Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Levant: Climate Change’S Effects On Domestic And Foreign Security Policy, Mary Mckenna Kump

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This project applies a comparative analysis of climate effects on security perspectives in the Levant (Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon) with evidence from historical events and modern processes. In other words, how do the effects of climate change threaten states’ core national security interests? What areas of the system are likely to be impacted by climate effects? Researchers project that climate change will affect current and future global conditions, so how does it impact how states perceive the environment in relation to their national security interests? To examine these questions, I have developed a relatively informal cause-and-effect relationship between climate …

Oppression In Xinjiang: Rhetorical Parallels To The Causal Mechanisms, Christina Elizabeth Anderson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper compares the framings of ethnic conflict with theoretical political science explanations of the causes of such conflict. Framings are statements used to portray the who, what, and why of an issue through the emphasis or exclusion of information to create a specific agenda. The theoretical expectation from social science is that ethnic conflict is a result of a commitment problem, where the two parties in the conflict cannot credibly guarantee the protection of the other. This arises from situations where there is a large minority group population that is underrepresented from government and has grievances from economic disparities …

Ethics, Fashion, And Film In The 1950s And 60s, Sara Miner

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

To truly understand the nature of identity, autonomy, and morality in the 1950s and 60s, one must look at what artifacts of humanity have been left behind. More specifically, clothes and fashion capture, represent, and immortalize the human experience through each stitch and seam. By analyzing clothing from an anthropologic lens, one can discover the socio-cultural reality of a time long past. Known for intense culmination of social and political movements, the 1950s and 60s contain many radical shifts. Ranging from social movements like Civil Rights, Women’s Liberation, Black Feminism, and others, to the political metamorphosis as a result of …

College Of Graduate Programs And Honors Studies Newsletter - May 2023, College Of Graduate Programs And Honors Studies, Wright State University

College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies Newsletter

A nine page newsletter created by the College of Graduate Programs and Honors Studies at Wright State University. This newsletter includes a upcoming events, message from the dean, and more.

Effects Of Active Video Game Interventions On Physical Health And Development Among Healthy Preschool Children: A Systematic Review, Wanjiang Zhou, John Oginni, Juan Jose Palos Perez Sr., Kaitlyn Adams, Zan Gao

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Early physical activity (PA) interventions during preschool ages are necessary and critical to cultivate healthy movement behaviors for healthy growth and development. The increasing obesity rate among children is a major public health concern globally, which is largely due to poor adherence to participating in regular PA. Active video game (AVG) interventions have been increasingly used in promoting PA. The narrative review synthesized current literature regarding the effect of AVG interventions on physical health and development indicators among healthy preschoolers. A systematic review was performed in Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, ERIC, PubMed, SPORT Discus, and Web of Science, following the …

A Review On The Dose Response Effect Of Regular Physical Activity On Cognitive Function Among Children And Adolescents, Weidong Li, Ping Xiang

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Purpose: Positive effects of physical activity on cognitive function among children and adolescents have been observed in previous studies. However, little is known about whether there is a dose-response effect of physical activity on cognitive functioning. Especially, the curvilinear relationship between regular physical activity and cognitive functioning remained unexplored. The purpose of this paper was to review the literature on the dose response effect of physical activity on cognitive function among children and adolescents. Methods: A literature search on key words, title, and abstract with the phrases “physical activity and executive function”, “physical activity and cognition”, and “physical …

Cedarville Magazine, Spring 2023: Called To Communicate, Cedarville University

Cedarville Magazine

No abstract provided.

Examining Differences In Adult Attachment Across Varying Family Dynamics, Hannah Miller

School of Social Work Undergraduate Honors Theses

Recent research suggests that attachment in adulthood impacts many aspects of an individual’s life, including experiences with romantic partners, emotional regulation, and overall life satisfaction. Research attributes this to the levels of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance individuals experience due to relationship experiences with their caregivers in childhood. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between specific family dynamics and the presence of attachment anxiety and avoidance in adulthood. The present study recruited 185 adults to participate in an anonymous survey about the family dynamics they experienced in childhood, including the relationship between their parents or guardians …

Memory For Metaphors: Verbatim Memory Held For Literal Sentences Vs. Metaphors, Taylor Suneson

