Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Students' Perceived Parenting Styles And Their Later Romantic Attachment Styles And Preferred Coping Tendencies, Shannon L. Bogart

Honors Theses

In the first of two studies, the use of data compiled from questionnaires concerning perceived parenting style and romantic attachment style of Coastal Carolina University students were used to test the hypothesis that the authoritative parenting style would be related to the secure attachment style. The researcher used the terms attachment style and romantic attachment style interchangeably throughout the study. These variables were then statistically analyzed by a chi-square test of independence and showed statistical significance to support the hypothesis. The frequency of students who answered to have both authoritative parenting and secure attachments was significantly higher than the other …

Communicative Violence In Romantic Relationships, Christina L. Moore

Honors Theses

Verbal abuse occurs in college relationships, but this form of abuse lacks a clear definition and definitive characteristics. I studied the dialogue that surrounds verbal abuse. I was interested in how verbal abuse was discussed instead of the specific details of the experiences. Verbal abuse was purposely studied separately from physical abuse. Prior research and legal statutes were reviewed before conducting this study. Through the use of focus groups, one-on-one interviews and key informant interviews a broader perspective of verbal abuse was gained. The six salient themes to emerge were (1) how to protect one’s identity, (2) characteristics of the …

Lines Of Nation, Lines Of Flight : Retroping Immigration Policy, Jessica Thaller

Honors Theses

This thesis studies the rhetoric of U.S. immigration policy, specifically as related to Mexican immigration to the United States. Using Kent Ono and John Sloop’s theory of discourse, it examines the rhetoric employed in the Secure Fence Act (SFA) of 2006 and its turns towards wartime rhetoric, immigrant dehumanization, and immigrant deviance. It then contradicts these turns to those seen in the rhetoric of Hometown Associations (HTAs), “outlaw” discourses that operate by systems of logic different from the dominant logic of the SFA. HTAs emphasize family/cultural connections, unique financial considerations, and the liminal existence of the immigrant. More importantly, they …

Get On The Solar Track To Accelerate Your Wmu Experience, Amanda Jandahl, Andrea Sell

Honors Theses

The Western Michigan University Sunseeker solar car team is faced with the challenge to raise awareness and educate the WMU community about the excellent opportunities that the team provides to WMU students. The team, as a whole, seeks to increase public education about renewable energy, especially solar energy, through the races in which the solar car competes. In order to recruit new participants, raise funds for construction and competition, and keep the solar car as a point of pride at Western Michigan University, the team needs to increase promotional activity. The promotional campaign titled Get on the Solar Track to …

The Impact Of Social Pressures On Referee's Sanctions In Professional Soccer : A Case Study Of Penalty Kicks In The Mls, Mariano Harari

Honors Theses

This paper examines referee bias in the Major League Soccer (MLS), particularly looking at referees’ decisions regarding penalty kicks. After analyzing the 520 penalty kicks sanctioned since the inception of the MLS, this study ascertains that referees’ display a considerable bias favoring the home team when awarding the initial penalty kick of a game. Additionally, this study demonstrates that in matches with more than one penalty kick, the penalties are disproportionately awarded to each team, suggesting that referees are compensating or atoning for their initial calls. Moreover, when sanctioning a second penalty kick, there is a bias effect of 5.4% …

The Courts As Policy-Makers : A Medical Malpractice Case Study, Jennifer A. Williams

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I argue that the courts are not effective policy-makers because they are a channel for resolving disputes between individuals. I first present the basics of medical malpractice litigation and some of the current literature on the courts as policy-makers. I then address the cultural trends that have made this form of individual dispute resolution common and acceptable, particularly for my case study of medical malpractice. Then I show how some of the individualized aspects of the legal system distort the deterrent effect of lawsuits. I focus on the poor fit between actual negligence and lawsuits that results …

Can Scouts And Nfl General Managers Predict Future Quarterback Performance At The Time Of The Nfl Draft?, Cain Montgomery

Honors Theses

Every year the National Football League has a draft selection process to recruit new talent. Despite the overwhelming amount of analysis performed on players, bad draft picks happen every year. Little research has previously been done to determine whether player performance is predictable at the time of the NFL Draft. Rafferty and Johnson chartered new territory in 2008 with their study entitled Is the NFL Draft a Crap Shoot? The Case of Wide Receivers. The purpose of this paper is to help fill the void of literature on performance prediction by extending the study by Rafferty and Johnson to …

