Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Improving No-Show Rates In A Community Health Center, Erin Boshers

Honors Theses

Community health clinics have surfaced to provide primary care to low-income individuals, but they are currently hurting due to an overwhelmingly high no-show rate. (Population Reference Bureau, 2016; Nowacki, 2013). While there is extensive research on how to overcome no-show appointments in private medical clinics, clinics that serve a low-income clientele cannot succumb to the same methods of intervention due to the financial and physical barriers community health centers face (Nowacki, 2013). The purpose of this project was to extend upon previous studies on strategies to improve the no-show rate at a local community health center by doing a mixed-method, …

Framing Effects In A Competitive Environment: Black Lives Matter Versus President Trump, Samantha M. Adams

Honors Theses

How is public opinion in the United States affected by the president and the Black Lives Matter social movement’s competing frames on racial inequality? Political elites have used frames to shape public opinion on a multitude of issues, showing success in select and specific conditions. However, it seems that competition, a moderator of framing effects, is always present in politics, especially between a social movement and president. I expand upon the theory that, in competitive environments, repetition or recent exposure increases a frame’s accessibility in memory, therefore the “loudest” of the two frames is the one that influences opinion. To …

Foster Parent Disciplinary Strategies And Child Behaviors, Tamarah Taylor

Honors Theses

Foster parents are tasked with creating a safe and stable environment for the youth while also trying to parent and address challenging behaviors (Elgar, Mills, McGrath, Waschbusch, & Brownridge, 2007). Although these behaviors can also be found in youth in the general population, they are more common among foster youth (Van Holen & Vanschoonlandt, 2017). This mixed-methods study involved using an Internet questionnaire to measure influential factors of parenting (i.e. stress, satisfaction, involvement) and the qualitative questions explored foster parents’ experiences with behaviors and which parenting strategies have been helpful and non-helpful. The quantitative results of this study concluded that …

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Resilience, And Coping Of Foster Parents, Jacqueline Rush

Honors Theses

Foster parents are people who are caregivers for children in foster care. Resilience is a trait that is developed by the exposure of stress, and adversity (Cicchetti & Garmezy, 1993). Some foster parents remain resilient and others do not. The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) has any impact on foster parents’ resilience, coping, satisfaction, and intent to continue fostering. This study included 114 current foster parents from across the United States. The study at hand found that 59.6% of foster parents experienced one ACEs or more, which is lower than the …

No More Blurred Lines: Tennesseans Deserve High Quality Sexual Assault Education, Sara Leach

Honors Theses

This study seeks to build on pre-existing literature about the impact that bystander intervention training has on deterring sexual assault from occurring on college campuses. Anderson and Whiston’s 2005 study revealed that sexual assault trainings were more effective if a bystander approach was taken and a good relationship among the presenters and recipients was established. The psychology department at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga created a course dedicated to implementing the Empower the Bystander training (Johnson et al. 2015) for the undergraduate population in the fall of 2017. A peer led-program, this course educates participants on how to be …

The Effects Of Motivational States On Metacognition And Prospective Memory, Amelia Edwards

Honors Theses

Prospective memory is the ability to remember and act upon future intentions. In the context of daily life, prospective memory intentions can be either self-interested or pro-socially motivated (such as remembering to pay a credit card bill or buy a gift for a friend, respectively). Research suggests that individuals place greater importance on their performance of prosocial intentions rather than self-interested intentions, and a pro-social advantage has been observed in prospective memory. I investigated the role of motivation in prospective memory and a person’s belief about their cognitive abilities (i.e., metacognition) in regard to prospective memory. The present study used …

The Influence Of Activated Short-Term Mating Goals On Men’S And Women’S Domain-Specific Mating Self-Efficacy, Nathaniel Thomas Horton

Honors Theses

Men and women are motivated to identify and procure mating opportunities that would best facilitate the survival and long-term reproductive success of their offspring. In the current study, we hypothesized that when primed with mating interest, men and women would report greater self-efficacy in behavioral domains that would be attractive to the opposite sex. Men and women were randomly assigned to a mating or control prime condition, then completed a self-efficacy scale tapping into behaviors related to physical attractiveness enhancement, dominance, and status; participants also completed a scale assessing their level of intrasexual competitiveness. It was predicted that men primed …

Constructing Illness: How Society Effects Physical And Mental Illness, Madeline Marks

Honors Theses

The social construction of illness has become one of the central themes in medical sociology over the last fifty years. This field of research focuses on how society and an individual’s knowledge and experiences shape the way they understand and view certain physical and mental illnesses. Prior research has found that many people hold stigmatized views towards individuals who suffer from mental illnesses and tend to feel more sympathetic and supportive towards those who have physical illnesses. These previous studies have found that gender, age, race, education and socioeconomic status are factors that influence how a person perceives physical and …