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Certain literary features of text (metaphor, idiom, etc.) are said to be foregrounded, or stand out from the surrounding text. Prior research (Miall & Kuiken, 1994) demonstrates that foregrounded text slows readers down, which is consistent with attention being grabbed. Do features of literary text, more specifically metaphors, improve memory as a result of being foregrounded? The present study investigated the effect of reading metaphoric phrases on reading time, memory accuracy, and decision times. We predicted that when a textual phrase was read as a metaphor, verbatim memory would be better retained than when that same phrase was read as …

The Association Between Mobile Phone Use And Suicidal Ideation, Brendan Wolf

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Research suggests that suicidal ideation can increase among people who feel that they do not belong (i.e. thwarted belongingness) and who perceive themselves to be a burden on others (i.e. perceived burdensomeness). However, it is not known whether these risk factors for suicidal ideation are moderated by smartphone use and social media use. I hypothesized that the association of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness would be stronger at higher levels of mobile phone use and social media use. Undergraduate student participants (N = 81) were incentivized via class credit to participate in a two-week longitudinal study. They completed questionnaires about …

Psychopathy In Society: Understanding The Neural Mechanisms That Give Rise To Psychopathic Traits, Phoebe Zalenski

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Psychopathy is characterized as an individual exhibiting callousness, grandiosity, lack of empathy, and manipulative behavior towards others over a long period of time. Given these symptoms, psychopathy is associated with a markedly increased risk of arrest and imprisonment. Together, these findings highlight the importance of understanding the cause(s) of psychopathy, as doing so may help to develop treatments or preventative interventions. Prior work has suggested that structural abnormalities in the amygdala may play a role in clinical psychopathy; however, it is less clear whether amygdala abnormalities exist on a continuum of psychopathic traits. In this study, I aimed to determine …

Does Family Size Moderate The Relation Between Resource Transfers And Intimate Partner Violence Rates?, Paul Gramling

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Intimate partner violence (IPV) refers to physical, sexual, or psychological abuse within an intimate relationship. It is a global issue, particularly for women in developing countries where data show higher rates of IPV for these women than in developed countries. IPV can lead to physical harm, chronic health problems, and even death. It also has negative effects on mental health, economic stability, and the overall well-being of the woman and their children. Family size has been shown to be a predictor of IPV risk; women from larger families face a higher risk. Cash transfer programs in developing countries have been …

The Connections Among Worry, Sleep Hygiene, And Sleep Quality, Anna Quesada

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Sleep disturbances commonly plague undergraduate students (Buboltz et al., 2001). In fact, being an undergraduate student is a risk factor for developing a sleep disturbance (Medic et. al., 2017). Understanding the impact of worry on the relationship between sleep hygiene and sleep disturbances could inform strategies for improving sleep quality in undergraduate populations. Given the fact that sleep issues affect health and academic performance negatively (Buboltz, et al., 2001), improving sleep patterns may boost academic performance, physical health, and mental health. This study investigated relationships between sleep hygiene and worry in an undergraduate sample by using a longitudinal design. Participants …

Refugee Advocacy Organizations: Factors That Influence Success In The United States And Ireland, Caleb Elkington-Stauss

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis is a comparative study of refugee advocacy organizations in Ireland and in the United States. The goal is to research and study some of the best practices that refugee support organizations utilize and report how these two countries address the ever-growing refugee crisis. This study assesses the applications and operations in both organizations and determines how these practices contribute to the fulfillment of their missions. This better understanding of the strengths and struggles experienced by these organizations will support the development of a model and framework for successful social welfare initiatives. Within this thesis, the social initiatives in …

Self-Confidence And Hormonal Contraceptive Use, Abigail Doran

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Hormonal contraceptives are widely used to regulate menstrual cycles, alleviate certain symptoms linked to reproductive hormones, and prevent pregnancy. However, women who take hormonal contraceptives may experience significant physical and psychological side effects such as increased rates of depression and changes in self-image. The current study examined self-confidence in women before beginning hormonal contraceptives and two months after using them. These participants were compared to a control group of naturally cycling women who were also assessed twice. I hypothesized that women would experience decreased feelings of self-confidence in several domains of their lives, compared to the naturally cycling women. Results …

