Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Hockey Fan Excitement, Timothy Hibbard, Bret Andreason

College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs Presentations

Hockey is one of the most exciting sports in the world. Despite its popularity—with over 15 million fans in attendance during the 2012-13 NHL season—hockey is also one of the least researched professional sports. While one may guess at the reasons why hockey is so exciting to fans, the evidence is largely anecdotal. For this study, more than 200 professional hockey fans were interviewed and observed over a two-month period during the 2013-14 season. The specific aim of this research was to determine which hockey plays fans report as the most exciting to them, and what draws people to the …

Temperament In Social Dominance, Jason Lefrandt, Dr. James Higley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

During the internship at the University of California, Davis Primate Center this summer 2013, I have had the privilege of learning in various capacities as a research assistant. My main project that I was involved with was under Erna Tarara, a trained primatologist that did her field studies in Africa working on baboons. Together, we collect behavioral data that would help John Capitatio’s BioBehavioral Assessment (BBA) research on rhesus macaques.

Non-Governmental Organizations (Ngos) And Partnerships In Developmental Practice: Understanding The Dynamics Of Inter-Organizational Relationships In Southern India, Kyle Nelson, Dr. Ralph Brown

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have become one of the foundational mechanisms of social change and development. International NGOs count in the thousands and are the hallmark organizational form involved in poverty alleviation, human rights empowerment, and social innovation. Therefore, understanding these organizations is important in understanding how development impact comes about. However, no organization works in in a solitary universe, especially in the collaborative and multi-dimensional world of social change, and thus to appropriately comprehend the NGO we must also study their relational context with other organizations. Thus, my research project explored the dynamics of inter-organizational relationships (IORs) between NGOs in …

Maternal Health And Child Behaviors As Risk Factors For Child Injury, Christina J. Nicolais

Theses and Dissertations

Evidence suggests that child behavior, parent mental health, parent supervision, and home environment conditions impact a child’s risk of injury. Vulnerable families are at greater risk for the occurrence of child behavior problems, poor health, decreased supervision, and hazardous home conditions. Consistent with a model that proposes that parent, child, and environment factors interact within the lens of sociocultural factors to predict injury, the current study aimed to test a statistical model with maternal physical health and child externalizing behaviors as predictors of child injury, and home hazards and supervision as mediators of these relations. Analyses were conducted using a …

Following The Founders: The Effect Of A James Madison Quote On Support For Corporate Regulation, Zachary Smith, Dr. Quin Monson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

From Abraham Lincoln to members of the modern Tea Party, politicians have frequently quoted the Founders in an attempt to build support for a proposed idea. This seems to mostly occur between conservative politicians and their constituents. Indeed, conservatives appear to have a strong connection with the Founders because of their belief in American Civil Religion (ACR). While researchers’ definitions of ACR differ, I define it as a quasi-religious reverence for the Founders and the symbols of America. People’s deep belief in this ACR affects how much they support issues that the Founders spoke in favor of. However, no one …

Agentive Hmong Memory Making: “We Stood Up To Them”, April Reber

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Racialized environmentalism and politicized economics converged in July and August, 2000, when a coalition of Thai farmers, Royal Forestry Department (RFD) and other government officials blocked off roads leading to Hmong farms in the mountains in Thailand. This coalition collaboratively targeted Hmong lychee orchards that had almost reached maturation (it takes lychee trees 10 years to fully mature). According to my respondents, the Thais who cut down the trees came from three mountain villages that overlook the mountain valley where the fields are. Similarly, the RFD office is in the mountains near one village and overlooking the fields. According to …

Pipe Smoking Among The Prehistoric Inhabitants Of Utah Valley, Hannah Steffensen, Dr. Michael Searcy

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the Spring of 2012, thirtynine prehistoric smoking pipes and pipe fragments were recovered from the Fremont archaeological site of Wolf Village in Goshen, Utah. Brigham Young University has conducted excavations at the Wolf Village site for five years, recovering hundreds of thousands of artifacts and excavating the largest known Fremont pithouse.

The Analogical Modeling Of Variation In Russian Inflectional Morphology, Vitalijs Sadovskis, Dr. Royal Skousen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The primary purpose of this project was to explain the common and frequently occurring phenomena of variation in Russian morphology. This research is based on empirical data from the Russian language output of native speakers of Russian. The data sets were prepared for and processed by the Analogical Modeling software designed specifically for predicting language behavior. The results of computer analysis were compared with the actual language usage.