Measuring The Effect Of Family Income On Undergraduate Behavior, Lindsey Brewer

Honors Theses

Educational equality has been an important and relevant issue in recent years, especially as tuition increases at colleges and universities make it increasingly difficult for low and middle-income families to afford education for their children. There are even more issues of educational equality that come into play once a student matriculates at a chosen school. This paper focuses on this area, expanding on existing literature that details family income’s impact on undergraduate behavior. Academic pursuits have been a topic for prior research in this area, but this paper also models extracurricular behavior as a function of family income. Results show …

Forecasting Utility Of Uk Consumer Sentiment Indexes In Real Time : Do Consumer Sentiment Surveys Improve Consumption Forecasts In Real Time?, Bradford M. Smith

Honors Theses

This paper builds on recent research utilizing real time datasets in order to assess the forecasting utility of consumer sentiment indexes in the United Kingdom. Academic researchers have consistently found that consumer confidence indexes accurately predict consumer spending in the near term. Few of these examinations, however, have utilized out of sample forecasting and only one has incorporated real time data. In an effort to recreate the exact dataset that is available to economic forecasters in real time, this paper utilizes the recently published Gross Domestic Product Real-Time Database from the Bank of England in order to produce forecasts of …

Visual Discrimination Training For Rats : Developing A New Methodology To Explore Laterality Differences, Tiffany R. Brunelli

Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to examine right hemisphere specialization for faces at the neuronal level. Research has shown that facial recognition relies on the right anterior temporal lobe and involves integrating multiple features (Bukach, Gauthier, & Tarr, 2006). Evidence from rat studies confirms that the anterior temporal lobe is involved in integrating multiple object features (Eacott, Machin, & Gaffan, 2001). However, these studies did not examine differences between the brain’s right and left hemispheres. It was hypothesized that the right anterior temporal lobe is more important for feature integration. The current study aimed to develop a methodology for …

News Apathy Syndrome?: The News Reviewing Behaviors Of Utc Students, Paige Gabriel

Honors Theses

As technology advances, creating new news mediums and changing old news mediums, consumers are bombarded with an increasingly diverse selection of news sources. News consumers choose news mediums based on their past experiences with these sources, so news reviewing behaviors formed during the college years typically endure to some degree for the rest of an individual's life. Studying the news consumption patterns of university students can help researchers predict future trends in news consumption behaviors. The goals of this project are to identify the weekly frequency of news reviewing among a selected sample population of students; to identify the main …

Reducing The Negative Attidudes Of Religious Fundamentalists Toward Homosexuals, John A. Frank

Honors Theses

In this study, participants who vary in their level of religious fundamentalism were exposed to different interventions designed to change their attitudes toward homosexuals. The interventions involved writing a few paragraphs about positive gay figures in society or thinking about a passage from the Bible about acceptance. Their attitudes toward homosexuals were measured using the Implicit Association Test and Herek's Attitudes toward Gay and Lesbian scale. They also completed some behavioral intention measures that examined how their attitudes relate to their behaviors. It was hypothesized that short- term contact with an admired outgroup member would change the negative attitudes or …

The Effects Of Market Sentiment On Crude Oil Futures Markets, Nathan Somayaji

Honors Theses

This paper uses a behavioral finance approach to examine the effect of psychological factors on pricing in futures markets. Specifically, I assess the impact of the contemporaneous market sentiment on price discovery in crude oil futures markets. A considerable amount of previous research has shown that futures prices in crude oil markets lead spot prices, as futures act as a mechanism for determining spot prices. My analysis addresses whether the lead-lag relationship between futures and spot varies with differing market sentiment. I hypothesize that futures pricing will lead in times of increased uncertainty due to lower transactions costs and greater …

Treating Animals Right : Introducing A New Fairness Approach, Xenia Corali Schneider

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis, thus, is to provide a convincing account of the proper ethical treatment of animals. I will discuss some of the most popular theoretical frameworks, utilitarianism, Kantianism, and contractarianism, and see how they apply to animals. After explaining and critiquing these theories I will provide an alternative theory for the ethical treatment of animals, which should serve as the basis for our actions and guide our behavior towards animals, especially the eating of meat.