The New York City Watershed: Improving Relations Using Environmental Policy, Colby Richardson

Honors Theses

From 1837 until the early 1970s, New York City constructed a total of 19 reservoirs in the Catskill/Delaware region to meet growing demand for clean drinking water. This historically strained relationship between upstate and New York City officials due to involuntary land acquisition has positively progressed since reservoir construction. However, as New York City has utilized regulations and additional land acquisition to avoid billions of dollars in water filtration expenditures, tensions have again risen. Through interviews with watershed and state officials, this research study has found a more cooperative and trusting relationship can be built with more targeted land acquisition, …

The Marginalization And Stereotyping Of Asians In American Film, Isabel Paner

Honors Theses

Asians in Hollywood films and the industry have been subjected to unfair stereotyping and under-representation since the twentieth century and up to the present. This thesis analyzes and dissects this marginalization and stereotyping of Asians in American films through text and film analysis and critical theory. Historically, if Asians are not portrayed in a stereotypical role, then they are given no role at all, rendered invisible by Hollywood and mass audiences. Their marginalization in the film industry has damaging effects on the perception of Asians in society. This study will explain what stereotypes have endured over the course of history, …

Analyzing Palm Print Shapes With Pressure And Distortion, Whitney Grannan

Honors Theses

While much research exists on latent fingerprints, there is a lack of research on palm prints. This study aims to discover how the variable of pressure affects the distortion of latent palm prints recovered from a crime scene. This study used various development techniques to extract prints from aluminum Coca-Cola cans, white copy paper, and household steak knives. The collected prints were scanned into the AFIX Tracker system and an auto-extract number, based on the number of minutiae points, was generated automatically from the system. These auto-extract numbers were then compared to a baseline, which consisted of an average of …

Using Pattern Area Ridge Flow In The Three Areas Of The Palm To Determine Classification Trends, Ashton Horton

Honors Theses

Friction ridge skin is only located on the fingers, palms, and soles of feet. These ridges have been used to make identifications since before the twentieth century. These methods may be the basis of scientific testimony in court because of the amount of research that has been conducted in fingerprint identification. Courts uphold these techniques because of three principles behind fingerprint identification: fingerprints are unique because no two are the same, they will not change from the time they are formed in the womb until post-mortem decomposition, and they can be objectively classified using a general classification system. Little research …

Gendered Speaking Patterns In Supreme Court Oral Arguments From 1981-2016, Gillain Purser

Honors Theses

This research attempts to discover whether or not the Supreme Court of the United State is subject to implicit gender biases during oral argumentation, largely through examining speaking time and the number of questions each justice is able to ask during a case's oral argumentation period. While there is substantial research on gender’s impact on communication and decision-making processes, as well as gender’s impact on court decisions, most research stops before it gets to the Supreme Court of the United States. There are two main goals to this research: First, to determine whether or not women Justices are impacted by …

Managing Church, Politics, And The End Of The World: Analysis Of Baptist Ecclesiology, Eschatology, And The Remobilization Of Conservative Baptists In The Moral Majority, Nathan Taylor Barron

Honors Theses

The sudden and formidable political mobilization of fundamentalist Christians in the mid-to-late 1970’s quickly garnered the attention of politicians, pastors, and political scientists alike. Since the success of the Moral Majority in the 1980s, social science researchers have dedicated special attention to the intersection of religion and social life; however, such considerations have largely neglected to sufficiently discover why fundamentalist Christians were seemingly predisposed for the high levels of political activity characteristic of the Moral Majority. Building on a historical analysis of Baptist ecclesiological and eschatological development, the purpose of this research is to consider the theological framework behind the …

The Ability Of Students With Dyslexia To Follow Sequential Oral Instructions, Crystal Hermann

Honors Theses

There seems to be differences between children with dyslexia and those without in their ability to follow sequential oral instructions. In this paper this possibility was explored by testing children with and without dyslexia on nine short term memory tasks that represented the different aspects that make up serial instruction. My hypothesis was that those students with dyslexia would have a smaller recall span than the controls for all sequential recall tasks. My hypothesis was not supported by the data; children in the control group only showed a significant advantage on three tasks: memory for items, non-sequential verbal memory span, …

Sports Fan Interaction: A Comparison Of Teams To Determine The Common Thread Between Fan Engagement Across Social Media, Emma L. Ishee