Un Report On The Status Of Women In Cambodia, Chloe Litchfield

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The data for the 2013 Cambodia CEDAW Shadow Report was collected May–August 2013. This data was collected in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from individuals who work for organizations that assist women throughout the country.

Television News: A Man’S World, Alexandra Sanchez

Whittier Scholars Program

This paper will be presenting to you my findings of the news industry in relation to gender and stereotypical fulfillment. I have compared the role of women reporters to that of men. I will also be using my personal experiences from my four internships within the KTLA News Station in Los Angeles, California to further support the claims gathered through my research. This paper is taking the stance that female journalists need their equal chance to succeed and prove their legitimacy in order to compete with men in the male-dominated industry of television news. This can happen with the stop …

Measuring The Support For Climate Change Researchers At The University Of Richmond, Adam Forrer, Brianna Miller, Hunterr Payeur

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Climate change has been recognized globally as one of the leading issues of our generation. In order for the United States to make an appropriate response to climate change there is a need to facilitate climate change research in institutions of higher learning. Making climate change research available to undergraduate students has the potential for positive results for the issue of climate change and the undergraduates who choose to participate in research (Seymor et. al. 2004). As an institution of higher learning and the resources at our disposal, the University of Richmond should be at the forefront of climate change …

A Study Of Stress Levels Of Students, Rebekah Currie

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Sprouts Early Childhood Program: An Evaluation Of Child Outcomes, Lauryn Michele Toby

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation examines the cognitive, adaptive, communicative, social and autism-related outcomes for those enrolled in an early childhood intervention program for children age three to five with autism spectrum disorders. First, relevant literature on autism spectrum disorders, early intervention, evidence-based practice, and published investigations of existing comprehensive treatment programs for young children with autism are reviewed, the current investigation is outlined, and results and implications are discussed.

Using developmental trajectory analyses to investigate changes in each child's trajectory over time, as well as by comparing changes in scores over time on standardized measures of communication, adaptive skills, cognitive skills, social …

Map Room To Data And Gis Services: Five University Libraries Evolving To Meet Campus Needs And Changing Technologies, Jeanine Marie Scaramozzino, Russell White, Jeff Essic, Lee Ann Fullington, Himanshu Mistry, Amanda Henley, Miriam Olivares

Library Scholarship

Programs for geospatial support at academic libraries have evolved over the past decade in response to changing campus needs and developing technologies. Geospatial applications have matured tremendously in this time, emerging from specialty tools to become broadly used across numerous disciplines. At many universities, the library has served as a central resource allowing students and faculty across academic departments access to GIS resources. Today, as many academic libraries evaluate their spaces and services, GIS and data services are central in discussions on how to further engage with patrons and meet increasingly diverse researcher needs. As library programs evolve to support …

Utilizing A Green Revolving Fund For Reforestation On University Of Richmond’S Pagebrook Property, Patrick Love, Adam Owens

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

In 2013, the University of Richmond directly sponsored 3,076,643 miles of travel for faculty, staff, and student, conferences, engagements and sporting events. This type of travel emits over 2,410 tons of carbon into the atmosphere. This research and proposal recommends that the University implement a fee-structure that incorporates the cost of the carbon emitted, and invest the money into a green revolving fund that will allocate money to reforesting the University's Pagebrook Property (Map 1) and purchasing new lands. The reforestation, maintenance, and monitoring of the area will be completed by students interested in forest ecology. The exploration of the …

Carbon Offset Solutions For International Travel Emissions, Kristen Bailey, Kelly Kurz, Tanya Sushkova

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Within a ten-year period (FY 2002-3 to FY 2012-2013), the University of Richmond study abroad program has experienced a 96% increase in student participation. In 2007, Newsweek magazine recognized the University as the "Hottest School in America" for international studies. In 2013, 710 University students studied abroad. While studying abroad has numerous academic benefits, international transportation contributes carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and thus increases the negative environmental consequences of anthropogenic climate change. In FY 2013, UR students traveled 6,154,032 miles, emitting ~6,892,515 pounds of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Given this negative impact and UR's carbon neutral goals, we …

