Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Law And Literature In Pennsylvania: A Changing Landscape, Juliette Gaggini

Honors Theses

This thesis examines themes of American national identity perpetuated in Pennsylvania surrounding private property through historical, literary and legal analysis. Ideals of private property and land ownership are broken into three transitions throughout Pennsylvania history: the American frontier and initial land claiming by settlers, mass-deforestation and the introduction of widespread agriculture, and finally industrialization and the introduction of mining and fracking. Each of these transitions highlights the physical changes to the region and how they were influenced by American ideals of private property, productivity, and profitability.

Throughout this thesis, I analyze both literary and legal texts to examine societal beliefs …

Exploring The Impact Of Public Health Messaging On Maternal Health Engagement In The Us: A Focus On Racial Disparities And Persuasive Evidence; By Shelby Mokricky; April 29, 2024, Shelby A. Mokricky

Honors Theses

With the current rise of maternal mortality rates in the United States, particularly among Black women, this project aimed to understand more about how the content of maternal health campaigns affects participants' desire to create action and change. We examined two factors, the type of persuasive evidence presented, anecdotal stories or statistical information, and whether the message discussed the racial disparities in maternal mortality or not. Using Cloud Research’s Connect Platform 500 survey participants were randomly assigned to read one of four public health campaigns, then asked to complete a series of questions relating to their support of combating maternal …

(Re)Constructing Race: How Essentialist Beliefs Shape Social Justice Support, Abbey Alvarado

Honors Theses

The political climate and social discourse around social justice has grown increasingly tense and hostile in recent years. The current study investigated potential predictors of the opposition to support for racial equity and social justice reforms. Research illustrates that a biological conceptualization of race (“essentialism”) has powerful implications on information processing and social-psychological outcomes regarding issues of race and racism. In the current study, we conducted a survey of 164 University of Richmond undergraduate students. The survey examined the interplay of essentialism and beliefs about systemic racism and white privilege on social justice support. The results showed that essentialist beliefs …

Examining Variability In And Contextual Predictors Of College Student Belonging, Yangyue Li

Honors Theses

The purpose of the study is to examine disparities in belonging and whether contextual factors predict a higher sense of belonging among fourth-year undergraduate students at UR. My findings suggest that 1) underrepresented students (with racial/ethnic minority, low-income, and first-generation identities) reported lower belonging compared to their majority peers, 2) inclusive campus climate and contact with peers from different backgrounds predicted greater belonging, and 3) first-generation status moderated the association between contact with diverse peers and sense of belonging.

Black Lives Matter: Is It Political?, Caroline O. Glaser

Honors Theses

The present research focused on foster ing greater support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement by examining factors that predict support for the movement, and possible mechanisms implicated in this relationship. The BLM movement was founded in 2013 following the death of teenager Trayvon Martin, and reached a remarkable height of media attention in the summer of 2020, following the murder of George Floyd. Since then, support for BLM has fluctuated, becoming a highly politicized movem ent that has faced much public debate.

Our study focused on factors that predict support for BLM in the current politic al climate. …

The Value Of Prison Education: Evaluating The Impact Of Education Through Desistance, Cheryl Chan

Honors Theses

The United States faces an epidemic of incarceration, draining resources, disrupting families, and hindering societal participation. Prison education emerges as a method to address this cycle, with vocational and academic programs being pivotal. While vocational programs are more common, their long-term efficacy remains uncertain. Academic education, exemplified by programs like the Bard Prison Initiative, provides incarcerated individuals with an opportunity to change. Typically, the success of these programs are measured using recidivism. However, recidivism has become too narrow of a measure to properly capture the nuances of an education. There has been an emerging body of scholarship studying desistance and …

Black And Blue All Over: Whose Lives Matter?, Bella Purvis

Honors Theses

This study investigated the influence of beliefs about race on support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Blue Lives Matter (BluLM) movements, mediated by attitudes towards police and beliefs about white privilege. Utilizing a sample of undergraduate university students, data were obtained through a survey measuring beliefs in the biological and social constructs of race, support for police, belief in white privilege, and attitudes toward BLM and BluLM. Results indicated that individuals who perceive race as a biological construct are less likely to support BLM and more likely to support BluLM, while beliefs in white privilege and attitudes towards …

Examining The Link Between Autistic Personality Traits And Processing Of Metonymy, Miranda Moe

Honors Theses

Previous research has investigated the real-time processing and offline interpretation of metonyms. This work has generally shown that readers experience longer processing times for metonyms versus control nouns because of the extra time needed to access the figurative sense of a metonym. Recent research has also demonstrated different processing patterns on nonliteral language for individuals with autism spectrum disorder compared to typically developing participants. The current study was designed to explore whether previous findings on the processing of metonymy are modulated by individual differences in autistic personality traits. Through an eye-tracking during reading experiment, participants read sentences in which factors …

