Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Social Workers In Human Resources, Alexandra H. Pogany

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Land Analysis Of A 33 Acre Parcel In Deerfield, Nh, Chloe C. Gross

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Intergenerational Comparison Of Inequality And Standard Of Living, Jillian Cookinham

Honors Theses and Capstones

This paper encompasses how inequality and standard of living have changed intergenerationally. Existing research and a regression analysis examine how income, corporate profits, housing, education, retirement, and health insurance are interconnected in American inequality and standard of living. Data analyzed in the regression includes the period of 1990 to 2021. However, the literature review extends back to 1970. Findings from existing research and regression analysis are used to provide policy recommendations on how the federal government may improve inequality by addressing the housing shortage, revising the tax system, and encouraging automatic enrollment in retirement plans.

Hohenschönhausen As A Tangible Representation Of The German Democratic Republic’S Development Of Operative Psychology, Zoe Werth

Honors Theses and Capstones

Located in Lichtenberg, Berlin (part of the former borough of Hohenschönhausen), Gedenkstätte Berlin-Hohenschönhausen stands today as a memorial for the thousands who were killed and imprisoned there, from its construction in 1939 until its closure in 1990. This paper will trace the evolution of Hohenschönhausen from a physical space of confinement, to a sophisticated psychological apparatus designed to exert control over its political prisoners through the development of “Operative Psychology” (OP). Through an architectural and historical analysis of the prison, alongside a review of prisoner testimonies, this paper works to reveal how the environment of Hohenschönhausen was methodically designed to …

Giving Workers The 'Green Light': Defining Green Jobs And Exploring Their Distribution In The Us, Cole Fuller

Honors Theses and Capstones

As the United States continues to adopt sustainable practices and policies to combat climate change, it is important to consider how these green changes affect the workforce. The term ‘Green Jobs’ has become the colloquial term to refer to sustainable occupations, and despite its popularity in the literature, it often has different meanings in different settings. Our first goal was to explore these definitions and establish one to contextualize our research. We used data from the Occupational Information Network, and used their green job definition, which classifies jobs as green if, and how, they are impacted by the greening economy. …

The Economic Impacts Of Digital Nomads In Medellin, Colombia, Bernadette Patricia Farmer

Honors Theses and Capstones

As a result of increasing internet accessibility and the rise in popularity and possibility of remote work following the COVID-19 pandemic, workers from advanced economies have applied the work-from-home routine while visiting different countries. These destination cities have lower living costs and remote workers can experience increased purchasing power and new cultures. To fully take advantage of their professional autonomy, these workers, known as digital nomads, stay in each international location for one to three months before traveling elsewhere – conveying their propensity for nomadism. Digital nomads (hereafter referred to as DNs) have economic impacts on their host cities in …

Developing A Gender Diverse Stimulus Set For Emotion Expressions, Amir Robertson

Honors Theses and Capstones

Much past research has demonstrated that gender plays an important role in emotion perception, such that gendered stereotypes about emotion seem to shape how we perceive and interpret the emotion expressions of men and women. However, the stimulus sets that are typically used in the vast majority of this research have been based on binary ideas of gender, and purposefully limit common elements of gender presentation, with models posing with limited accessories or personal aesthetic choices. In everyday life, however, individuals’ gender and gender presentation are not limited in these ways and likely contribute in important ways to how we …

Does Hookup Culture Silence Women?, Kylee Rose Rock

Honors Theses and Capstones

The issue of hookup culture on college campuses is of concern to many feminist scholars, given the alarming rates of sexual assault and unsafe sexual experiences in the college setting. This essay argues that hookup culture has the ability to silence women by means of the social landscape which college-aged adults find themselves in today. Further, this essay examines the social experiences of young women on college campuses, and advocates for a change in social habits and scripts through reconsidering our approach to the anti-porn movement in today’s modern culture. Drawing upon literature from Rae Langton’s work, "Speech Acts and …

Understanding Neurodiversity And Executive Disfunction To Discover More Effective Accommodations And Create A More Inclusive Workforce For Neurodivergent Individuals, Carley Dahlstrom

Honors Theses and Capstones

The goal of this paper is twofold. One: understand executive disfunction to gain a broader understanding of neurodiversity and the challenges those with neurodiversity face in the workforce. And two: research different accommodations to combat executive disfunction and evaluate their effectiveness. To accomplish these goals, an extensive literature review was conducted to understand neurodiversity, executive disfunction, government requirements relating to accommodations, and an exploration of current accommodations available. Additionally, research was conducted in the form of interviews and a survey to expand and add to the overall understanding of this research area.

