Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Retrieval Strategy On A Collaborative Reconstruction Task, Amanda M. Bullock

Honors Theses

The purpose of the present experiment was to explore the effects of using various retrieval strategies on a collaborative reconstruction task. More specifically, we sought to determine the extent to which the Retrieval Strategy Disruption Hypothesis (RSD) could explain the effects of collaborative inhibition on such tasks. Collaborative inhibition is observed when collaborative group performance is lower than the pooled performance of an identical number of individuals working alone (nominal groups). The RSD hypothesis suggests that one group member’s output disrupts another group member’s idiosyncratic retrieval strategy leading to poorer performance relative to individuals working alone. In the present study, …

Active Shooters On Campus: University Of Mississippi Employees’ Perceptions And Preparedness, Calli Faye Holland

Honors Theses

The objective of this study was to examine university employees’ perceptions, knowledge, and preparedness of active shooter situations on campus, and how gender influences these factors. This study collected data from a broader survey of faculty and staff that examined crime on a college campus, perceptions about crime on campus, and knowledge about crime on campus. This research also serves as a companion piece to the research conducted by Mulvey (2018), where similar research questions were posed to a large sample of undergraduate students. As in Mulvey’s study, it was hypothesized that participants would report generally low levels of confidence …

Authoritarian Regimes And Economic Development:Related Much?, Tia Denise Floyd

Honors Theses

This descriptive study seeks to identify the level of influence that authoritarian regimes have on development with countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The question behind this study is important in that not much is known about the autocratic countries within these regions though many of these countries have experienced much economic success in spite of difference in authoritarian regimes, and the threat of the resource curse. The data I have gathered focuses on observing variables such as GDP per capita (PPP), GDP annual growth, life expectancy index as well as the human development index which are …

Watering The Desert: Azraq, Public Opinion, And Environmental Post-Materialism, Wesley Gerard

Honors Theses

In this thesis, I analyze the physical, political, and societal transformations in Azraq, Jordan, caused by over-exploitation of the town’s aquifer. I also connect the changes I and others have observed in Azraq to two main theories: postmaterialism and its counterarguments, and the tragedy of the commons. In short, postmaterialism argues that societies that have advanced so that citizens do not have to devote their time and money to survival will have larger rates of environmentalism; the tragedy of the commons details the negative consequences of environmental degradation on those living around a common resource. In conducting the study, I …

Nothing Monstrous Existed Here: Uncanny Nature In The Southern Reach Trilogy, Morgan Mundy

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the relationships between humans and their environments in Jeff VanderMeer’s The Southern Reach series. VanderMeer, throughout the trilogy, uses the horror aesthetics of the New Weird genre to break down the barriers between human and nonhuman, natural and unnatural. By showing the characters as more aware of their status as human and the agency of the natural world around them as a result of the novels’ plot, The Southern Reach forces characters and readers alike to confront a world in which becoming something more than human might be possible and even necessary …

Food Waste In German Households: A Policy Analysis, Carlie Maree Vowell

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the issue of food waste in Germany and proposes policy solutions for food waste in German households. The author analyzes the history and background of sustainability and food waste in Germany in order to recommend a change in policy. The author uses a systematic literature review as the primary method for investigating food waste in Germany. The findings indicate that household food waste occurs due to a lack of planning, misreading food labels, misconceptions about food, improper food storage techniques, and a lack of awareness on the economic and environmental implications of food waste. Moreover, various demographic …

Examination Of Communication And Social Media Usage Among Socially Anxious Individuals, Greyson K. Young

Honors Theses

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) affects between 6.8% and 12.1% of the U.S. population. At the core of SAD is the fear of social situations, and in particular, the fear of others’ positive (FPE) and negative (FNE) evaluation. Studies have found that social media and online/indirect communication are commonly used to minimize the experience of stress, anxiety, evaluation, and rejection commonly associated with face-to-face interactions. As such, the aims of the current study were 1) to characterize communication and social media use among socially anxious college students, and 2) to examine associations between social media use and FNE and FPE. The …

A Study Of The Kratom Alkaloids And Their Binding To The Μ-Opioid Receptor, Reba Elizabeth Ann Chamblee

Honors Theses

Kratom, a plant commonly found in southeast Asia, has traditionally been used for medicinal treatments. Recently, however, the popularity of the drug has significantly increased due to its euphoric effects, leading to it being used as an alternative to illegal opioids. Several alkaloid compounds have been isolated from the leaves of the plant. The main alkaloids seen are the following five alkaloids: mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, speciociliatine, speciogynine, and paynantheine. Two alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, have exhibited high potencies and are potentially even more potent than morphine. Previous studies have indicated that the main mediator of the psychoactive effects is the opioid …

