Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Influence Of Framing Effects And Regret On Health Decision-Making, Sarah Falkof

Honors Theses

This study investigates methods for influencing decision-making regarding preventative vaccine shots. Specifically, the research assessed the influence of message framing on regret and future action likelihood. In Experiment 1, participants read information about an available vaccine shot that was either framed positively or negatively. Participants were told whether they decided to get the shot (action) or not get the shot (inaction) and rated their feelings of regret after being told they got sick, regardless of their decision. Results showed that participants who read the positively framed information experienced more regret overall than participants who read the information with the negative …

Should She Run? The Decision For Female Congressíenal Candidates, Laura . J. Maloney

Honors Theses

This study, “Should She Run? The decision for female congressional candidates,” explores Why Women decide to or not to run for Congress. lt focuses on the influence of state political Culture with a case study on the emergence of female candidates in the primaries for U.S. House of Representative races New England districts from 2002-2010. After running a series of general linear models, the study Ends that certain aspects of a state’s political culture do impact female candidate emergence in New England. Looking forward, it suggests that the key to shrinking the gender gap in the U.S. Congress is to …

Forecasting The Future: The Early United States Weather Bureau, Robert T. Canning

Honors Theses

The national weather service of the United States came into being in 1870 for the practical utility of the American people. The interaction between weather, agriculture, and commerce provided the impetus for the inception of the service. Many historians put forward the notion of an obdurate weather bureau, a scientific backwater with no interest in modernization until after World War II. I disagree with this popular historiography and instead offer a history of the weather bureau’s attempts to institute the latest meteorological practices that takes into consideration the burdens and obligations of the bureau, as well as the historical context. …

What Causes Ministers Of Finance To Get Fired?, Bradley Turner

Honors Theses

This paper seeks to establish the determinants of turnover in finance ministers. Based on an original worldwide data set, political and economic factors are considered for 58 countries. While the same political factors affect Minister of Finance turnover in both advanced and developing economies, the economic variables that matter differ between the sub-samples. Finance minister turnover is higher during years that there is also presidential turnover. Further, emerging economies have a higher Minister of Finance turnover than developed economies during years without presidential turnover. Results largely hold for robustness checks.

The Effectiveness Of Capital Controls On Capital Inflows In Emerging Markets, Kathleen A. Davis

Honors Theses

Capital flows have become increasingly more volatile over the past

decade, causing growing concern in emerging markets over the potential damages

large sudden capital inflows and outflows can cause those economies. Capital

controls have been used since World War I as a way to try to control these flows.

After being abolished nearly everywhere, they have recently been reintroduced in

a number of countries. The main analysis of this paper looks at the effect of the

capital controls on capital inflows from 2000 through 2010 in an 8 country sample

of emerging markets who have recently implemented changes in their …

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The Bridge

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Richard Edes Harrison And The Cartographic Perspective Of Modern Internationalism, Timothy Barney

Rhetoric and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Air-age globalism was a discursive phenomenon throughout the development of World War II that accounted for the rapid “shrinking” of the world through air technologies and the internationalization of American interests. Cartography became air-age globalism’s primary popular expression, and journalistic cartographers such as Richard Edes Harrison at Fortune magazine introduced new mapping projections and perspectives in response to these global changes. This essay argues that Harrison’s mapping innovations mediate a geopolitical shift in America toward a modern, image-based internationalism. Through recastings of “vision” and “strategy,” Harrison’s work offers an opportunity to assess the rhetorical tensions between idealism and realism in …

Specification Sensitivity In Right-Tailed Unit Root Testing For Explosive Behavior, Peter C.B. Phillips, Shu-Ping Shi, Jun Yu

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Right-tailed unit root tests have proved promising for detecting exuberance in economic and financial activities. Like left-tailed tests, the limit theory and test performance are sensitive to the null hypothesis and the model specification used in parameter estimation. This paper aims to provide some empirical guidelines for the practical implementation of right-tailed unit root tests, focussing on the sup ADF test of Phillips, Wu and Yu (2011), which implements a right-tailed ADF test repeatedly on a sequence of forward sample recursions. We analyze and compare the limit theory of the sup ADF test under different hypotheses and model specifications. The …

Health Reform, Health Insurance, And Selection: Estimating Selection Into Health Insurance Using The Massachusetts Health Reform, Martin B. Hackmann, Jonathan T. Kolstad, Amanda E. Kowalski

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We implement an empirical test for selection into health insurance using changes in coverage induced by the introduction of mandated health insurance in Massachusetts. Our test examines changes in the cost of the newly insured relative to those who were insured prior to the reform. We find that counties with larger increases in insurance coverage over the reform period face the smallest increase in average hospital costs for the insured population, consistent with adverse selection into insurance before the reform. Additional results, incorporating cross-state variation and data on health measures, provide further evidence for adverse selection.

