participation in the movement among students at the University of Southern Mississippi. This is done primarily through interviews performed by the researcher with a number of students in a club on campus dedicated to spreading knowledge of and participation in sustainable activities, known as the Sustainability Advocates. Background information about the sustainability movement on campus is provided by …

Memories Bridal And Evening Wear Selection Process, Kaitlyn Riddell

Honors Theses

This paper proposes a structured and researched approach to review and edit Memories Bridal and Evening Wear’s Sales Consultant employee selection process in hopes of decreasing employee turnover and increasing new employee performance. Research suggests that hiring management and business professionals use six main steps to create the core components of job tasks and competencies to make up a job analysis. A realistic job preview should also be created to ensure a successful match between the candidate and the job position. In addition to creating new pieces, hiring management must edit the existing application to include only necessary information to …

Are There Shared Characteristics Among Children With Autism Who Develop Speech While Training With The Picture Exchange Communication System?, Katherine Neidhart

Honors Theses

It is clear in the literature that there are many factors that may contribute the development of speech as a possible outcome of training with the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). Research has indicated a need for more data on the characteristics and skills of children with autism that may contribute to their success while using PECS, and the possible development of speech while receiving PECS training.

This study sought to identify common characteristics and skills of children with autism that acquired speech while receiving PECS training through creating an inventory of demographics, pre-requisite skills, and other characteristics of children …

Factors Affecting Child Mortality, Lisa Wheatley

Honors Theses

This study examines the factors that contribute to the rate of child mortality within a country. Through regression analysis, this model attempts to explain the rate of child mortality for a country as a function of factors including the adult female literacy rate, fertility rates, adult female labor force participation, rate of immunization for tuberculosis, access to safe water, income per capita, and prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus. This paper surveys a range of low-income countries from different regions including Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, South Asia, and Latin …

From King Leonidas To Lord Farquaad: Popular Culture And How Authority Is Portrayed In Popular Film Of 2000-2009, Solai N. Wyman

Honors Theses

In a modern age dominated by technology, the role of entertainment such as film is steadily growing in American culture and politics. Film and politics “inform” one another, meaning that film reflects the politics within a society in which they are placed (Christensen & Haas 2005). Using this as justification, the central research question of this thesis is, "What is the political content of popular films of the 2000s in terms of authority, and what does this suggest about the culture and view on authority of the Millennials as a generation?" A content analysis of popular films from 2000-2009 was …

Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) Behaviors In The Presence Of Active And Non-Active Shrimp Trawlers In The Mississippi Sound, Crysta M. Lorenz

Honors Theses

Bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, are reported to have close associations with shrimp trawlers worldwide. The goal of this study was to assess differences in the behavior for bottlenose dolphins between activity states of shrimp trawlers in the Mississippi Sound. During active trawling, nets are actively gathering the catch closely behind the trawler, which provide feeding opportunities for bottlenose dolphins. Non-active groups are not able to take advantage of feeding prospects and display fewer feeding behaviors and maintain a farther distance than active trawler groups. Video of trawlers were collected from the Mississippi Wild Dolphin Project and analyzed for feeding …

A Comparative Study Of Middle Eastern Foreign Policy: How Middle Eastern Intelligence Agencies Shape Current Events, Megan A. Fink

Honors Theses

This study monitored the intelligence and foreign policy actions of Israel, Iran, and Saudi Arabia from August 2013 to August 2014. Data was collected from coverage by Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, and Al-Jazeera, three reliable and respected news sources that cover global events. The actions taken by foreign policymakers in these countries were recorded throughout the study period.