Divided Discourse: Analyzing Abortion Rhetoric In The 2016 Presidential Debates, Ella Hayes

Honors Theses

How did the party affiliation of the speaker affect the rhetoric used to talk about abortion in the 2016 American presidential election? Using computer-assisted qualitative analysis and coding for instances of framing, metaphors, and bridging rhetoric, I look at debate transcripts during the election cycle from the American Presidency Project, tracing both Democratic and Republican primaries into the general election. I argue that across all debates and speeches, Democrats invoke the“morality as empathy metaphor and the Nurturant Parent model in their arguments more than Republicans. In contrast, I argue that Republicans invoke the“morality as strength" metaphor and the Strict Father …

Longitudinal Associations Between Peer Victimization And School Belonging In Elementary-Aged Children, Bridget E. Mcguiness

Honors Theses

Belonging is crucial for children’s social adjustment, and peer victimization has the potential to threaten belonging. Alternatively, it is possible that low levels of belonging can elicit higher victimization. My study determined the directionality of the relationship between peer victimization and belonging and whether gender moderated the relationship. There was no evidence that peer victimization was associated with decreases in classroom belonging, but low belonging was associated with higher levels of peer victimization. Gender did not moderate the relationship.

Prototypicality And Need To Belong: How One’S Standing In The Group Affects Parochial Cooperation, Huidi Yuan

Honors Theses

This study explores the dynamics of parochial cooperation within intergroup social dilemmas, specifically examining the roles of harm, prototypicality, and the need to belong (NTB). Utilizing an experimental design and an adapted investment game, the study investigates how these factors influence individuals' decisions to engage in cooperation that is biased towards their own group, especially when such actions potentially harm outgroup members. The findings reveal a strong preference for parochial cooperation over universal cooperation and free-riding, consistent with previous research on ingroup favoritism. Notably, this preference is significantly moderated by the harm condition, where participants reduced their parochial investments when …

Music And Perceived Stress: An Investigation Into The Effects Of Music On Chemistry Students' Perceived Stress Levels, Alice Young, Eric Malina

Honors Theses

Music has long been a prevalent intervention when trying to lower stress in certain populations (Thoma et al., 2013). This study aimed to explore the possible usefulness of music as an intervention for students experiencing stress in the chemistry laboratory setting. Students in general chemistry laboratories were surveyed regarding their stress at the ends of periods in which music was or was not played in their laboratory classes. While the results were not statistically significant, mean stress scores did lower in those groups where music was played. Further research into this topic should focus on type of music, the effects …

Shifting Grounds: Movement And Continuity In Mustang, Nepal, Lauren Carter

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the socio-cultural and economic transformations in the Mustang region of Nepal. Drawing from fieldwork conducted over a month, this study examines how traditional economic activities, particularly yak herding, are being replaced by tourism and agriculture due to shifting socio-economic conditions and global influences. The concept of 'adaptive traditionality' is introduced to describe how the community in Mustang actively engages with both internal pressures and external changes to reshape their socio-cultural landscape. This adaptability is evident in the transition from nomadic pastoralism to more sedentary agricultural practices and tourism, which not only reflects a survival tactic but also …

A Comparison Of Symptom Profiles In Probands With 16p11.2 Deletion And Duplication Syndromes: Repetitive Behavior And Psychosis Proneness, Adrianna Rakauskas

Honors Theses

The present study examines two classes of behavior in probands with the 16p11.2 duplication and deletion: repetitive behavior and psychosis spectrum behavior. It was hypothesized that 1.) deletion and duplication cases will differ significantly in the means and profiles of repetitive behaviors across five subscales and 2.)16p11.2 duplication cases will exhibit more schizotypal traits than the deletion cases. Data on 94 total participants was obtained from the Simmons Variation Individuals Project. Three scales were used to measure behavior: the Childhood Routines Inventory-Revised, the Childhood Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences, and the Child Behavior Checklist. Data analysis was conducted using …

Why Didn't The Republican Majority Repeal The Affordable Care Act In 2017?, Kaitlyn Calnan

Honors Theses

The provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were originally designed to be funded through an individual mandate. Thus, after the repeal of the mandate penalty in 2017, most supporters believed the entire ACA would collapse. However, despite a Republican Congressional majority, it has not. How come? While Republicans have generally opposed government involvement in healthcare, today’s Republican party has taken a populist turn. A study of American populism suggests that populism is compatible with government involvement in healthcare. America’s original right populist, the Nebraskan William Jennings Bryan, began a movement that produced electoral success as it moved north, even …