Does State Of Mind Predict Prototype-Based Category Learning In Older Adults?, Kana Kimura

Theses and Dissertations

Category learning plays an important role in day-to-day lives across all ages, allowing us to organize related experiences, develop expectations, and determine how we behave given those expectations. Despite its importance, the current body of literature on category learning in older adults is much smaller than that of other memory domains. Thus, little is known about how well older adults learn new concepts and what factors best promote learning novel categories. One factor that may affect category learning abilities is an individual’s state of mind. A number of studies demonstrate the effects of sleep, stress, affect, and motivation on cognition, …

The Dehumanizing Violence Index: An Old World/New World Comparison Of Overkill In Archaeological Contexts, Paul Moriarity

Theses and Dissertations

THE DEHUMANIZING VIOLENCE INDEX: AN OLD WORLD/NEW WORLD COMPARISON OF OVERKILL IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXTS

Paul J. Moriarity

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2023Under the Supervision of Professor Bettina Arnold

Extreme forms of violent behavior appear in various cultural contexts throughout human history. This study compares so-called “overkill” sites from the late Central European Neolithic and the Pueblo Period of the American Southwest to develop a systematic approach to distinguishing between the levels of violence exhibited in overkill assemblages, compare and define possible motivations and choices for extreme violent behavior, and determine whether the purposeful use of extreme violence in temporally and …

A Word From The Writing Team (May 2023), Pam Walter, Mfa, Liz Declan, Ma, Mfa

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

This issue includes:

• Join us for our First Friday writing retreat of the semester!
• Faculty Days 2023
• Publication Spotlight
• Reminders

Introspective Accuracy For Social Cognition Across The Psychosis Spectrum: Influence Of Sleep Disturbance, Cassi Springfield

Master's Theses

People with schizophrenia-spectrum and bipolar disorders can have impairments in introspective accuracy (IA; ability to accurately estimate one’s own abilities). Research suggests that positive, negative, and depressive symptoms may be related to IA, but findings are mixed. Examining sleep disturbance as a determinant of IA may help explain these mixed findings. The current study aimed to explore the relationships between sleep disturbance, symptoms, and IA in participants across the psychosis spectrum. Participants completed diagnostic, symptom, and sleep disturbance assessments. Participants also completed social cognitive tasks, estimated their performance on the tasks (used to calculate IA), and indicated their confidence in …

Soul Quest Church Of Mother Earth: Ayahuasca Decriminalization And The Struggle Of An Institution To Become A Church, Tarryl Janik

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the process by which Soul Quest Church of Mother Earth Inc., an ayahuasca church, in Orlando, Florida, seeks to become a legal church in order to be exempted from the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 which classifies DMT, the psychedelic by-product of the boiled ayahuasca vine and chacruna leaf, as an illicit substance. The three-year study charts the process by which Soul Quest undertakes to demonstrate their practice and belief in terms that will conform to the State’s idea of what “church-ness” looks like and how sincere belief should be demonstrated in terms the law will find …

Comparing Approaches To Virtual Team Onboarding: The Influence Of Synchrony And Cues On Impressions Of Leaders During Encounter Phase Organizational Socialization, Carrie Melissa Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Whether fully virtual or a hybrid of virtual and face-to-face teams, more organizations use computer-mediated communication than ever before. Under the right circumstances, virtual team environments have been shown to increase employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity (Gallup, 2020). However, there is also consensus that virtual teams take longer to get work done and miscommunicate more frequently than face-to-face teams (Morrison-Smith & Ruiz, 2020). While there is no silver bullet to resolve these shortcomings, one potential area for intervention is during new employee onboarding. This study tests the hyperpersonal model and social presence theory’s application to virtual team onboarding by examining …

Monitoring Welfare In Captive Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes) Using Individual Positional Behavior And Substrate Use Profiles, Joseph Lara

Theses and Dissertations

The welfare of captive chimpanzees partly depends on the structural features present in their enclosure. An individual’s manner of expressing positional behaviors depends on these environmental characteristics and may be reflective of their physical and mental health. This thesis seeks to further the scientific understanding of the relationships between positional behavior, substrate use and captive chimpanzee welfare. In pursuit of this goal, I designed and installed a novel vertical climbing aid onto a climbable platform structure within an enclosure at the chimpanzee sanctuary, Chimp Haven, in an effort to encourage mobility and vertical space use in the enclosure’s residents. Additionally, …