Discounted Stochastic Games With Voluntary Transfers, Sebastian Kranz

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

This paper studies discounted stochastic games perfect or imperfect public monitoring and the opportunity to conduct voluntary monetary transfers. We show that for all discount factors every public perfect equilibrium payoff can be implemented with a simple class of equilibria that have a stationary structure on the equilibrium path and optimal penal codes with a stick and carrot structure. We develop algorithms that exactly compute or approximate the set of equilibrium payoffs and find simple equilibria that implement these payoffs.

Vars With Mixed Roots Near Unity, Peter C.B. Phillips, Ji Hyung Lee

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Limit theory is developed for nonstationary vector autoregression (VAR) with mixed roots in the vicinity of unity involving persistent and explosive components. Statistical tests for common roots are examined and model selection approaches for discriminating roots are explored. The results are useful in empirical testing for multiple manifestations of nonstationarity — in particular for distinguishing mildly explosive roots from roots that are local to unity and for testing commonality in persistence.

Hegemonic Peter?: A Critical Analysis Of Hegemonic Masculinity In Family Guy, Justin Danowski

Masters Theses

Hegemonic masculinity is a constantly evolving and highly nuanced theory. The original definition was designed to study the oppression males exert over females. Later definitions expanded on the original to include young, effeminate or gay men. In the realm of television, hegemonic masculine forces are perpetuated by not only male characters but marginalized groups as well. This creates gender stereotypes to be accepted and embraced as the norm in a culture. This project takes a critical look at the animated television comedy Family Guy and explains how hegemonic masculinity is portrayed throughout the episode "Family Gay". To accomplish this, the …

A Plaguing Militainment: Ideology, Metaphor, And Interpellation In Thq's "Homefront", Brendan G.A. Hughes

Masters Theses

Roger Stahl's book Militainment, Inc. has set the standard for studying the convergence of military culture and popular entertainment-otherwise known as militainment. This concept is easily discernible for rhetorical critics studying discursive texts in the late twentieth century, particularly after the start of the war on terror. This project examines a militainment text, the first-person shooter videogame Homefront. Produced by design company THQ and developed by Kaos studios, this game foreshadows the future of the United States should Kim Jong-Il's son succeed in unifying the divided peninsula and the American superpower crumble. After reviewing relevant literature and outlining three important …

Spaces Of Marginalization [Equal] Margins Of Resistance: Congolese Women's Testimonies Facilitate Rhetorical Agency, Saunnie Elizabeth Knotts

Masters Theses

US and Western European discourses tend to articulate women in the developing world within a Western context, perpetuating the image of women of the developing world as "third world" silent victims. Testimonies are a powerful medium for indigenous peoples to advocate for change and define experiences for themselves as well as for their communities (Smith, 2008). In this thesis, I draw on postcolonial feminist theories, theories on testimonio, vernacular rhetoric, and rhetorical agency to frame an analysis of multiple artifacts wherein Congolese women are shown speaking glimpses of their testimonies about the rape they endured. Other artifacts show women holding …

Technology Mediated Recruitment: An Exploration Of How Students Used Social Media To Choose College, Ashley Nicole Cooper

Masters Theses

This qualitative study explored the use of social media as a tool to recruit prospective college students. Social media was defined as any electronic media that serves as a networking tool with the ability to educate prospective and current college students about an institution of higher education (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc.). The researcher met with two focus groups comprised of current college students to discuss their use of social media during their college search process.