Sustainability In The Sanctuary: An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Christian Churches And The Environment, Katelyn Campbell

Honors Theses

Paper bulletins, weekly customized song sheets, disposable coffee cups—all parts of a regular communal church gathering on Sunday mornings. Where do these products go after the service is over and the pews are empty? Combining the topics of environmental sustainability and organized religion, this thesis explores how local churches view the intersection of environmental sustainability and faith practices in Oxford, Mississippi. Preliminary research has shown that while many global denominations publicly issue statements supporting environmental practices and encouraging sustainable behavior, often these statements are not effective in directly influencing a local church’s behavior as it relates to implementing environmentally sustainable …

Investigating The Binding Of Fentanyl And Fentanyl Analogs To The Μ-Opioid Receptor, Marissa Anne Teske

Honors Theses

In 1960, Dr. Paul Janssen of the Janssen Company synthesized fentanyl. It is a rapid-acting analgesic that, unlike similar analgesics around that time, did not have negative cardiovascular effects. Fentanyl, and its derivatives, are strong μ-opioid receptor agonists. Rates of fatal opioid overdoses involving fentanyl have increases rapidly over the past two decades Due to these increasing concerns related to fentanyl and its derivatives, it is important to not only study fentanyl and its known derivatives, but to also study and understand potential new derivatives and how all these compounds interact with the opioid receptors. This study examined the interactions …

The Effect Of Instructional Expenditures On Student Outcomes: Evidence From St. Louis-Area Public School Districts, Noah Antle

Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to contribute to the broader conversation over the relationship between school spending and student outcomes. Using twenty-two public school districts in the St. Louis area, annual data on instructional expenditures and two measures of student outcomes (average composite ACT score and the percentage of high school graduates to enroll at a 2- or 4- year college or university within 180 days of graduation) was collected by request from the Missouri Department of Education and Secondary Education. Regression analysis was conducted with this data to determine whether or not raw changes in instructional expenditures per student or the …

Al-Qaida, Boko Haram, And Isis: Tracking The Shift In Women’S Involvement, Anna Therese Beavers

Honors Theses

This paper discusses the shift in women’s roles in Islamic extremist groups over the last two decades. Focusing on three violent Sunni groups, al-Qaida, Boko Haram, and ISIS, the research aims to fill gaps in United States and global counterterrorism and reintegration efforts by providing a comprehensive, accurate, and timely assessment of the recent change in women’s roles in terrorist organizations, shifting from foundational to limited operational to fully operational. The shift occurred and continues to unfold as several moving parts have fallen into place to create this situation. Women’s desire to participate at a more operational level, the need …

Feedback-Related Neuronal Processing During Motor Learning, Rosemary Marguerite Marquez

Honors Theses

Motor learning has been widely examined using electroencephalography (EEG) to record event related potentials (ERP). ERPs occur in response to given stimuli and represent underlying neural processes that are either modifying or being modified by motor learning. This study seeks to examine how movement feedback changes neural activity (i.e. ERPs) in the motor cortex, and more specifically, if feedback-related neuronal activity is modified by motor learning and visual feedback. A novel visuomotor rotation task was employed in which participants adapted their movement to a 30- degree counter-clockwise rotation. Feedback was given through the presence or absence of the trajectory line …

More Than Altruism: An Examination Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'S Involvement In The Chicago Campaign And Protest Of The Vietnam War, Stephanie Poiroux

Honors Theses

This mix-method study examines whether Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s writing reflects altruism. Utilizing content analysis, I examined 60 of King’s sermons, speeches, letters, newspaper statements, and telegrams about the Chicago Campaign and the Vietnam War over two separate two-year periods starting from January 1, 1965 to December 31, 1967. King’s documents were scored based on the Altruistic Personality Scale for Leaders and Protest, which was created based on the characteristics of both passive and active bystanders derived from studies written by scholars of psychology. After analyzing the range, complexity, and density of King’s altruism, this study shows that all …

When Words Are Not Enough: The Development Of Human Trafficking In Venezuela Under The Maduro Administration, Holly Prather

Honors Theses

This thesis discusses the role the Maduro administration has played in the development of human trafficking in Venezuela. It does so by employing a qualitative analysis of primary sources such as governmental and NGO reports to determine the links between the Maduro administration and the increase of human trafficking. I argue that the Maduro administration has chosen to employ social policy, the Misiones (Misiones), as the state’s approach to human trafficking instead of enforcing anti-trafficking laws. This, in conjunction with unsound economic policy in response to the 2014 decline in oil prices, gives the Maduro administration a substantial role in …