Results of the survey indicate an overall lack …

Consumer Preference In Politics: Polarization In The Us Two-Party System, Jocelyne Y. Bisson

Honors Theses and Capstones

This paper uses marketing analytics to analyze the current segmentation and positioning of the US two-party political system. In the literature review, the political parties will be illustrated as they exist in 2024 after a brief historical outline beginning with party politics post WWII. The current 2024 platforms and most polarizing issues will also be outlined in this section. This research aims to answer the following questions. Can marketing segmentation and positioning reveal the most and least polarizing party issues in the United States today? How do current presidential front runners fit into the larger US two-party system? Do their …

From It To Ai: Analysis Of Skill–Biased Technological Change In Europe, Stav Alkalay

Honors Theses and Capstones

The beginning of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution marks a significant shift in technological advancements, like the Information Technology (IT) revolution of the 20th century. This paper investigates the similarities between the two revolutions, examining evidence of skilled-biased vs. routine-biased technological change (SBTC vs. RBTC) in Europe. This paper examines the impact of information technology on labor markets, productivity, and income distribution by looking at past trends & data. It draws insights from a variety of economists to forecast trends in the age of artificial intelligence.

Individual Behavioral And Neurobiological Markers Associated With Vulnerable To Ethanol Use Phenotype, Hannah Elizabeth Manning

Honors Theses and Capstones

Alcohol use disorder is a chronic, relapsing brain condition that affects 29.5 million Americans. The disease is characterized by loss of control over drinking, continued use of alcohol in the face of negative consequences, and the experience of withdrawal symptoms. While there are several forms of treatment available for alcohol use disorder, 95% of patients experience at least one relapse during recovery. Currently, the high tendency to relapse remains the major challenge standing in the way of successful treatment for alcohol use disorder. Research is continuing to be conducted into the behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying relapse into alcohol use, …

Mpacts Of Parental Incarceration On Child's Well-Being And Interventions To Support Them, Anna Stacey Roberge

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study reviews the effectiveness and impact of current interventions for children who have incarcerated parents in New Hampshire. The negative impacts of parental incarceration have led to the need for these intervention strategies. Recently psychologists and behavioral experts have conducted their studies which show that children who have incarcerated parents are more likely to display delinquent behaviors. Additionally, studies have shown that parental incarceration can lead to the experiencing of several more psychological difficulties, such as depression, anxiety, and learning disorders (Kremer et al., 2020). Several communities have worked to implement interventions that will help these children avoid falling …

Individual Behavioral And Neurobiological Markers Associated With A Vulnerable To Ethanol Use Phenotype, Kelsey M. Alimandi

Honors Theses and Capstones

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing brain condition that is characterized by excessive alcohol consumption, continued use when faced with negative consequences, and a negative emotional state associated with withdrawals (anxiety, irritability, depression). The main challenge to treating AUD is preventing relapse. The purpose of this study was to use a prolonged-exposure model to allow rats to self-administer ethanol to determine the brain regions active during relapse events. The rats performed multiple behavioral tests such as economic demand, negative consequences, and an elevated plus maze. These tests determined how hard rats were willing to work for an ethanol …

Understanding The Personality Of A Coworker, Alyssa S. Hall

Honors Theses and Capstones

The concept of personal intelligence (PI) refers to an individual's capacity to accurately reason about personality and personality-related information in themselves and others (Mayer, 2008). Understanding personal intelligence has various practical applications, including the workplace, where it has been shown that individuals with higher PI exhibit lower levels of counterproductive work behavior and perceive their work environments as more supportive (Mayer et al., 2018). In a recent study by Peters and colleagues (2021), participants were asked to describe their interactions with difficult coworkers, and their sophistication in the narratives was evaluated by judges. The study found that there was a …

Anti-Queer Policy As It Translates To Violence Against The Lgbt Community, Kendall Bush