Recommendations were developed for student affairs professionals and for future research. General themes and categories from participant responses were evaluated. The findings suggest that …

Upper Level Administrators: Communication With Students Via Social Media, David Adam Arnold

Masters Theses

The present qualitative study was executed by interviewing five upper level administrators at a four-year public institution in the Midwest in order to explain their current understanding of social media technologies, and in what ways they were currently using social media to connect with millennial students. Previous research has been done on millennials' use of technology and social media in the university setting; however, little research has focused on way non-millennial upper level administrators are using social media in order to purposefully engage students in a meaningful way. Themes from categories identified during one-on-one interviews indicate that upper level administrators …

Role Of Rural-Urban Migration In Explaining Economic Growth: Evidence From The Least Developed Countries, Karun Gyawali

Masters Theses

Rural-urban migration plays an important role in affecting population and labor composition in a country. In the least developed countries, population moving from a relatively low productive, rural, agricultural sector to a more productive, urban sector can affect overall economic productivity.

This paper investigates the relationship between rural-urban migration and economic growth in least developed counties. Using Dao's 2002 paper on determinants of internal migration, the modified model for migration is formulated in this study. The result from the modified migration model is then used in the GDP growth model to study the effect of ruralurban migration on GDP growth. …

Trade Openness In North America: The Impacts Of Nafta, Mohammed Dawood

Masters Theses

The objective of this paper is to examine the impacts of the creation of NAFTA on trade openness in the North American region as a whole. We first assess these impacts of on NAFTA on individual member countries- namely, the United States, Canada and Mexico. Then we explore the impacts of NAFTA on North America as a bloc. Towards our goal we develop an empirical model that includes several independent variables to control, among others, for productivity, inflation, capital formation, per capita income, monetary policy and the existence of NAFTA. We collect annual time series data on all variables from …

Iron Bars Or Libraries: Which Will Reduce Crime More?, Kenneth Shepherd

Masters Theses

This study examines how government spending affects crime. Specifically, it is a longitudinal study of property crime in Illinois. The main model is: Property Crime = B1+B2(Deterrence spending)+B3(Other Social spending)+B4(Lagged Unemployment rate). Other Social Spending is Library spending, Hospital spending, and Higher Education spending by state and local governments in real per-capita form combined. Deterrence spending is the combined spending on police and corrections in real percapita form. The results from an OLS model on this equation showed Other Social spending was 50% more effective at reducing property crime than Deterrence spending. However, there was some multicollinearity and a time …

Inflation And Growth: An Estimate Of The Threshold Level Of Inflation In The U.S., Hio Loi

Masters Theses

The study examines the threshold level of inflation in the US during the period 1960-2011. The model suggests the threshold level of inflation in the US is 0 to 1.5 percent quarterly. Above that threshold level, inflation has a significant negative effect on real GDP growth. Below the threshold level, the effect of inflation on real GDP growth is ambiguous.

Coping Strategies In Parents Raising Children With Disabilities, Danielle Haaksma

Masters Theses

The current study examined how parents of children with disabilities use coping strategies to manage stress and mental health. A convenience sample of twenty-five parents completed a survey developed by the researcher. Findings showed that the coping strategies used the most included talking to family members, followed by purposeful planning, talking to friends outside the family and learning to accept the situation. In addition, the mothers in this sample used adaptive coping, talked to friends and utilized purposeful planning more often than the fathers did. Positive reinterpretation of the situation and escape avoidance were the only strategies that had a …

Evaluation Of Knowledge, Beliefs And Use Of Nutritional Ergogenic Aids Among Collegiate Athletes, Mekenzie Lewis

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the NEA knowledge and practices of collegiate athletes. Participants of the study included 152 Division I collegiate athletes from a small Midwestern university. Athletes were both male and female participants of rugby, basketball, baseball, soccer, swimming, and/or track and field during the 2011-2012 school year. A 14 item questionnaire was developed based on concepts associated with misconceptions or wide spread beliefs about these NEAs identified through review of sports nutrition peer reviewed research articles, published text books, and based on personal experiences with college athletes. Content accuracy was established by review of …

School Readiness: An Exploration Of Early Childhood Professionals' Perceptions And Practices, Lindsey Jenkins

Masters Theses

Early childhood experiences set a foundation for school and for life. Because so many children attend some type of early childhood program, it is important to understand the perceptions of those teach and care for young children before they enter kindergarten. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between perceptions and practices of early childhood professionals regarding school readiness based of five areas of child development. Sixty-one early childhood professionals completed the Kindergarten Readiness Survey, and descriptive statistics, constant comparison, and microanalysis were used to analyze the data.