[Female]: A Collection Of Profiles Featuring Influential, Inspiring, Modern American Women Who Have Made History, Tara Lyn Hawkins

Honors Theses

[FEMALE] is a collection of profiles that feature the stories of some of the most influential and inspiring modern American women and how they have influenced the world. The profiles look into the lives and careers of female athletes, entrepreneurs, political figures and entertainers who are currently alive in 2019. Each profile includes dialogue from recorded interviews with the featured women. The idea for this project came from wanting to learn more about the successful, influential role models in my life. To learn about the hardships and odds they overcame in order to achieve their dreams and become the women …

Economic Advancement Across The European Playing Field, Zac Herring

Honors Theses

This project seeks to examine the relationship between economic history, soccer, and economic institutions in countries who have attained varying levels of success on the soccer field and economically. The work of several influential scholars in recent decades has drawn attention to the need for a shift in the goal for economic achievement from industrialization to institutional effectiveness. This study develops a model to further understand the relationship between economic achievement and soccer success. It then includes case studies of three countries from the model in order to further understand the impact of the institutions that have a significant presence …

Defining "Evangelicals" In Print Journalism, Logan D. Williamson

Honors Theses

Evangelicalism, a movement grounded in faith and individual morality, appeared to integrate into the GOP in the late-1970s and 1980s. In 2016, national newspapers reported that 81% of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump, prompting a question of how the movement is defined today. I look at the recent history of the evangelical movement and the troubles that scholars, analysts and other cultural observers have had in offering a conclusive definition for the term. Next, I seek to answer how print journalists define the term and how that influences or is informed by polling results on Election Day. I interview …

Examining The Impact Of Meaning And Resilience On Survivors' Life Satisfaction After Hurricane Harvey, Emily A. Gawlik

Honors Theses

The experience of a traumatic event such as a natural disaster can often lead individuals to suffer a variety of negative sequelae, including the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms. However, certain positive psychological constructs like meaning and resilience have been shown to mitigate these consequences. The purpose of this study was to explore the contributions of meaning and resilience to the life satisfaction of individuals (N = 55) impacted by 2017’s Hurricane Harvey. It was hypothesized that not only would meaning and resilience be significantly and positively related to life satisfaction but that meaning would contribute more to the prediction …

Understanding The Causes Of Female Labor-Force Participation Stagnation In The U.S., Sophia Fosdick

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the stagnation and decline in U.S. women’s labor force participation from the 1990s onwards. Through literature analysis and economic theory, I determined that different subgroups in the U.S. female population between the ages of 25 and 54 had differing trends in labor supply behaviors. I then used regression analysis of U.S. Census data from years 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2010 to chart these behaviors and understand the groups facing the largest decline. Through my data, I found that uneducated mothers of young children were facing the largest decline, with an increasingly negative response as the decades progress, …

The Haves And The Have Nots: Segregation And Marginalization In Puebla, Mexico, Jarvis Benson

Honors Theses

Beginning in the early 1990s, the city of Puebla, Mexico pursued an urbanization strategy based on converting the historic center into a hub for international tourism devoted to marketing colonial architecture and developing another section of the city, Angelópolis, as an affluent space for commerce and elite dwelling. This strategy produced a crowding out effect that relegated the lower and working classes to the peripheries of the city. There are currently high levels of marginalization in Puebla that negatively impact overall citizen well-being, with pockets of precarious populations living in zones with difficult social conditions. Though based on a small …

Financial Accounting Fundamentals: A Series Of Case Studies, Sidney Barrett Albritton

Honors Theses

Financial accounting is an area of study that encompasses a variety of topics and concepts. Understanding these concepts, both in theory and in practice, allow professionals and future professionals to have a firm foundation in the work they are expected to do. In order to develop this firm foundation of financial accounting, a series of case studies was completed. These cases covered concepts such as revenue recognition, shareholders’ equity, debt financing, and the like. Each case consisted of qualitative/quantitative information from a real company and a series of questions that allowed the student to explore the concepts and the intricacies …

Generational Expressions Of Basque Nationalism, Mollie Bradford

Honors Theses

This work studies the difference in the expressions of Basque nationalism between the Basque youth and the older generations of the Basque population in the Basque Country of Spain, or Euskadi. I hypothesized that the Basque youth would express nationalism banally, or in everyday activities, while the older generations would be intentional and active in their expressions, due to the older generations’ experiences with the Franco regime and ETA, the Basque terrorist group. I researched using articles from a Basque newspaper, Euskal Irrati Telebista. I chose key words and searched through articles written in 2017. I also conducted a survey …

Book Talks Ii, Anwar Shaikh Phd

Archives of Anwar Shaikh

This collection includes,

• Shaikh, A., PhD. (n.d.). Yellow folder titled “Book talks II + environment” [Archival folder].