The Integrity Of Women: The Anthropological Vision Of Humanae Vitae, Emily Fasteson

Honors Theses

The Catholic Church has expressed its opposition to contraception from the beginning. Use of the Pill is not coincident with the Church’s vision of the human person, and I will explore the anthropological grounds upon which the Church informs her stance. Modernity has a different anthropology than that of the Church; I seek to unearth and understand the difference between these two views by synthesizing the philosophy and theology behind Humanae vitae, taking its predictions seriously, and analyzing how they have come to fruition in the modern world. My focus is on man’s attempt to overcome his own limits …

The Impacts Of Identity On Perceptions Of Safety On A Predominately White Campus, Rebecca Delrosso

Honors Theses

This quantitative study examines the relationship between students’ marginalized identities of race, gender, and sexuality and their perceptions of safety at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Survey data collected from undergraduates at a small liberal arts university reveal associations between minority identities and feelings of discomfort, insecurity, discrimination, and vulnerability on campus. The findings highlight the need for PWIs to prioritize secure and inclusive environments through policies, practices, and support systems.

Defending The Role Of A Principle Of Proportionality In Just Punishment, Emma Mecklenburg

Honors Theses

What makes a punishment just or unjust is a familiar topic that the public and scholars alike recognize as an important question. Many factors are involved in conversations surrounding the just length of sentences, but this paper will specifically investigate two central questions: First, what makes a punishment just, and second, what role does a principle of proportionality play in thinking about just punishment.

Immigration Level And Its Impact On The United States Labor Market Tightness, Khai Quy La

Honors Theses

This research investigates the complex interplay between immigration labor and market equilibrium in the United States, focusing on the period from 2000 to 2019. By examining the correlation between the rate of net international migration and the unemployment-to-vacancy ratio (U/V) across 51 states, the study uncovers significant relationships that shed light on immigration dynamics in response to labor market conditions. The findings support the hypothesis that a decrease in the U/V ratio leads to an increase in immigration in the following period as immigrants seek improved job employment prospects.

Opioid Policy Solutions: Administrative Law, Legislation, And Constitutional Reform, Trevin Stevens

Honors Theses

I have written three separate policy briefs addressing issues in the pharmaceutical industry that allowed for the opioid epidemic to reach the magnitude that it has in the last three decades. I examined public policy regarding labeling, drug diversion, and misuse, as well as marketing. By studying existing policies, I was able to provide insight into possible reforms, while accounting for potential obstacles to systematic reform, such as constitutional concerns regarding free speech.

Trading Perspectives: The Impact Of Gender In Shaping National Trade Policies, Katherine Kwiatkowski

Honors Theses

Economic and political factors have been shown to influence the trade policy decisions of national leaders. The impact of a national leader’s gender on their trade policy preferences remains an underexplored area of research. The increasing share of female national leaders raises the question of whether their policy preferences vary from those of male leaders because of their gender. In this study, I utilize the gender of a nation’s leader to implement a two-way fixed effects regression that analyzes the impact of gender on a leader’s trade policy preferences. Controlling for factors that could also impact a leader’s trade policy …

The Unconstitutional Backlog In The Commonwealth Of Massachusetts Criminal Justice System: A Three Step Plan To Decrease The Delay, Cassidy Louise Elliott

Honors Theses

Currently, within the Massachusetts Criminal Justice System, defendants are forced to wait up to 12 months for a trial. These pre-trial delays have significantly detrimental effects on defendants. For example, there are economic implications, strains on personal relationships, and physical and mental health risks associated with incarceration. There are several other criminal justice systems that can provide criminal defendants trials in a timelier manner than Massachusetts. This thesis explores the right to a speedy and fair trial under the U.S. Constitution, the reasons for the potentially unconstitutional delays in Massachusetts, and proposes reforms to ensure individuals accused of a crime …

The Religious Landscape Of Uruguay In The Third Millennium: Present Piety As A Product Of The Past?, Brandon Kriplean

Honors Theses

Of all Latin American countries, Uruguay enjoys both the lowest percentage of Catholics and the highest percentage of religiously unaffiliated. The central aim of this thesis is to explore the extent to which historical secularization processes and laicidad are responsible for the low number of Catholics and the large number of religiously unaffiliated. With regards to the former, the historical evidence suggests that the small Catholic population is not a result of laicidad but is instead a product of internal issues within the Uruguayan Catholic Church. Part 1 of this thesis will explore the factors that have weakened the Uruguayan …

