Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Almost Last Again? Mississippi's Labor Force Participation Rate: Causes And Solutions, John Martin Fox

Honors Theses

Mississippi is currently ranked second to last in labor force participation rate in the country. This is the latest damning statistic inhibiting the state from growing and becoming a more nationally recognized state with higher economic output. This thesis examines how Mississippi arrived at this bleak labor force participation rate and what is currently ongoing to alleviate it. It also examines some possible proposed solutions to accelerate those efforts. Through extensive research and numerous interviews with officials from public and private sector employees directly dealing with this predicament, this thesis has assembled a thorough and comprehensive picture of how the …

Anxiety And Depression Symptoms And Certainty In Negative Future Predictions: The Role Of Intolerance Of Uncertainty And Perseverative Thought, Isabella Glennon

Psychology Student Scholarship

Isabella Glennon ’25, Biology & Psychology major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Emily Gentes, Psychology

Understanding the underlying mechanisms of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) — the tendency to experience discomfort when faced with an uncertain future — and perseverative thought (PT) — characterized by repetitive, negative thinking such as rumination — plays a crucial role in advancing our understanding of anxiety and depression. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between anxiety and depression symptoms and the roles of IU and PT, particularly in relation to the development of certainty in negative future predictions.

Jealousy And Conflict: The Mediation Between Romantic Attachment Styles And Dating Aggression, Alexa Wing

Psychology Student Scholarship

Alexa Wing ’25, Psychology, Sociology, and Women’s & Gender Studies major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Charlene Collibee, Psychology

This study examined whether jealousy and conflict mediate the relationship between romantic attachment and dating aggression (DA). Data were collected over six months from 120 young adults (ages 18–25) with a history of DA in romantic relationships. Measures assessed attachment style, jealousy, conflict, and DA. Results showed that relational anxiety was associated with both jealousy and DA. Jealousy partially mediated the link between anxiety and DA, but conflict did not. No significant associations emerged between relational avoidance and DA. Discussion will address the …

Perceptions Of Aging & Sleep Health, Grace Lynch

Psychology Student Scholarship

Grace Lynch ’25, Psychology and Biology major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Caitlan Tighe, Psychology

Intolerance Of Uncertainty In Trauma And Ptsd, Juliette Bonchonsky, Zoe Rosnov, Jayden Peacock

Psychology Student Scholarship

Juliette Bonchonsky ’26, Psychology major

Zoe Rosnov ’25, Psychology major

Jayden Peacock ’25, Neuroscience major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Emily Gentes, Psychology

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is associated with PTSD severity (Raines et al., 2019), even among those with subthreshold symptoms (Clauss et al., 2023). The objective of the present study was to test if there is a specific association between IU and PTSD symptoms, or if trauma exposure is also associated with elevated IU.

Adults diagnosed by clinical interview with current PTSD (n=25), history of trauma without PTSD symptoms (n=28), and no trauma history (n=48) were given the Intolerance of …

Repetitive Negative Thought, Subjective Stress, And Symptoms Of Depression And Anxiety, Haley Margulies, Juliette Bonchonsky, Isabella Glennon

Psychology Student Scholarship

Haley Margulies ’25, Biology and Psychology major

Juliette Bonchonsky ’26, Psychology major

Isabella Glennon ’25, Biology & Psychology major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Emily Gentes, Psychology

Engagement in repetitive negative thought (RNT) in response to stress may be associated with risk for anxiety and depression. Individuals who engage in rumination following stressful life events are more likely to experience negative affect and symptoms of depression and anxiety (Ruscio et al., 2011). Similarly, worrying after a stressful life event is prospectively associated with increased stress symptoms (Roussis & Wells, 2008). The purpose of the present study is to test whether subjective stress …

Library And Learning Resources Committee Ir Presentation, Ashley L. Smith

Library Presentations

No abstract provided.

Addressing Interoperability Issues In Employment For Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Teaching Self-Determination Skills In Conjunction With Early Exposure To Work Experiences, Matthew Husband

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Innovations in OT Symposium: Transforming Possibilities into Practice

Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who graduate from high school face higher rates of unemployment, lower wages than their neurotypical peers, and lower levels of self-determination, which is crucial for autonomy and positive adult outcomes. Early exposure to work experiences, whether paid or voluntary, has been identified as a key predictor of post-school success. However, there is a significant gap in services when students graduate from high school, and parents often lack the preparation to navigate transition-related resources related to their child’s employment, transportation and independent living.