• Glasgow Economic Forum. (2017, March 11–12). Achieving growth: Official schedule and abstracts, featuring a keynote by Anwar Shaikh titled The three c’s of capitalism: Competition, conflict, crisis [Conference program].

• Shaikh, A., PhD. (n.d.). Marx versus neoclassical economics [Typed notes]. Unpublished manuscript.

• Marx2016. (2016, October 15–16). International conference of contemporary Marxist thought: Conference program, featuring opening speeches by Nina Björk and Kajsa Ekis Ekman and a session by Anwar Shaikh titled Marx’s capital and the economic analysis of capitalism [Conference program].

• Shaikh, …

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Making Armenian Politically Exposed Persons’ Money Public: A Data-Driven Journalism Project That Aims To Create A Database Of Armenian Mps’ Assets, Ani Hovhannisyan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This data-driven journalism project tackles an age-old problem that seems common in virtually every government around the world: governmental officials hiding assets. By applying the theory of social responsibility, this paper uses data-journalism methods to trace the full financial assets of Armenian members of parliament and eventually making those assets and income declarations available via an interactive website to the Armenian public as well as other journalists throughout the country and region.

The School District Library Supervisor And The National School Library Standards, Jeffrey Discala, Ann Carlson Weeks, Christie Kodama

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The article focuses on the role of district library supervisors under the 2018 National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. Topics covered include the importance of connecting with educators in supervisory roles, the Lilead Surveys to collect baseline data on supervisors, and the differences between the Surveys and the Standards.

A Comparison Among Trained Facilitators, Face-To-Face, And On-Line Students' On The Presence Of Particular Behavioral Attributes Associated With Successful Urban Teaching, Sueanne Mckinney, Cynthia Tomovic, Kevin Graziano (Ed.)

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This study examined the degree of agreement between three trained facilitators’ interviews and preservice teachers’ self-evaluation on the presence of behavioral attributes associated with successful urban teaching. Using a quasi-experimental design research methodology, data for this investigation was collected from 29 preservice teacher candidates in both traditional and on-line environments who are enrolled in an urban, metropolitan, co-educational research university. The Star Teacher Selection Interview and the Urban Teacher Behavioral Self-Evaluation Assessment served as the measures for this investigation. Scores were compared using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that the trained interviewers rated participants much lower on the seven behavioral attributes …

Level Up The One-Shot: Empowering Students With Backward Design And Game-Based Learning, Tarida Anantachai, Camille Chesley

Librarian Publications

This chapter outlines some of the ways in which the integration of games and gamified activities directly impact student motivation in the classroom. It discusses how games naturally align with the principles of both motivational design and backward design and offers an overview of some of the free and open source options that can assist instruction librarians in creating their first games. It also includes examples of games that the authors have themselves created and tools that they have customized to enrich student engagement in one-shot instruction sessions.

International Student Support Groups: Learning From Experienced Group Members And Leaders, Nathan` Page, Mark Beecher, Derek Griner, Timothy B. Smith, Aaron Jackson, Klint Hobbs

Faculty Publications

Adjustment to college can be particularly difficult for international students. A multi-site qualitative study investigated the experiences of six group leaders and 10 group members who participated in seven different university counseling center international student support groups. Analyses of interview data using hermeneutic interpretation resulted in nine major themes and ten sub-themes organized into four sections: (1) Recruitment and group design, (2) Experiences of group members, (3) Experiences of group leaders, and (4) Additional considerations. College and university counseling centers can effectively work with international students by providing outreach and support groups.

Increasing Low-Income Residents’ Access To Fresh Produce Through A Local Mobile Pantry, Laura E. Wasson, L. Lanier Nalley, Mechelle Bailey, Laura Hill

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Seeds that Feed (STF) is a mobile food pantry located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. STF receives produce from local farmers to distribute to residents in low-income housing sites throughout Northwest Arkansas. According to Feeding America, food insecurity affected 14.3% Washington County, Arkansas’ population in 2016. The purpose of this study was to determine if STF’s model is an effective way to increase individuals’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables and increase their potential to meet the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Patterns (USDA-FP) for to fruit and vegetable consumption. Twenty-three participants from three sites completed the study. A survey was …