These actions were organized into a taxonomy based on whether they were intelligence-based or non-intelligence based. Within those broad categories, more distinguishing characteristics were analyzed to show patterns of behavior within national intelligence services of the nations studied. These patterns …

Attitudes Toward Refugees Entering The United States Of America, Sarah M. Bullard

Honors Theses

According the estimates by the United Nations, there are nearly fifty-million refugees in the world. Because attitudes toward refugees could influence government refugee policies, it is important to study the attitudes people have toward refugees entering the United States. To learn more about attitudes toward refugees in the United States, a survey was conducted of over two college students, asking how they defined refugees and who should be allowed into the United States as refugees. Survey respondents from all demographic groups were surprisingly accepting of all types of refugees. However, some refugee variables, such as gender and situation, and respondent …

Narcissism And Late Adolescent Friendships: Perceived Closeness, Cooperation, Competitiveness, And Friendship Quality, Suzanne Chinyere Amadi

Honors Theses

Pathological and non-pathological dimensions of narcissism are correlated with indices of adolescent internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors, especially in the context of peer relationships. The current study examined 219 (181 females, 38 males) 18 year-olds’ perceptions of their friendships, including closeness, cooperation, competitiveness, and friendship quality in relation to pathological (i.e., grandiose, vulnerable) and non-pathological (i.e., normal) narcissism. Data were collected through online, self-report questionnaires. Grandiose narcissism was significantly correlated with perceived closeness, cooperation, and competitiveness but not with friendship quality. Vulnerable narcissism was significantly positively correlated with perceived competitiveness but unassociated with perceptions of closeness, cooperation, and friendship quality. …

On The Shoulders Of Giants: Happiness And The Good Economy In Catholic Social Teaching, Erin C. Wingerter

Honors Theses

The economic discipline, in studying humans, relies on economic philosophers’ theories and understanding of the human person. One of Adam Smith’s most basic tenants was that man is self-interested. This thesis explores the profound implications this has had on those who study economics and what research in behavioral economics implies about its effect on life satisfaction. Catholic Social Teaching is the Roman Catholic Church’s collection of criticisms for practicing the neo-scholastic virtue ethic in social life. If self-interest is emphasized above man’s social nature, which was Smith’s second tenant, economics ignores a non-trivial portion of man’s motivation. Because irrational behaviors …

A Content Analysis Of The 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer Viewed As Public Relations Efforts Using The Social Change Model Of Leadership, Hannah J. Hill

Honors Theses

This research used content analysis to examine how significant events within the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer that were well documented in journals, news articles and other mediums can be viewed as public relations strategies and tactics using the Social Change Model of Leadership (SCM). This research answers how these events can be explained through the SCM as individual, group, and community values. The SCM has not been associated with public relations strategies and tactics before this research was conducted, however social change is commonly seen in public relations efforts as both SCM and public relations seek to influence publics to …

Affect Recognition And Adhd Symptoms In Preschoolers: A Serial Mediation Model Of Social Cognition, Annalise M. Hays

Honors Theses

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been addressed in a few studies as it relates to social cognition deficiency. Throughout these studies, it seems as if affect recognition may be linked to ADHD through deficits in the development of social skills. The current study tests to see if this mediation may also involve the influence of adaptability in children. It was hypothesized that poorer affect recognition would relate to ADHD symptoms in preschoolers and that this effect would occur indirectly by influencing the children’s adaptability and social skills. A heterogeneous sample of 71 three to five year-old preschoolers participated. Children were …

“Last Flag Standing”: How Traditional Conservative Values And Symbolic Voting In The State Of Mississippi Help Explain The Defense Of The Confederate Flag By Voters In The 2001 Referendum, Joshua Von Herrmann

Honors Theses

Mississippi is the last state in the United States to publicly display the confederate symbol as part of its state flag. In 2001, when given the chance to remove this symbol from its flag, voters in Mississippi supported this symbol by a vote of 2 to 1. Previous studies have documented the importance of race in the outcome of the 2001 referendum, but lack analysis of other potential influential factors specific to the state of Mississippi. This study examines the issue of the Mississippi state flag through a case study analysis using the ballot initiatives of Amendment 1 in 2004, …

Depression And Social Functioning : Examining Two Interpersonal Theories, Caroline B. Smith

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to test the specific predictions of two theories of depression and social functioning. One, the Social Navigation Hypothesis, is an adaptationist approach that predicts that depression functions to increase an individual’s ability to analyze and solve problems in their social system. The individual engages in behaviors such as feedback seeking in order to identify potential problems and develop solutions. In contrast, Interpersonal Theory predicts that depression is related to aversive social behaviors that can lead to rejection. Adult American participants (n=155) were recruited from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. They completed an online survey …