To address these challenges, this project provided early exposure to work experiences, …

A Unique Light: The Presence, Salience And Portrayal Of Unique Religious Values On College Football Television Broadcasts, Joseph Bradford Hovey

Theses and Dissertations

A mixed-methods content analysis case study of BYU football broadcasts (2023-2024), guided by agenda setting and framing theories, was conducted to determine to what extent the unique Latter-day Saint religious values of BYU were present and salient, as well as how they were framed, on BYU football television broadcasts. Using the university's 2024 brand messaging guide as a standard for topics indicative of such religious values, the 25 game broadcasts were analyzed and coded for presence or absence of religious values along with sentiment valence in each case. Frequency tests determined that 56% of games over the two seasons included …

Testing The Feasibility, Acceptability, And Preliminary Impact Of A Brief Behavioral Sleep Intervention To Improve School-Aged Childhood Sleep Behaviors, Isabella Delores Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Parent knowledge of what healthy sleep looks like in their children has scarcely been evaluated, and little is known as to whether improving child sleep through a brief behavioral intervention that emphasizes mastery, personalization, motivation, and modeling will enhance sleep outcomes in children. As a result, we designed this study with the following aims in mind: 1) determine existing parental knowledge of healthy child sleep practices of parents; 2) test the impact of a personalized, brief parental sleep intervention aimed at increasing parental self-efficacy and parent behaviors; and 3) determine preliminary feasibility, acceptability, and impact of this personalized intervention …

Emdr Therapy Booth, Angela Reyes, Ana Ledezma, Kinsley Eiserloh, Coello Jimenez, Christian Rivera

Psychology Student Research - Archive

Our booth will provide an explanation of the lesser-known therapy known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which is designed to alleviate psychological trauma. This therapy is particularly relevant for individuals affected by traumatic events that have caused distress in day-to-day life. We will offer a demonstration of the therapy session, inclusive of the equipment utilized during the process. Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage with a qualified professional in the field who possesses relevant experience, allowing for a Q&A session.

Reality Therapy Booth, Emily Herrera, Kay Cedano, Genevieve Martinez, Gisselle Landeros, Laura Aguirre

Psychology Student Research - Archive

Our booth focuses on Reality Therapy, which is centered around fulfilling five basic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun while encouraging individuals to make effective choices. To demonstrate these concepts, we created a role-playing game using the mobile app Episode. The game is based on the Twilight movie series and incorporates the five basic needs to show how players can apply Choice Theory to take responsibility for meeting their own needs.

In the game, players take on the role of “Trella” (a parody of Bella), and can choose between Schmacob (Jacob), Fredward (Edward), or themselves as a …

The Relationship Between Stress, Burnout, Attendance, And Methods Of Self-Care Among Teachers, Jennifer M. Sturm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teachers exposed to prolonged stress have been documented at higher risk for poor physical and mental health, including high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression. To ameliorate the effects of prolonged stress, teachers have employed a variety of coping strategies, and some sought medical care. To date, little research exists regarding absenteeism and medication usage among teachers. This study sought to determine the relationship between stress, burnout, and medication usage in relation to absenteeism. This study also sought to determine the role of thriving in the above relationships. An internet-based survey was distributed to U.S. teachers via social media and email. …

The Relationship Between Yoga Practice And Sports Performance Of High-Level Athletes, Molly Freeman

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to review existing literature to determine if there is a relationship between yoga practice and the sports performance of high-level athletes. As awareness of mental health in sports continues to grow, athletes and coaches are searching for therapeutic methods to promote well-being and boost sports performance Yoga is a practice combining breath, meditation, and movement that has many physical and mental benefits. This literature review explores the impact of these benefits on athletic performance. Findings that yoga can boost physical and mental fitness, two very important attributes of successful athletes, point to the practice …

The Interaction Between Parenting Styles, College Adjustment, And Decision Making In Undergraduate Freshman And Sophomores, Taylor Phillips

Honors Theses

Although considerable research has investigated how parenting styles impact child development, little is known about how parenting styles correlate with young adults’ adjustment to college. Parenting styles children are raised with may impact the development of skills such as resilience, problem-solving, and emotional regulation that influence how they react to difficult life transitions. Parenting styles may also impact a person’s decision making, including in situations involving self-control. Thus, the goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between parenting style, college adjustment, and self-control. This study used the Parenting Style and Dimension Questionnaire- Short Version, the Student Adaption to …

Anxiety- And Compulsivity-Linked Differences In Reinforcement Learning In A Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Game, Tessa Medeiros

Neuroscience Program Student Scholarship

Tessa Medeiros ’26, Biology & Psychology major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Andra Geana, Psychology and Neuroscience

Reinforcement learning (RL) mathematically describes how agents learn to maximize the reward of their environment by understanding and comparing their choice options. This project investigates how anxiety and compulsivity impact the selection of these options and to what extent a text-based, narrative (rather than a game-like environment) changes RL processes in humans.