Honors Theses and Capstones

In recent years, the amount of anti-LGBT policy introduced is rapidly increasing (ACLU, 2023). Contemporary policy focuses mainly on queer youth and gender identity, attacking gender-affirming health care and limiting LGBT discussions in public schools. Although these policies are particularly insidious, they follow a trend of queer persecution in the United States. Within federal policy and across state legislation, the panopticon of anti-LGBT policy ensures that queer bodies are policed and monitored. This paper posits that the increase in anti-queer policy translates to an increase in experiences of external and indirect violence. Based on findings from the UCR and various …

Understanding Castration Anxiety Through Contemporary Art And Feminism, Ember J. Nevins

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Odd Bedfellows & Marriage Of Necessity: Public Health And Politics In American Federalism, Gabriella Victoria Chianese

Honors Theses and Capstones

In the wake of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, while the public disagrees over mask mandates, required vaccinations, and social distancing, it seems like one common sentiment exists – a distaste for the odd bedfellows of politics and public health. There are those who cry for the compartmentalization of the science of public health and the art of politics to rectify this situation. In the wake of so much confusion and chaos, it is not unjustified to demand the depoliticization of public health; however, this response is unrealistic given the modern political climate, demonstrates a narrow understanding of the …

Impact Of Accent On Receptive Language Assessments For Bilingual Children, Katherine Stariknok

Honors Theses and Capstones

Language assessments are used to screen and diagnose children with language disorders. Many speech-language pathologists (SLP) practicing in Spanish in the United States do not speak Spanish as their first language, so they are administering these assessments in accented speech. This study aims to find what effect an SLP’s accent will have on a bilingual child’s language assessment. Initial findings show that participants were largely able to understand words in the L2 accent, with most of the errors due to several repeating consonantal features (i.e., voicing alone; place and manner of articulation). The broader impact of this work is to …

Paying Attention: The Effects Of Different Social Media Posts On Consumers, Noah Lapointe

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Liberatory Potential Of Fashion, David Billie Suoth

Honors Theses and Capstones

Fashion has the potential to be liberatory and this can be seen in the ways fashion has been targeted by systems of oppression. Fashion is the use of clothes as a vessel to create a greater social meaning. According to Edward Sapir, the meaning of fashion “while it is primarily applied to dress and the exhibition of the human body is not essentially concerned with the fact of dress or ornament, but with its symbolism” (Barnard, 2007, p. 65). Fashion with the symbolism behind it is able to show the sentiments and attitudes of civilization at different points in history …

Affective Forecasting And Mood Disorder Symptoms: How Clinical Symptoms Relate To The Prediction Of Future Emotions, Madison R. Bouchard-Liporto

Honors Theses and Capstones

The ability to accurately predict future feelings and emotions, termed affective forecasting, is an important skill as it has a significant impact on the decisions individuals make throughout daily life. Previous research has suggested that depression and anxiety symptoms may be linked to biases in affective forecasting. Here, we hypothesized that greater symptom severity of depression and anxiety would be associated with increased predictions and experiences of negative affect in response to negative stimuli and decreased predictions and experiences of positive affect in response to positive stimuli among a random sample of undergraduate college students. Participants read descriptions of 20 …

College Of Health And Human Service Faculty’S Confidence And Inclusion Of Lgbtq+ Health Content In Curriculum, Carley S. Kanter

Honors Theses and Capstones

In the health care system, those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, (LGBTQ+) face discrimination and health disparities. Students who are better prepared in higher education to provide care for this population have higher levels of confidence in LGBTQ+ health content than those who have less exposure. Therefore, faculty who teach curriculum related to health and wellness have an opportunity to prepare students to provide high quality, patient centered care by teaching culturally competent care that is inclusive of LGBTQ+ populations. The aim of the study is to determine whether the degree of confidence in teaching LGBTQ+ health …

Sustainability In The New England Ski Industry, Sydney E. Gendreau

Honors Theses and Capstones

The goal of this study is to explore the extent to which sustainable investments are worthwhile for the New England ski industry. Research has shown that the New England ski industry will be greatly impacted by the effects of climate change within the near future. Anthropogenic climate change over the next several decades will cause frequent low snow winters, increases in night time winter temperatures, and overall shorter winters. Detailed economic analysis has shown that low snow and warm winters result in roughly $54 million in lost revenue for the New Hampshire ski industry in the past (Burakowski, Magnusson, 2012). …