The argument I will be defending is neither abolitionist-granting animals the same rights as human beings and therefore rejecting all institutions involving …

Drug Use And Abuse By People With Autism, Todd A. Merritt

Honors Theses

A developmental disability that is as prevalent as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is in society should have an extensive background of research, and this appears to be lacking, specifically concerning the issue of substance use and abuse. This article is a review of the current literature on drug use and abuse by people with Autism. Although some relevant studies have been conducted, no review of this literature has been done. Topics of interest include the prevalence of use and abuse of licit and illicit substances (e.g., ethanol, cigarettes, marijuana, and cocaine), common drug-related problems, and targeted prevention and treatment strategies.

The Long Game: Hamas, The Ira, And The Politics Of Radicalization In Palestine And Northern Ireland, Dan O'Sullivan

Honors Theses

The value of a comparative study of the two conflicts stems from a remarkable similarity in the structural organization of political violence by its most influential practitioners: the IRA and Hamas. At the core, I have merely tried my best to approach a beguiling question in a fresh, dynamic way. The stultifying discourse of conflict that serves as lingua franca for the Israeli‐Palestinian issue has largely reduced strategic debate to how best the conflict can be managed – not ended. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s focus on “economic peace” and unwillingness to commit to a two‐state solution – the consensus that …

Avoiding The Fog Of Crisis: A Protocol For The Proper Domestic Use Of The Military, Brian Lynch

Honors Theses

Failure to contemplate and define an appropriate role for the armed forces of the national government in domestic crises of this sort is a serious problem. It is all the more serious now as these potential crises seem to multiply in character and scope. This thesis will explore the history of this problem and its recent implications. It will argue the need for a comprehensive, operational framework, codified in law, which defines the various alternative uses of all emergency services, both civilian and military, and is applicable to “all hazards.” I will attempt to provide a blue-print for what such …

Breaking The Cycle: The Rise Of Contentiousness In Judicial Nominations, Patrick Morrow Boland

Honors Theses

This examination begins with a presentation of data collected concerning judicial nominations from 1988 through 2008 in an attempt to document the fact that the federal judicial appointments process has become increasingly contentious. The tables and figures provide information on measures of contentiousness such as length of time from nomination to confirmation and vote totals for nominees. After documenting the increasingly contentious nature of the process, I explore the qualities that make a “good” judge, and federal judicial selection prior to 1989 to determine whether partisan and ideological considerations have any relevance in selecting and appointing federal judges. With this …

Re-Imagined Communities: Global Climbing On Local Mountains, Eitan Green

Honors Theses

In the work that follows, I begin by establishing transnational networks and global communities as an important site for ethnographic inquiry. I address the ways in which the climbing community both represents and challenges current understandings and analyses of transnational communities. I draw attention to the way that the global climbing community and my position in relation to it allows me to illuminate the climbing community on individual, institutional, national, and international levels. I argue that this multi-scalar perspective is essential in order to grasp how people experience and act within global networks.

Can Parallel Exchange Rates Forecast Commodity Prices?, John F. Roberts

Honors Theses

Commodity price uncertainty imposes large costs on society. On the macro level, it results in sudden and unexpected shifts in current account imbalances and real GDP volatility, while on the micro level, it leads to allocation inefficiencies. Accurate price forecasts have the potential to remove some of this uncertainty and allow for a more efficient distribution of resources, and thus, an increase in social welfare. Despite the obvious gains to be had from accurate commodity price forecasts, few models have been able to deliver these results. Chen, Rogoff and Rossi (2008) were the first to find a promising link between …

Uncharted Dimensions Of Media: A Map Of The Social Implications Of Geographic Information Systems (Gis), Caitlin Dufraine

Honors Theses

I explore how scholars are beginning to understand the social and historical implications of the introduction, development, and increasingly widespread use of GIS. This paper uses an STS framework to evaluate both literature from the early 1990s and more recent literature that examines the influence and social implications of GIS. I provide context for my discussion of the social implications of GIS by commenting on the merits and shortcomings of theoretical frameworks that scholars have used to evaluate the influence of GIS on society. To gain a holistic appreciation of issues surrounding the role of GIS in society I have …

Cyclicality Of State Budgeting: A Political-Economy Analysis., Ian W. Cummins

Honors Theses

This paper disentangles the effect of political ideology and budget rules on fiscal cyclicality across the U.S. states. Using panel data from 1963 to 2006, liberal states are found to be significantly less procyclical than conservative ones. The impact of balanced budget constraints is contingent on the ideological orientation of the state in which they are imposed. Tight balanced budget rules are not binding on conservative states, but are binding on liberal ones. Where they are binding, budget rules mediate the link between voter preferences and policy outcomes skewing them toward greater procyclicality.