Honors Theses

This study focused on the utilization of social media by collegiate athletic teams and how it relates to their interaction with their fan base. The aim of this study was to determine if a particular platform or post type gained the most fan interaction. The study also examined whether the men’s or women’s teams receive more interaction from fans. A random number generator selected three collegiate athletic teams from three different school in three conferences. Data was collected in the week leading up to the opening game. Ultimately, the results were not able to prove one type of post more …

The Moderating Effects Of College Stress On The Relationship Protective Behavioral Strategies Has With Hazardous Alcohol Consumption And Negative Consequences, Bobbi Lynn Lee

Honors Theses

Hazardous drinking continues to be a problem on college campuses especially when considering the increased negative consequences often associated with use at these levels. Although alcohol use is viewed as normative behavior among college students, many factors may predict increased or decreased use and negative consequences. Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) are related to decreased hazardous drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences. Specifically, controlled consumption PBS (PBS-CC) are related to less hazardous drinking while serious harm reduction PBS (PBS-SHR) are often related to fewer alcohol-related negative consequences. Stress is also linked with hazardous drinking as students may drink to cope with this …

Community Strain And Familial Dysfunction: The Influence Of County Characteristics On Child Maltreatment, Katherine Mobley

Honors Theses

Child maltreatment does not happen equally across communities. Instead, in some places it is nearly non-existent (less than 1 out of every 11000 children) while in others it is experienced by nearly 10% of the population. This research examined how demographic factors relate to the rate of child abuse and neglect at the county level and found that a decline in economic stability, lack of post-secondary education, an inability to reach financial stability, and the rate of drug usage in a county significantly contributed to the child maltreatment rate. Durkheim’s Theory of Anomie and Merton and Agnew’s Strain Theories were …

A Validation Study Of Blueview™ Gunpowder Particle Testing Kit, Hanna Lester

Honors Theses

The examination of gunshot residue is often an integral part of evidence processing. The aim of this preliminary study is to validate the use of the BlueView Gunshot Particle Test Kit in the field. This was done by comparing the results of the presumptive tests using the BlueView Gunshot Particle Test Kit to confirmatory test results using a scanning electron microscope. This study used both collection techniques to collect samples for presumptive tests and confirmatory tests. Gunshot residue samples were collected from the hands after a series of guns were fired, and positive results were obtained from the presumptive and …

Exploring Various Techniques To Process And Identify Latent Friction Ridge Details From Fingers On Semi-Porous Surfaces, Emily Campo

Honors Theses

Numerous terrorist groups in the Middle East have been recently making detonators for IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) using items as basic as flip flops. Because of the semi-porous nature of flip flops, military forensic response teams have been unable to find an effective method through which they can identify, process, and lift latent fingerprints from the surface of a flip flop. The present study aims to use three fingerprint principles to formulate a reliable method that can be used for such purposes. This study specifically investigated the potential use of powders and cyanoacrylate fuming as processing techniques. The case study …

Who Is The Fairest Of Them All? Disney’S Depiction Of Non-Normative Embodiment In Its Villainesses, Caroline Bradley

Honors Theses

The world of Disney has long been criticized for the lack of empowered princesses, racial representation, and unrealistic body images in its princess films. While steps have been made to provide a fairer representation through the bodies of the princesses, there has not been much progress in the way villains’ bodies are depicted. Most Disney villains exhibit a form of disability or non-normative embodiment including missing limbs, old age, or fatness. This thesis will analyze the bodies of three well-known Disney villainesses from three different eras—The Evil Queen, Ursula, and Mother Gothel—and will demonstrate how their bodies reflect the historical …

Perception, Literacy And Confidence In Monitoring Of Snapchat Among Parents Of Adolescents And The Creation Of A Snapchat Educational Workshop, Aerial C. Holmes

Honors Theses

Various research studies have indicated that parental monitoring of social media is important and beneficial to children. However, some parents report that it is difficult to understand and that they lack an overall confidence in their ability to monitor. The purpose of this project was to analyze the relationship between parental confidence in their ability to monitor social media with social media literacy and attitudes/perceptions toward Snapchat. Forty-two participants were recruited through communication with local parent-teacher organizations, posted ads on The University of Southern Mississippi campus, and social media. The participants were given a survey that measured and assessed their …

The Language Barrier In Healthcare: Quality Of Care And Health Literacy, Jacob Warren Garrett

Honors Theses

As the number of Spanish speaking immigrants coming to the United States increases, there will also be an increase in the number of LEP patients will seek medical care. In Hattiesburg, Mississippi alone there are over 7,000 people listed as Hispanic/Latino (2010 Census, U.S.gov). This research examines the experiences of LEP patients in the Hattiesburg area and focuses on three main areas: (1) if a language barrier exists for these patients when they seek care (2) if the quality of care of these patients is affected by the inability of the patient and provider to orally communicate (3) if the …