Black Male Student Success In U.S Higher Education: Lessons From The Institute For Responsible Citizenship, Robert A. Fisher

Honors Theses

The social conditions that afflict black males in the pursuit of post-secondary education are manifest. Though decades of academic literature have revealed the disproportionately low graduation statistics of black males in higher education, this subgroup still persists to degree completion at far lower rates than their other minority and female counterparts (Palmer, 2010; Washington, 2013; Harper, 2013). Prior studies have used a deficit-based approach to understanding black male student success (Davis, 1994; Palmer, 2010b). This study, however, identifies the factors that appear among black men who are already on pace to attain degrees at four year universities. Employing the anti-deficit …

The Relationship Between Receptacle Design, Normative Conduct, Environmental Concerns, And Recycling Behavior, Molly Arnold

Honors Theses

Conservation psychology is a growing field that explores how people interact with and interpret their roles in the environment. I conducted a three part study that incorporates conservation psychology principles to examine the effects of recycling bin design and normative conduct on recycling behavior as well as the ecological orientation of UTC students based on survey responses. Experiment 1 compared two recycling bin conditions (non-lidded bin vs. bin covered with a lid with two holes indicating the shape of recyclables) to determine which bin design was more effective in promoting recycling behavior. No difference was found between the two designs. …

The Role Of The Tiger And The Elephant In The Ascent Of Africa: Partners Or Neocolonialists?, Charlotte A. Hill

Honors Theses

This paper focuses on the relationships between Africa and China and Africa and India. The goal of this paper is to analyze these relationships and determine if they are exploitative or mutually beneficial through the two case study countries of Angola and Ethiopia. I analyze the relationships through the theoretical frameworks of the dependency theory and neocolonialism. Through my research I found that the investment by China and India in Africa is not merely exploitative, but that it is different from Western countries investment in Africa. This difference could be incredibly beneficial to Africa if African countries are able to …

An Examination Of Relocation Videos And Their Ability To Persuade Entrepreneurs, Julia N. Martin

Honors Theses

With the Information Age well underway, knowing the best way to reach an audience through digital mediums is more important than ever. Businesses and cities must learn these methods in order to recruit employees and convince people to relocate their companies to a specific city. Online videos are an effective way of attracting and persuading individuals. This study examines two different videos in order to see which of these videos would be more likely according to persuasive theories to change the opinions of individuals in their willingness to relocate. Through a stylistic analysis we find that the first of the …

Sport-Related Head Injury And Performance Anxiety, Haley V. Popp

Honors Theses

Head injury in sport is a highly individualized experience; the symptoms and persistence tend to differ widely between athletes. Neurocognitive deficits in head injury may be worsened by the emotional reaction of the athlete to the injury. Athletes that are removed from play due to musculoskeletal injuries tend to be anxious about becoming reinjured are more likely to be depressed and may have low attention and reaction time. Emotions that result from removal from play can have emotional, psychosocial, and career implications for the athletes. Despite this, there is a lack of literature directly examining the impact of head injury …

A Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Amazon Prime Air, Adrienne Welch

Honors Theses

This paper analyzes the costs and benefits of the newly proposed Amazon Prime Air delivery system that uses drone technology to deliver packages to customers’ doorsteps. The paper sets forth a benefit-cost analytical framework to examine the technology for the benefits of labor-saving technology, faster delivery, and the advantage of being first versus the costs of operating the drone system. This analysis is conducted by modeling the Prime Air system for Chattanooga, TN. The model addresses FAA regulations, drone design, logistics, and related factors to predict how Amazon might set up and operate the drone system. Amazon’s goal is to …

“Architects Of Their Own Solutions:” A Comparative Study Of Gender In Environmental Justice Work, Ellen Olack

Honors Theses

Backgrounds, identities and beliefs of the people within a group can dictate the direction a movement takes and whether or not that movement will be able to endure. Using a series of interviews, I aim to determine how gender plays a part in shaping a person’s role within the environmental justice movement by studying if and how gender constructions influence the mindsets of not only the people working to end environmental injustice, but also of the community members living in zones affected by environmental injustice.