Results of this study indicate that social-emotional development is …

Evaluation Of Menu-Labeling's Effect On Restaurant Patrons' Meal Choices, Sarah Elizabeth Knoll

Masters Theses

Background: Quick service restaurant food has been association with weight gain, increased waist size, and insulin resistance, that lead to increased risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. A resolution includes a public policy initiative mandating restaurants to list calories at the point <>f purchase. The purpose of this research was to determine if calorie menu labeling has an effect on individuals' decision to build a healthier combo meal, one lower in calories.

Methvds: A convenience sample was gathered. Participants completed an online survey asking them to build combo meals from quick st;rvice restaurants. Participants were randomly sorted into …

"Have You Forgotten Us?": An Analysis Of Resources For Non-Traditional Students, Theresa Lindsay

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine how supported the non-traditional student population at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) felt and to assess what campus resources and services they use and need. An online survey was developed by the researcher and administered to 285 current non-traditional college students. The findings indicated that overall, non-traditional students at EIU felt supported by the university and their instructors. However the participants also reported that they were not using all of the services and resources the university offered. In addition, several respondents noted that there are some services that are not currently offered at …

Barack Obama: The Inevitable Nominee, Bradley M. Forsythe

Masters Theses

The 2008 Democratic primary is often regarded as a once-in-a-lifetime political event. Democratic frontrunner and former first lady Hillary Clinton faced off against Illinois junior Senator Barack Obama. Despite a commanding position in national polling that led many pundits to declare the race Clinton's to lose, her campaign faltered during the primary, allowing Obama to find himself in a commanding position to be the Democratic Party's nominee for president. An exploration of the two campaigns, however, reveals stark differences in strategy, messaging, fundraising, and the use of technology.

In terms of strategy, Hillary Clinton's campaign was unprepared to contest the …

Foreign Aid: Addiction, Weaning, Recovery?, Peter Foster

Masters Theses

Africa has long been seen as a foreign world to the West. Early pioneers to the continent called it "the dark continent" and during the Scramble for Africa in the late 1890s, European countries divided largely unexplored regions of the continent between themselves. Many European colonists are today reviled for their colonial practices of racial segregation, exclusion of locals from the political process and the imprisonment of black leaders. Through conquest and regulation, majority black populations were taken advantage of by European powers which divided the continent and drew up their own boundaries, ultimately splitting or forcibly combining ethnic groups. …

Regional Voting Patterns In Contemporary Presidential Elections: The Effect Of Race, Income And Abortion Viewpoint, John W. T. Megson

Masters Theses

This study examines regional differences in the effect a voter's race, viewpoint on abortion and income have upon his or her vote in presidential elections. Using binary logistic regression and log odds, the results show that regional differences do exist. Whilst race still has the largest effect in the South, the effect in what scholars have termed the Non-South varies with the North Central region differing noticeably from the North East and the West. With regard to abortion attitudes the lowest observed effect was in the South, with attitudes playing a greater effect in the North Central and West regions.

Ir Theory And State Cooperation On Blood Diamonds, Holly Thomas

Masters Theses

Blood diamonds, or "conflict diamonds," have funded rebel movements and terrorist organizations worldwide. Bloodshed over these diamonds, the conflicts they prolonged, and the horrific human rights violations associated with the competition for this natural resource, resulted in an international effort to regulate rough diamonds, and has become an issue for states, institutions, non-government organizations (NGOs), media, and the public. Forums were held in 2001, known as the Kimberley Process, to discuss the threat of conflict diamonds. With the United Nations' support, state and nonstate actors devised the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), a non-binding agreement to stop the import and …

Predicting Rumination From The Five Facets Of Mindfulness, Allen Creamean

Masters Theses

Mindfulness is defined as a process of paying attention to the moment-by-moment experience of thoughts and feelings. It is a non-elaborative, non-judgmental, present-centered awareness in which each thought, feeling or sensation that arises in the attentional field is acknowledged and accepted (Kabat-Zinn, 1990; 1998). The concept of mindfulness adopted in Western therapeutic contexts was derived from Eastern spiritual and philosophical Buddhist teachings. Since its introduction nearly 20 years ago, mindfulness-based treatments have evolved towards altering the relationship between the self and internal/external sensations to reduce multiple forms of psychological and physical morbidity (Bishop et al., 2004). Currently, it is used …