"Contentment In My Heart": Evangelical Women And Spiritual Journeys, Elizabeth A. Doran

Honors Theses

This honors thesis is an in-depth, qualitative study of a central Maine evangelical church. My focus is on five women and their religious journeys and experiences as Christian women. I explore a number of issues: the appeal of this church community to contemporary women; the connections and the contrasts between what the church leaders espouse and what ordinary female members believe; the ways in which the women develop their own personal relationships with Christ, the evangelical tradition, and other members of the community; and my own journey as a student of sociology and a qualitative researcher.

The Worth Of A Comfortable Shoe, Kristina Mellinger

Honors Theses

The topic that I have chosen allows me to research not only the health concerns for wearing high heels (which was my original intent), but also the psychological, cultural, and historical aspects of wearing high heels and even shoes in general. This has allowed me to have endless possibilities during my research. I have learned many interesting facts about the history of shoes, and I find myself reading into the wee hours of the night just to learn more. My interest in this topic is derived from my own experience of wearing uncomfortably high heels. When I wear these ridiculous …

Developing A Standardized Checklist Curriculum To Improve Checklist Performance Under Normal Workload Flight Operations, Jared K. Neterer

Honors Theses

Checklists are a fundamental element to a safe and secure flight environment. Checklists are designed to aid pilots while performing crucial tasks during predetermined flight segments. However, checklists are of little use if procedures are not followed. Basic skills on how to properly use a checklist need to be trained to proficiency with novice pilots to ensure continuous and proper use.

Motivation To Lead : Investigating The Power Of The Mtl Equation, Elizabeth Robinson

Honors Theses

Recent research has investigated a measurable way to determine an individual's motivation to lead in social situations by looking at specific aspects of an individual that make up his/her leadership ability and experience. The MTL (Motivation to Lead) construct is referred to as an individual differences construct that measures a person's motivation to acquire a leadership position based on specific personality traits and values (Chan & Drasgow, 2002). Chan and Drasgow's findings suggest that specific antecedents have calculable correlations to the three types of motivation to lead: Affective/Identity MTL, Non-Calculative MTL, and Social-Normative MTL. For example, Chan and Drasgow reported …

Size Of Food Packaging And Cognitive Performance, Shannon Henry

Honors Theses

Many factors have been shown to affect individuals' cognitive performance, such as sleepiness, hunger, motivation, etc. One such factor that has recently gained much attention is self-regulation, or one's ability to control, regulate, or change his or her behaviors. In lay terms, self-regulation may be thought of more or less as self-control. Together, this researchon self-regulation suggests that it is a limited resource, which, when depleted in one area, reduces self-regulationability across other areas. Many past studies regarding self-regulation have incorporated food as a way to deplete self-regulation. In particular, the size of food packaging may be a way to …

Can She Ever Be "The Man"? : The Effect Of Gender On Implicit Perceptions Of Leadership Ability In An Applied Hiring Task, Rebecca S. Frazier

Honors Theses

Despite numerous advances in the eld of women's rights and a general decline in explicit discrimination, there still exists a dramatic lack of women in leadership positions across America. This research seeks to expand upon past studies suggesting that there is a basic cognitive incongruency between traditional male and leadership roles which leads ordinarily "unbiased" individuals to perceive women as less suited r leadership positions than men. Thus, this experiment investigates the implicit biases against women leaders by asking if the subtle addition of gender information alters individuals' initial impressions of leadership capability in an applied hiring task involving resumes, …

Power And The Rejection Of The Competent Attitudinal Deviant, William Stanton

Honors Theses

This thesis describes an empirical investigation of the rejection of the deviant and operates under the hypothesis that a powerful leader will be more tolerant of those who disagree with him or her than would a low power leader. Before presenting the results of the study, this chapter will provide an overview of previous work on this topic. In the next few pages I will present a review of the available research concerning group reactions to deviancy, namely that groups reject deviants. Then, I will review available research concerning the psychological effects of power. By the end, this thesis will …

Political Socialization And The Youth Vote : A Study Of Political Engagement During The 2008 Election, Meredith Hull

Honors Theses

I began my research on political socialization struck about the political apathy I was observing among my friends. Through studying those very same peers here at the University of Richmond in both a survey and interviews, I am even more determined to find ways to encourage high levels of knowledgeable engagement and volunteerism among college aged students. The United States will have to continue to compete in a global market in the future and citizens of other democracies understand and care enough to vote about the changes in that government-what is the problem here?

The results of the survey and …