Cannabis-Induced Psychotic Disorder And Schizophrenia Diagnostic Comparison, Tyanna Brodhagen

Honors Theses

Recent changes in cannabis legalization will have broad societal impacts for decades to come, not the least of which are the unknown consequences to neuropsychiatric health, particularly for adolescents and young adults. Cannabis-induced psychotic disorder (CIPD) is a controversial and poorly understood neuropsychiatric condition characterized by a psychotic experience brought on by excessive cannabis intoxication and/or withdrawal. Although CIPD is currently an uncommon diagnosis, the overlapping symptomology and comorbidity with schizophrenia indicates CIPD may be underdiagnosed. Some authors suggest the under diagnosis of CIPD may be correlated to physician diagnostic practices. This honors thesis constitutes a scholarly literature review and …

Fighting Aids With No Help: Radical Solidarity And How Community Organizations Overcame A Neglectful Federal Government, Sophia Kennan

Honors Theses

Community organizations have forever shaped the history of the United States. As de Tocqueville noted in a visit to the US in the 19th century, volunteerism and forming associations is a way of life ingrained in American society. The way that these community organizations operate in relation to government action is incredibly important to understanding democratic processes in the US, and one such period that is of note is the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. During this time, the government was infamously silent and neglectful on themes surrounding the epidemic, and this inaction greatly informs how community organizations operated during …

Does Social Organization, Litter Size, Sexual Dimorphism, And Phylogeny Influence Multiple Paternity In Mammals?, Madison Roberts

Honors Theses

Animal social systems are complex and the dynamics of one component could influence the dynamics of another. The aim of this literature search research was to determine the interrelatedness between mammalian social organization and mating system, two components of social systems. The mating system was represented by multiple paternity, the number of litters with more than one father, as genetic analysis tells which individuals reproduced with who. Variables that might influence multiple paternity amongst extant mammalian species included in this study are variable social organization, male social organization, mean litter size, sexual dimorphism, and phylogenetics. Analysis was conducted using 56 …

Psychological Effects Of Immigration: A Comprehensive Review Exploring Social Identity, Acculturation And The Effects Of Cultural Attitudes And Systemic Factors On The Well-Being Of Immigrants, Huda Abu Nasab

Honors Theses

Immigration is a life-altering experience that can greatly affect an individual's identity, sense of belongingness, and well-being. The United States is known as a nation of immigrants; however, many immigrants have faced challenges related to assimilation and the development of their social identities in a new society. For example, immigration challenges often include adapting to a new culture, learning a different language, and navigating unfamiliar healthcare and educational systems. There are many factors that influence how immigrants adjust in their host country, such as acculturation challenges, cultural attitudes towards immigrants, and the availability of essential resources. This literature review aims …

Events To Record: An Examination Of Required Activation For Body-Worn Cameras, Allison Reed

Honors Theses

There has been a lot of research on the effectiveness of body-worn cameras in policing including the impacts that body-worn cameras have on police officers, individual citizens, and the community. Results from prior literature show that police body-worn cameras are only sometimes highly effective. This project investigates why police body-worn cameras may not be effective by examining the required activation policies. Data for this project derive from the 2016 Law Enforcement Management Administrative Statistics – Body-Worn Camera Supplement (LEMAS-BWCS) study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The main components of these data are the required events officers are to …

An Exploration Into Health Equity Discourse In Mississippi: Organizational Commitments And Practitioner Perspectives, Thuy-Vy Lillian Pham

Honors Theses

This thesis takes a sociological approach to examine healthcare workers' beliefs and medical organizations’ solidarity statements related to diversity and equity and how these discourses aligned and/or diverged. Through interviews with healthcare providers in Mississippi and content analysis of solidarity statements, the study finds that discussions on health disparities more frequently addressed socioeconomic inequality rather than systemic racism, diverging from organizational statements. This emphasis may partly stem from the demographics of the study participants, who were predominantly White—which also reflected the staff where they worked. Additionally, while healthcare workers recognized structural issues related to health disparities, they often showed hesitancy …

Diver Perceived Value And Satisfaction On The Mississippi Gulf Coast, Ka'lon Duncanson

Honors Theses

The Mississippi Gulf Coast is known for its coastal beauty and the tourism that comes from the recreational activities associated with the water. However, there appears to be an underserved segment of the tourism industry. The coast provides opportunities for local scuba divers to take part in a range of diving activities, but there is minimal support for this tourism activity in Mississippi. There is a need for greater understanding about what local divers value in their diving experiences and how this might lead to greater satisfaction with this activity. Along with overall perceived value, the argument is made that …