Examining Repetitive Negative Thought Among Individuals With Eating Disorders, Laney Manware

Psychology Student Scholarship

Laney Manware ’25, Psychology major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Emily Gentes, Psychology

Repetitive negative thought (RNT), encompassing both rumination and worry, has been increasingly recognized as a significant factor in eating disorders. While rumination has been both concurrently and prospectively linked to eating disorder symptoms, the relationship between worry and eating disorders remains less explored (Smith et al., 2018). This study examines worry in individuals with anorexia, binge eating disorder, and bulimia using data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Results show that those with binge eating disorder or bulimia report more worry than those without eating disorders, suggesting that worry …

Substance Use And Its Impact On Peer Relationships At Providence College, Catherine Hien, Clara Johnson, Ava Zakhour

Social Work Student Scholarship

Catherine Hien ’26, Social Work major

Clara Johnson ’26, Social Work and English major

Ava Zakhour ’26, Social Work major

Faculty mentor: Dr. Robert Hasson, Social Work

Our research delves into the use of substances among students at Providence College and how it may impact the quality of their peer relationships.

Lindenwood Digest, April 23, 2025, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

The Lindenwood Digest has been a digital employee newsletter since 2009.

Inside The Mad Mind: Medical Ethics In 19th Century Fiction, Danielle Dentremont

College Honors Program

The professionalization of medicine in mid-to-late 19th century America and Britain corresponded with heightened critical scrutiny of the ethics of doctor-patient relationships in contemporary fiction. With ethics frameworks of the century focused primarily on good fellowship between practitioners, it was difficult to charge practitioners with bad ethics. Yet, the broader debates of vivisection and women’s rights brought to light power imbalances between men and women that novelists began to suggest were present in medicine as well. Wilkie Collins’ Heart and Science weighs in on the danger of the doctor-scientist encroaching on women’s rights with the suggestion that women will be …

The Economic Factors Of Suicide, Hogan C. Fox

Honors College Theses

This study examines how macroeconomic indicators influence state‐level suicide rates in the United States and, critically, how those effects differ by gender. Drawing on annual data from all fifty states over 2010–2020, I merge age‐adjusted suicide rates from CDC WONDER with five key economic indicator: real hourly compensation, labor productivity, employment rate, median income, and logged state GD, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. After comparing pooled OLS, random‐effects, first‐difference, and two‐way fixed‐effects specifications, I adopt a two-way, state‐and‐year fixed‐effects model for its superior fit and capacity to control for unobserved heterogeneity. …

The Leading Causes Of Homelessness In Two Southeastern Counties Of Pennsylvania, Lucia Christine Spargo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homelessness is a complex and multifaceted leading social issue in the United States. Society tends to focus on the individual as the cause of their own homelessness, blaming the victim rather than larger social and/or economic factors. There is an excess amount of data surrounding why/how an individual becomes homeless, but there is very little research examining the leading causes of homelessness in smaller geographic areas, such as counties. This study provides a better understanding and analysis of the leading causes of homelessness in two suburban counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania using binary logistic regression. Using ArcGIS, the study identified potential …

Is Aid Good For The Poor In Sub-Saharan Africa?, Elisha Mavodyo

Business Review

We contribute to the aid-poverty literature in Sub-Saharan Africa in two fundamental respects. First, we sidestep the controversial aid-growth-poverty relationship by analysing the direct impacts of aid on poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. Second, in line with previous studies, we first analysed the impact of aid on poverty headcount, poverty gap, and poverty gap squared. We complemented this analysis with an analysis of the direct impact of aid on the incomes of the poor, followed by an analysis of aid on inequality. Such an approach allowed us to draw nuanced conclusions about how effective foreign aid is in alleviating not just …