The Effects Of Skin Tone On The Perception Of Discrimination In Young African American Women, Danielle T. Stamps

Honors Theses

This research focuses on the perceived discriminatory experiences (i.e. colorism and racism) that young African American women report as a function of their actual and perceived skin tone. Colorism is a form of internalized racism when individuals with darker skin tones are discriminated against by others. Each participant (N = 76) was given the Pantone Skin Tone guide and asked to find the best color (varying on undertone and lightness) that matched closely to their skin tone without feedback from any reflective surfaces and with a handheld mirror. Following that, the researcher identified the participant’s skin tone. In addition, participants …

Addiction Treatment Outcomes And Religiosity: What Is The Relationship?, Sidney Harrington Smith Iii

Honors Theses

This study examines how religiosity, specifically, church attendance, prior to admission into an addictions treatment facility (Teen Challenge) is related to the treatment outcomes of completing the program and the participants’ length of stay in treatment. Additionally, the study investigates how other factors such as marital status, ethnicity, alcohol and drug use, and level of education may be related to treatment outcomes. Using archival data of 388 enrollees in a Teen Challenge program in southern United States, the results show that religiosity prior to treatment admission is significantly related to program completion. However, the second outcome variable, length of time …

Racial Bias In Elementary School Children: Effects Of Skin Tone And Facial Features, Maya Alyse Rex

Honors Theses

This work examines whether explicit and implicit racial attitudes are driven primarily by skin tone, other features of facial physiognomy, or both in elementary school children (N = 108) between the ages of 5 and 12. Children evaluated faces varying in skin tone (from dark to light) and facial physiognomy (from Afrocentric to Eurocentric). In an explicit bias task, children rated how much they liked each face that appeared on the computer screen one by one. In an implicit bias task (a child-friendly version of the Affect Misattribution Procedure, Dunham & Emory, 2014), on each trial participants rated a Chinese …

Planned Activity Checks: Teachers’ Perceptions Of Social Validity For Class-Wide Behavior Assessment, Jacquelynn Elizabeth-Sidnie Johnson

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if the implementation of Planned Activity Checks (PACs), which were a newly proposed method of behavioral observation which had been implemented by teachers in an elementary or high school setting, had the same results as a direct research observation in the classroom. The current system in place for behavioral assessment is a direct observer, either a social worker or counselor, coming into the classroom and directly observing a single student or a group of students for the entire class period. Most observations fall into three main categories: standardized rating scales, systematic direct …

Exploring The Relationship Between Personality Characteristics And Eyewitness Memory: A Test Of The Weapons-Focused Effect, Emily Jean Stahly

Honors Theses

Eyewitness accuracy is of vital importance in crime scene investigations; however, accumulating evidence suggests that eyewitnesses often show memory inaccuracies. One type of eyewitness inaccuracy is the weapons-focused effect which occurs when the presence of a weapon as part of a crime scene compromises an individual’s ability to recall other details about the event or scene (Erickson, Lampinen & Leding, 2014). Given the weapons-focused effect negatively affects eyewitness accuracy, the purpose of my thesis is to examine the extent to which the weapons-focused effect is moderated by certain personality traits. Of particular interest were the neuroticism and conscientiousness factors in …

Gendered Responses To Stress: Differences Across Type Of Stressor And Mental Health Outcomes, Erin Voichoski

Honors Theses

It is well known in mental health literature that men and women tend to manifest distinct mental health outcomes. Specifically, women tend to report higher levels of internalizing symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, whereas men tend to report higher levels of externalizing symptoms, such as alcohol abuse and antisocial behavior. This research will further explore the relationship between stress and mental health, as well as the moderating effect of gender. Drawing from the differential vulnerability hypothesis and self-salience theory, I take a novel approach to examining a variety of stressors and mental health outcomes. I assess whether stressors that …

Impact Of 2001 - 2016 Supreme Court Establishment Clause Cases, Nicole Cumming

Honors Theses

This study will look at United States Supreme Court Establishment Clause cases from 2001-2016. During those 16 years, the Court decided 1,276 cases. Only 10 of those cases dealt with the establishment clause.

At an absolute minimum, the Establishment Clause was intended to prohibit the federal government from declaring and financially supporting a national religion, which existed in many other countries at the time of America's founding. This idea has become vital to the values Americans hold dear. Throughout history, religious freedom and tolerance have been celebrated, and most of that is due to the Establishment Clause. However, there is …