Rainwater Harvesting System, Diana Alderbashi, Joel Collins, Jack Wilkes

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Water is a crucial resource for the survival of life on earth. Unfortunately, with the increasing threat of climate change fresh water is expected to become a pressing issue in the future for many countries, including the southeastern region of the United States (EPA 2013), refer to figure 1. According to the EPA, water management is likely to become a challenging issue, due to rising temperatures, and demand due to economic and population growth (EPA 2013). Increased temperatures are likely to lead to longer, more intense, and more frequent droughts in the Southeast, putting more stress on water resources (EPA …

Promoting Sustainability To First-Year Students, Anna Sangree, Ashley Colón, Bree Coleman

Geography and the Environment Capstone Projects

Over 700 universities across the United States (AASHE, 2010), seeking to be progressive and containing the resources for change, have partnered together under the American Colleges and Universities President's Climate Commitment to lower their carbon footprints and increase sustainability education on their campuses (ACUPCC, 2014). The President's Climate Commitment includes 7 tangible actions, of which the University of Richmond must follow two or more. With the University of Richmond's date for carbon neutrality set for 2050, advancing these actions is crucial (ACUPCC, 2014). On the list of tangible actions are increasing use of public transportation and increasing energy efficiency on …

Managing Illness Through Creative Engagement: Women, Hiv, And The Stitches Doll Project, Jacqueline Lewis, Kathleen Gerus-Darbison

The Qualitative Report

The Stitches Doll Project is a community-based initiative that enables women and girls to express their feelings about living with HIV/AIDS through creating a doll that speaks for them. In a very personal and powerful way, women and girls are able to tell their stories both visually, through their dolls, and verbally/non-verbally, through their dolls’ monographs. The completed dolls become part of an online and traveling oral history exhibit. Based on an analysis of the dolls and their monographs, interviews with doll contributors and project coordinators, and archived Stitches materials, this paper explores the meaning making and identity work/repair articulated …

Effects Of Light Stimulation On Long-Term Potentiation In Dopamine Neurons In The Nucleus Accumbens, Eliza Lee Warren, Dr. Scott C. Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Light therapy has been utilized to treat alcoholics in the past (Zalewska- Kaszubska & Obzejta, 2004), and opiate dependent rats (Mirzaii-Dizgah, Ojaghi, Sadeghipour-Roodsari, Karimian, & Sohanaki, 2009). Unfortunately, research is limited and still little is known. It was the aim of this study to determine what these effects are, specifically in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Dopamine (DA) release in the shell of the NAc has been shown to be a contributing factor in addiction. As DA levels in the NAc are raised, behavior reinforcement occurs. Addictive drugs hijack this system by raising levels of DA in the NAc, and raising …

Analyzing The Power Of Individual Genes: Maternal Gene Influence On The Serotonin Transporter Gene, Patrick O'Connell, Dr. James Dee Higley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The present analysis considers a mother gene-by-infant gene interaction of the serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (hereafter 5-HTTLPR). This is to our knowledge the first study to analyze this type of interaction. Two principle variants of this gene, a short allele (related to decreased 5-HTT expression), and a long allele, have been identified in both human and nonhuman primates. This provides 3 distinct genotypes: the homozygous short allele (ss), the heterozygotes (Ls), and the homozygous long allele genotype (LL); which have been shown to influence a variety of behaviors, principally those related to impulsive aggression (Higley & Barr, 2008) and anxiety …

Adaptation Of Dopamine Release With Chronic Ethanol Exposure And Withdrawal, Ronald Lopez, Dr. Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Alcohol addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder that has enormous impact on society. Alcohol is one of the most abused drugs. Advancement in the understanding of the brain mechanisms underlying the abuse of alcohol will pave the way for more effective treatment strategies that could reverse dependence on this drug and save lives and resources throughout the world.