From Doing Business To B-Ready: World Bank’S New Rankings Represent A Rebrand, Not A Revamp, Fernanda G. Nicola, Dhaisy Paredes Guzman

Popular Media

In 2021, the World Bank shut down one of its flagship projects: the Doing Business index, a global ranking system that measured how easy it was to start and run a business in 190 countries. It followed an independent investigation that found World Bank officials had manipulated the rankings to favor powerful countries, including China and Saudi Arabia. The scandal raised serious concerns about the use of global benchmarks to shape development policy. Now, the Bank is trying again. In October 2024, it launched its newest flagship report, Business Ready. The 2025 spring meeting of the World Bank and its …

Sustainable Brand Trust In Mobile Banking: A Case Study Of Bsi Mobile User Reviews On Google Play, Novian Tiandini, Haqqi Hidayatullah

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

In contemporary times, communication is important in resolving problems or crises in various field. One of them in digital transactions. The digital transactions are a frequently performed activity, including the use of mobile banking (m-banking), which has become an essential application due to the high volume of transactions utilizing it. Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) mobile is one of Indonesia's mobile banking services that experienced disruptions for several days in May 2023. Even BSI issued an official statement regarding the issue through their social media. This has the potential to affect users' trust in their brand, while a brand's strength is …

Through The Looking Glass : Diversity Through The Eyes Of A Dress Form, Amara Copeland

LSU Master's Theses

This article aims to look into educational institutions and how they address diversity using curatorial displays. Does fashion and costume curation add to the seclusion of luxury? Looking into this correlation, this study aims to answer these next couple of questions. How does museum curation add to fashion social norms? Is it a subconscious or conscious decision when deciding on a mannequin or dress form? How do museum and fashion curations add to the exclusion of minorities in the world of luxury? What is costume luxury, and who do we say can obtain it?

This research aims to understand the …

God’S Got Me:The Intersection Of Faith And Mental Healing, Bre'anna Coleman

Honors Theses

Due to the lack of healthcare accessibility and other factors within the Mississippi Delta, faith and the church is often utilized within African American communities in the area as a form of mental wellness. The Intersection of Faith and Mental Healing was a photo voice methodology project that highlighted how faith and mental healing intersect and impact African Americans within the Mississippi Delta. Through three prompts, six participants discussed mental health and how faith, location, and their identities shaped their views of mental wellness. Five participants were male with one female participant. Their ages ranged from eighteen to sixty five …

Analysis Of Skeletal Trauma: Examining Current And Potential, Maia Stevenson

D.U.Quark

Skeletal trauma is an important component of death investigations which is often discovered through postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) scanning. The analysis of skeletal trauma is a key process in the medicolegal field which could provide information on the cause and manner of death of the individual. Though PMCT provides useful imaging data for discovery, there is a lack of reliable technological tools for analyzation of such data. More definitive skeletal reconstruction tools and injury mechanism categorization tools would increase the efficiency of the post-mortem examination process. This review observes the current methods of discovering skeletal trauma through PMCT and surveys …

Exploring The Associations Between Young Adults' Autistic Traits And Parental Differential Treatment, Madelyn Winder Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

The current study sought to identify autistic traits that may elicit parental differential treatment (PDT). Understanding these links are important because numerous studies have shown PDT to have negative implications for healthy development. Participants (recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk) completed a survey assessing their experiences of parental differential treatment and their own autistic traits using the Autism Quotient (AQ) measure (Baron-Cohen et al., 2001). Participants were young adults ages 18-29 (M age = 25.4; 57% Female, 43% Male; 73% White, n = 739) who resided in the U.S. and had at least one living sibling. Using regression analysis, we examined …

I Do, And I Will: Effectual Religiosity May Strengthen The Triad Chord Of Commitment To Promote Marital Flourishing For Women Of Faith, Tamara M. Chamberlain

Theses and Dissertations

Although religiosity often associates with marital satisfaction in sociological studies, very few studies have examined religiosity strengthening marital commitment for women of faith. This study used an exemplary sample to explore how religious, heterosexual married women view religion strengthening their marital commitment. Interviews from 196 highly religious couples provided insight into the following themes and subthemes (1) personal commitment, (a) decision to marry, (b) religious beliefs and practices, and (c) requires effort and sacrifice; (2) moral commitment, (a) sexual relations before marriage, (b) promises made before God, friends, and family, and (c) fidelity and feelings about divorce; and (3) structural …