The Role Of Fake And Fraudulent Objects Within The Museum Context: A Case Study Of Tiwanaku Ceramics In The Milwaukee Public Museum Collection, Armando Manresa

Theses and Dissertations

During the 20th century thousands, if not millions, of fake and fraudulent artifacts made their way into museum collections around the world through purchases, donations, and museum exchanges. The growth in Pre-Columbian collections, in particular, was precipitated by the many archaeological discoveries during that time as well as the continued looting of known and unrecorded sites across Latin America. As authentic items flooded the collectors’ market and from there into art and natural history museums, a mass-scale industry in fake and fraudulent artifacts arose to meet the demand. These items were primarily created for tourists, but some artists became so …

Three Essays In Health Economics, Sezen Ozcan Onal

Theses and Dissertations

In the first chapter of my dissertation, I examine the effects of the Affordable Care Act Medicaidexpansion on the labor supply decisions of older workers. To investigate this, I employ a triple-differences (DDD) methodology, utilizing variations in individuals’ health insurance status and the expansion choices made by states. The results of my analysis shows that with Medicaid expansion, insured workers without retirement health insurance (RHI) decreased full-time work by 7.06 percentage points relative to those with RHI and those without any employer-sponsored coverage at all. Among those no longer working full-time, 82 percent transitioned to complete retirement. Moving on to …

How Does The Centrality Of A Traumatic Event Affect One’S Emotion Dysregulation?, Jonathan Isaiah Santiago

Theses and Dissertations

Trauma is common and can result in significant longstanding distress. However, not everyone who goes through traumatic experiences develops stress-related forms of psychopathology. There are a lot of factors that can influence the development of psychopathology and understanding what factors following trauma lead to long-term distress would help identify potential targets for treatment. One of those factors is known as centrality of event which is a trauma focused appraisal of a traumatic event that can influence the amount of stress one experiences following a traumatic event. Centrality of event has been linked with PTSD symptoms, and PTSD has been linked …

Dancing Bees, Singing Whales. The Impact Of Idiosyncratic Information On Children’S Attitudes Toward And Moral Reasoning About Animals, Vittoria Sipone

Theses and Dissertations

Research in conservation psychology suggests that the tendency to engage in conservation behaviors develops from the interplay of both knowledge of and affinity toward nature (Schmitz & Rocha, 2018; Berenguer, 2007). The present study explores this connection between knowledge and attitudes by investigating the impact of information on individuals' attitudes and care toward animals. This study focuses on knowledge in the form of idiosyncratic information, due to considerations of potential cognitive strengths as well as the pervasiveness of “fun facts” in everyday life. Idiosyncratic information about natural items is not likely to be found in science textbooks at grade-school level, …

Entangled Conquest: A Study Of Cultural Hybridization And Change In Norman Ireland, Sean Mcconnel

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis employs entanglement theory and new geophysical macro-analytical methods to

examine the spread of Norman culture in late medieval Ireland. The traditional theories of

Anglo-Norman conquest by mass migration, by military conquest, and by political conquest are

reviewed and compared to a more nuanced theory of Normanization, which suggests that

genetically Irish people, who spoke Irish, practiced Irish law, and pursued Irish interests were

primarily responsible for what is considered "Norman" material culture on the Island. This

dissertation presents the idea that adherence to the English king was a necessary and expedient

action on the part of Irish lords …

Breaking Glass: A Pedagogical Approach To Understanding Voice In Media, Casey James O'Ceallaigh

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to examine the remediation of voices in media, specifically focusing on the reproduction of voices across different genres and the pedagogical approaches used to teach writing and media literacy. Much of the extant media is created with practices that historically have excluded minority groups, such as people with disabilities and people who speak other languages in addition to English in the US. This project develops a theory of interstices, which are both physical and metaphorical spaces in genres that can become sites of intervention through the composition process. These interstices are burdened by their many complex relationships …

The Supreme Court's Third Shift: Policy, