Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Development Of A Self-Report Scale Of Motivation: The Multifaceted Motivation Inventory, Magan T. Halverson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Individuals experience different dimensional levels of motivation and apathy (i.e., the lack of motivation), which can reflect both state and trait contributions. Chronic apathy is common in a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders such as mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. The primary aim of the current study was to create a new self-report measure that measures different domains of motivation/apathy with subscales and also take into account many other aspects that could affect motivation within the same scale, including energy level, anticipatory and consummatory pleasure, indecisiveness, and initial and sustained effort. A …

The Obama Paradox: Policy Success, Political Failure, Laura Chiu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The presidency of Barack Obama presents us with a paradox, in that it was both a policy success and a political failure, two states that seemingly contradict with one another. His presidency is considered a policy success due to its ability to successfully pass many key pieces of legislation, despite several challenges. On the other hand, Obama's presidency is also considered a political failure primarily due to the election of Donald J. Trump, someone who is not an ally to the Obama administration and has worked to undo Obama's accomplishments as president in nearly every area. Today, Obama's legacy as …

Understanding The Challenges Child Welfare Workers Encounter Related To Promoting The Online Safety Of Foster Youth, Denielle Kirk L. Abaquita

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Foster care case managers are responsible for the wellbeing of foster youth in the foster care system. Teens (ages 13-17) in foster care are most vulnerable to serious risks, such as sex trafficking. Such risks have been heightened by the advent of internet-based technologies that connect foster youth with unsafe others at unprecedented frequency and speed. This thesis examines how case managers tackle the challenge of online safety as it relates to adolescents in the foster care system in the United States. I conducted 32 semi-structured interviews with case managers who worked with foster teens (ages 13-17) within the past …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Price Of Insulin In Canada And The United States, Kimia Z. Badakhshan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

There's frequent discourse regarding the rising cost of insulin in the US. Insulin is a drug that over 7 million people rely on for survival, and it has tripled in cost over the last decade. The pricing regulation of the drug is dependent on multiple stakeholders, including wholesalers, pharmacy benefit managers, and manufacturing companies. Due to the lack of governmental intervention in the process of pharmaceutical cost regulation in the US, data on the price negotiations and the rebate system between these entities is unavailable in public records, making it difficult to determine a primary cause as the root of …

Middle School Education In Music Media Literacy Could Combat The Potential Negative Effects Of Exposure To Sexual Content In Music, Stephanie B. Mihalache

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The current study focused on examining the relationship between music media literacy and middle school students. The goal of the study was to bring awareness towards adding music media literacy in the middle school curriculum; in order to further educate middle school students on the potential negative effects of popular music on their attitudes and behaviors, help middle school students understand the processes involved in the creation of popular music, and help middle school students understand how popular music can reflect and impact society as a whole. Participants (n=20) were selected through social media ads, ads posted on listservs, and …

Viral Stories In Spanish And English: A Qualitative Analysis Of Narrative Perceptions Regarding Infant Immunizations Across Major Ethno-Linguistic Communities, Zeynep H. Elshaer

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to analyze the varying perceptions among Hispanic (Spanish-speaking) and Anglophone communities regarding vaccines and more specifically infant immunization practices, in order to identify common or diverging patterns of communication, information dissemination, and narrative discourse. Currently, medical messaging and health policy is largely formulated without thorough attention to the different ways diverse or minority ethno-linguistic communities may interpret the information, thereby leading to deficiencies in effective communication practices between individuals and healthcare providers or policymakers, and outright opposition between informal and formal public health messaging. This evaluation was conducted in order to broaden the current …

Emotion Experience To Expression: Influence Of Psychopathy, Expression Suppression, And Working Memory, Keira Monaghan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to explore the perceived discrepancies between individual scores of psychopathy, particularly the division of primary and secondary psychopathy, and how such scores may moderate the relationship of one's emotional experiences with the corresponding emotional expression. There is evidence to consider that a person's working memory ability and/or volitional suppression of expression may also moderate this relationship and result in constricted emotional expression, a trait often found in primary psychopathy. Undergraduate participants completed the study online, and after exclusions, a final sample size of 126 participants (62.7% women) was used in analyses. An initial linear …

Exploring The Role Of Mindfulness On Psychological Well-Being Among College Students, Nikole Elderkin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

More college students are experiencing stress that negatively affects their psychological wellbeing. Many universities are reporting that more students are seeking mental health services related to stress (Miller, Elder, Scavone, 2017). The intent of this thesis is to extend the previous research findings by specifically investigating the role of mindfulness on psychological well-being of college students. Participants were asked to complete a self-administered online survey that consists of the mindful attention awareness scale (MAAS) that measures the frequency of mindfulness state, the Psychological well-being scale (PWB) that measures six aspects of wellbeing and happiness, and the generalized self-efficacy scale (GSES). …

The Underlying Effects Of Religion In Puerto Rico, Claudia A. Chardon

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to explore the role religion has played in the Puerto Rican society. Growing up in this culture entails a deep and implicit connection with the religious world. Religious values, beliefs, and attitudes are firmly entrenched and amplified through the family, culture, and schools. Because it is so deeply entrenched, it is difficult to find a place to leverage a critique of its impact. Thus, in order to understand the societal matters and challenges the island faces, an in-depth study that explores the beliefs, attitudes, and behavior of Puerto Ricans is necessary.

Jrsm 1750: Precision Language (Syllabus), Thomas J. Hrach

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

No abstract provided.

Jrsm 4700: Media Law (Syllabus), David Arant

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

No abstract provided.

Crmm 4500: Web Publishing I: Html/Css (Syllabus), Jin Yang

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Introduction of web design software and web design concept; basic knowledge of web markup language html and cascading style sheets (CSS); overview of WordPress as content management system (CMS); development of website projects incorporating multimedia elements.

Jrsm 2121: Media Writing (Syllabus), Pamela Denney

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Basic instruction in journalistic forms and AP style; information gathering and composition of news stories; media literacy.

Pbrl 3409: Pr Case Studies (Syllabus), Kim Marks Malone

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Case studies and typical public relations problems; planning and preparation of communications materials for various media; application of public relations techniques.

Jrsm 7990: Media Portfolio (Syllabus), Thomas J. Hrach

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Development of digital portfolio of professional and/or academic work and presentation. S/U. (2 hours)

An Exploratory Examination Of The Digital Marijuana Policy Messaging Of Liberal, Governmental, And Conservative Organizations Utilizing Websites, Kimberly Kampe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to examine whether differences exist between the digital media promotion of marijuana policies by organizations based on their type (liberal, federal government, or conservative ). Concerns about illicit drug use in America are apparent when looking at the current discourse on marijuana policy. This discourse has been impacted by the media's construction of the drug problem and how that problem is defined by different sources. This messaging has the potential to impact societal views on crime, justice, and related policies. In the process of media persuasion, there are various organizations conveying divergent marijuana …

Long Distance Relationship Partners' Relationship Maintenance Behavior And Relationship Uncertainty Reduction, My Bui

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Social networking sites have become popular communication tools to make connections and maintain interpersonal relationships, especially for long-disance romantic relationship. Given the popularity of this new communicative platform, this study aims at updating their pattern in terms of their benefits in maintenance romantic relationships among college students. 133 students were recruited to assess their maintenance behaviors through their uses of computer-mediated communication and some traditional communicative channels as well as their uncertainty level. This results reveal that long-distance romantic relationship partners use computer-mediated communication tools such as texting, direct messaging, Snapchat, and others more frequently than partners in geographically close …

Prescription Drug Abuse Amongst The Elderly, Michael O'Blenis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis attempts to document and illuminate the growing issue of prescription drug abuse among the elderly population. The average elder in the U.S. takes at least one prescription drug per day, depending upon their health status. Likewise, elders that suffer from multiple chronic conditions are more likely to take multiple prescription drugs. As the lifespan of humankind grows well into their 90's and older, even more elders will be placed on prescription drugs. As part of this study, a narrative literature review was conducted to summarize the topic of prescription drug abuse amongst the elderly. The findings suggest that …

Microdialysis: A Method For Quantifying In Situ Nitrogen Fluxes In Soil Microsites, Srusti Maddala, Mary C. Savin, Julie A. Stenken, Lisa S. Wood

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

Microdialysis, a diffusion-based sampling technique commonly used in biomedical research, has recently been recognized as a candidate for monitoring chemical changes in the rhizosphere. The information it provides about nutrient diffusion may improve nitrogen use efficiency, leading to enhanced management and success of restoration projects. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of microdialysis sampling to quantify the relative recoveries (RR%) of nitrate-N and ammonium-N, the two inorganic nitrogen compounds typically found in soil. The effects of microdialysis flow rate, sample medium concentration, and the presence of both analytes in solution on the relative recoveries obtained from …

The Economics Of On-Farm Rice Drying In Arkansas, Clayton J. Parker, Lanier Nalley

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

Globally, rice producers are faced with the temporal problem of deciding the optimal time to harvest rice. When harvested, paddy rice is typically at a harvest moisture content (HMC) between 15% and 22% and subsequently dried by the mill to a moisture content (MC) of 12.5%. Riceland Foods Inc., the largest miller of rice in the world, uses a stair-step pricing model to charge farmers to dry, which can complicate the timing of harvest as producers try to balance the tradeoff of minimizing drying costs by waiting to harvest at lower HMC vs. maintaining higher rice quality typically observed when …

Health Behaviors And Pandemics, Jay E. Maddock, Anna E. Greer

Public Health Faculty Publications

Human health behaviors are essential to reducing the spread and impact of pandemics. However, most behavioral scientists do not work in the area of pandemics given the infrequency of their occurrences. This editorial examines relevant health behavior theories, in particular the precaution adoption process model, and how these apply to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Biofiltration Ability Of Asparagus Densiflorus To Remove Sulfur Dioxide From The Indoor Atmosphere, Rhiannon De La Rosa, Mary Savin

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

Sulfur dioxide is an inorganic compound (IC) and air pollutant that causes health risks in humans. The buildup of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in enclosed indoor spaces is, therefore, a concern to human health, especially since the average person spends 90% of his/her time indoors. This study focused on decreasing SO2 concentration in a cost-effective and simple way—by using botanical biofiltration, or the uptake of pollutants by plants. Research in biofiltration has focused mostly on the remediation of volatile organic compounds (VOC). However, research has also shown that plant species that remediate VOC efficiently also have the potential for efficient IC …

The Political Preference Of Arkansas Farmers And Ranchers, Rachel J. Barry, Donna L. Graham

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

Access to information is critical to improving production efficiency, but little is known about how farmers are informed on the policy or issues influencing programs related to farming. This research sought to determine the sources of communication used by farmers and ranchers to form opinions about agricultural policy and candidates, identify the issues important in voting, and their level of participation in the political process. Face-to-face interaction was the preferred form of communication in farm organization meetings, with friends, or farm agencies. Magazines were the preferred source of print communication, and university/extension websites were preferred for internet sources. Broadcast media …

Spies And The Virus: The Covid-19 Pandemic And Intelligence Communication In The United States, Ana Maria Lankford, Derrick Storzieri, Joseph Fitsanakis

Intelligence and Security Studies

This paper introduces a crucial parameter to the novel coronavirus response in the United States, by shedding light on the early-warning role of intelligence agencies. It argues that the intelligence components of the federal government's Biological Defense Program offered actionable forewarning about an impending pandemic in the years leading to the COVID-19 outbreak. Yet, almost from the opening stages of the pandemic, senior US government officials, including President Donald Trump, have repeatedly claimed that the virus "came out of nowhere"and that "nobody saw it coming."We show that these assertions contradict more than 15 years of pandemic preparedness warnings by intelligence …

Rejecting Bolivarianism: Political Power In South America, Jaiya Mcmillan

Undergraduate Research Awards

By the time he was 36, Simon Bolivar had freed six countries from Spanish rule, often fighting armies of thousands with a couple hundred militia rebels. Bolivar was an incredible military strategist with a liberal approach, and went on to govern both Peru, and then-Gran Colombia, which was made up of modern-day Colombia and Venezuela. After his death in 1830, each of the countries he liberated mourned his loss, and in the almost two centuries since then, leaders have constantly used his name in order to revive his spirit and bolster their own political agendas. One such example is the …

The Perceptions Of Juvenile Judges Regarding Adolescent Development In Evaluating Juvenile Competency, Colleen M. Berryessa, Jillian Reeves

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

This analysis provides the first known in-depth qualitative inquiry into if and how juvenile court judges take the psycho-social immaturity and development of adolescents into consideration when making attributions of adjudicative competency of offenders in juvenile court. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-seven U.S. juvenile court judges, followed by grounded theory analysis. Competency evaluations from psychologists and the juvenile’s age, history, awareness, and mental capacity influence judicial determinations of competency. Although data show that understandings of adolescent development do play a large role in shaping judges’ understandings of juvenile behavior—particularly related to emotional control, irrational behavior, lack of maturity, and …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, January 2021, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 2. Issue 1

Contents:

[Page] 1 Dean's Message
[Page] 2 -3 Awards & Recognition
[Page] 4 Student Club Spotlight: BMGSA
[Page] 5 Open PRAIRIE Data
[Page] 6 Research Spotlight: Dr. Michael Hildreth
[Page] 7 Celebrating the Life of Dr. Auger

Sympathy For Cecil: Gender, Trophy Hunting, And The Western Environmental Imaginary, Eric S. Godoy

Faculty Publications - Philosophy

This article draws from political ecology and ecofeminism to examine sympathy, expressed by record-breaking donations from North Americans, for the death of Cecil the Lion. The overlapping normative critique offered by these two perspectives together demonstrates how sympathy is disclosive of power relations. Sympathy reveals, relies upon, and reinforces different forms of gender, racial, and neocolonial domination; especially when western sympathy remains ignorant of the power relations, including their politics and histories, that shape attitudes toward non-human animals and grant them status as members of the (western) moral community.

Book Review: Copyright Conversations: Rights Literacy In A Digital World, Amie D. Freeman

Faculty and Staff Publications

The topic of copyright is rarely far from a librarian's mind. Practitioners must navigate creator and user rights within the constraints of complex license and contract agreements in digital environments. Librarians have to understand, explain, educate, and apply copyright law on a regular basis, often without formal training. Copyright Conversations: Rights Literacy in a Digital World is a notable work that endeavors to summarize, explain, and comment on many of the complicated copyright-related topics that librarians encounter in the digital realm.

Rethinking Curation In School Libraries And School Library Education: Critical, Conceptual, Collaborative, Jenna Spiering, Kate Lechtenberg

Faculty Publications

School library educators often assign a curation assignment to preservice school librarians in the university classroom. However, these projects emphasize a product created by librarians for teachers and learners, rather than the collaborative and critical process that the National School Library Standards suggest. In this paper, we draw on data from a qualitative inquiry of several courses for preservice school librarians, looking at both curation assignment descriptions and the final products. Through a systematic content analysis of these projects, we have found that these assignments often fall short in asking our learners to critically consider conceptual connections and diverse perspectives. …