Discovering Inhibitors To The Political Interest And Ambition Of Women, Cindy West, Dr. Jessica Preece

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Currently in the U.S., twenty women (20%) are members of the Senate and seventy-seven women (17.7%) are members of the House of Representatives,1 ranking the U.S. at 77th in the world for its percentage of women in the lower or single House.2 Despite being over half the population,3 the percentage of women holding executive offices is not representative of the country’s composition. Why are women less likely to engage in politics and be ambitious enough to run for political office? Our purpose is to understand the gender gap within the political field. Research attempts to explain this phenomenon through a …

Political Ambition: The Effect Of Gender Quotas On Ugandan Women, Jessica Weinfurter, Dr. Jessica Preece

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In an effort to promote female political participation in states with historically patriarchal political systems, many nations have implemented gender quotas. The belief behind this practice is that as female descriptive representation increases, women become inspired to increase their political activity, and society in general becomes more supportive of female political ambition and participation (Beaman et al.2012). The issue of gender quotas has inspired an explosion of research over the past decade. However, our current understanding of the long-term effects of gender quotas is still limited because many of the recent studies are focused on quota systems within developed or …

Brainwaves Of Memory: A Study On Memory Discrimination And Memory Generalization, Emily White, Dr. Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Memory discrimination requires forming distinct, separate memories and depends on the process of pattern separation. Memory generalization allows you to retrieve previously-stored memories that may be grouped in memory among other, similar events and depends on the process of pattern completion. Interestingly, both of these complementary processes are mediated by the hippocampus. This means that the hippocampus must switch between pattern separation and pattern completion, a process which may be slow enough for us to measure experimentally.

The Ojibwe Living Culture The Importance Of Traditional Culture On The White Earth Reservation, Minnesota, Keara Moyle, Dr. John Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Within the last two decades, the White Earth reservation of Ojibwe has seen a dramatic resurgence of interest in and performance of what they would call traditional culture. This traditional culture has played a critical role in tribal membership and concepts of identity. The White Earth reservation underwent constitutional reform from 2007 to November 2013, which included new legislation determining membership. After years of an imposed policy of blood quantum, White Earth residents are basing their membership on a system, considered by some, to closely follow the traditional ways of determining tribal membership.

The New Homeless Of Utah Valley: How Changing Demographics Of Homelessness Requires Revision Of Homeless Policies, Erik Lovell, John Mcmullin, Ke'ala Cabulagan, Dr. Curtis Child

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Few populations are as affected by economic conditions as the homeless. With the recent recessions and changes in city/state/federal policies, the homeless population has begun to change. The traditional homeless population was associated with high levels of drug use, jail time, older men, and minorities (Sosin et al. 1990, Kuhn and Culhane 1998). However, the population has become younger, more likely to include families, and have differing patterns of substance abuse and jail time (Culhane et al. 2007, Sosin 2003, Caton et al. 2005). The traditional homeless person, defined as chronically homeless, would remain homeless for long periods of time …

Challenges & Strategies For Conducting Qualitative Research With Persons Diagnosed With Rare Movement Disorders, Kori A. Ladonna, Michael J. Ravenek

The Qualitative Report

Unique features of Huntington’s disease and young-onset Parkinson’s disease, both neurodegenerative movement disorders, can pose challenges for conducting qualitative research. From the perspectives of two doctoral candidates conducting research with these groups, a number of challenges are presented and discussed alongside strategies for managing such challenges. Challenges are organized according to physical (e.g., movement), psychological (e.g., cognition) and social (e.g., speech impairment) aspects of these diseases. The strategies presented emphasize the importance of ethical reasoning in situations that can arise, as well as the relationships developed with the research participants. Author transparency and ethical reasoning are both important in conducting …

Edward Bliss Emerson, The Medical Tourist, Wilfredo A. Géigel

The Qualitative Report

Traveling for health reasons was not an unusual event for wealthy and wellto-do members of society both in North America and Europe in the early 19th century. Edward Bliss Emerson is an example of those who traveled for health reasons. Books and newspapers at that time, like today, incited the infirm to travel to far-away places where the climate and the surroundings would take care of their ills. This essay will look at medical tourism, especially in the Caribbean, as seen through the eyes of Edward Emerson.

Encountering The Viper: Edward Bliss Emerson And Slavery, Annette B. Ramírez De Arellano

The Qualitative Report

The journal of Edward Bliss Emerson often mentions topics that piqued his curiosity because they were unusual or puzzling. Few subjects were as foreign to him as slavery. Writing in 1831-32, Emerson provides us a series of aural and visual vignettes rather than a coherent commentary on slavery as a way of life. Focusing on the everyday aspects of the institution instead of the politics and economics behind it, Emerson nevertheless suggests the different lenses through which slavery was viewed by a New England intellectual and others.