The Health Effects Of Anthropogenic Pm2.5 Emissions, Andrew Charles Meyer

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study analyzes the health impacts of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), a common anthropogenic pollutant resulting from vehicles, manufacturing, and wood burning. PM2.5 is an emission of particular concern given its small size of roughly 2.5 micrometers, allowing it to stay in the atmosphere for up to 10 days and penetrate the deepest area of the lungs, the alveoli. This penetration can lead to adverse respiratory and cardiovascular health outcomes, and ultimately lead to an increased mortality rate. This study utilizes data from 1,885 counties in the U.S. between 2001 and 2017, and included health outcome, PM2.5 , and demographic …

Uncovering The Interest Of Private Landowners In Learning More About Landscaping With Native Plants, Catherine A. Taylor

Honors Theses and Capstones

Increasing populations in New England and the subsequent residential development associated with this growth has had profound impacts on local ecosystems. Residential development often results in habitat loss and fragmentation (Radeloff et al, 2009). Habitat fragmentation, or dividing habitat into smaller, less dense parts, can induce the decline of local populations of native species and interrupt vital ecosystem services. Important services offered by functioning ecosystems include carbon sequestration, flood reduction, and water purification. It has been shown that benefits can be restored to local ecosystems through strategies to restore ecosystem functions (Burghardt et al, 2008). On an individual household scale, …

Personal Intelligence And Student Employees, Miah Munro

Honors Theses and Capstones

Personal intelligence involves the capacity of individuals to accurately reason about personality and personality-related information that is related to themselves and others (Mayer, 2008). One setting that may particularly benefit from research on personal intelligence is the workplace. To understand employees’ logic, Peters and colleagues (2021) employed a narrative evaluation tool adapted from Allen (2017) to assess the perceived sophistication employees’ use to describe an interaction they had with a difficult or challenging coworker. They found that judges could reliably detect variations in the sophistication employees used, and that it was related, r = .43, p < .001, to a measure of personal intelligence. Their results were intriguing, but more confidence regarding their findings could be added through replication and extension of the work. Previous findings were replicated, which makes for a more compelling case that personal intelligence is detectable in employees and is related to what we think of as personal intelligence. Understanding personal intelligence in the workplace can enhance the capabilities of the human resource professionals to select personnel, which will ultimately improve their hiring process.

Morality-Based Messaging? An Examination Of State Health Departments’ Facebook Posts In Advertising Covid-19 Vaccines, Kylee R. Casner

Honors Theses and Capstones

COVID-19 vaccination is an important public health tool in curbing the COVID-19 pandemic, but vaccination rates in the U.S. are inadequate for reaching herd immunity, leaving public health officials to develop strategies to increase vaccination rates. The field of public health has historically used stigmatizing messaging to encourage health behaviors. Through a content analysis COVID-19 Facebook posts made by the Alabama Public Health, Mississippi State Department of Health, Rhode Island Department of Health, and Vermont Department of Health, this study explores the types of messaging used to influence COVID-19 vaccination behavior and looks to determine if stigmatization of non-vaccination is …

Changing Perceptions Of Masculinity And Femininity In America?: Revisiting The Bem Sex-Role Inventory, Sarah Ann Bell

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study replicated previous research regarding college students’ perceptions of personality and character traits as “masculine”, “feminine”, or “neutral .” The sample consisted of 56 undergraduate students recruited from introductory sociology classes at a public university in New England. Participants completed online surveys where they ranked how desirable it is in American society for a man or for a woman to possess each of 60 traits used in the Bem Sex-Role Inventory. While participants ranked some traits as less gendered than 20 years ago, aligning with previous research, they ranked other traits as more gendered than those traits had previously …

Mindfulness And Pain Regulation: The Role Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Individuals With Chronic Pain, Ariana C. White

Honors Theses and Capstones

Chronic pain is a significant and widely prevalent health condition which requires comprehensive care to address the many facets contributing to symptomatology. In 2016, 20% of American adults (about 50 million) reported experiencing chronic pain, of which 7.4% indicated that chronic pain frequently limited their life and participation in activities within the past 3 months (CDC, 2018). As a result, many individuals with chronic pain turn to opioid-based medication for pain relief, but long-term use of opioids actually increases pain sensation (Tobin, 2019). Moreover, opioid medication is unable to target underlying mental health components which emerge as part of chronic …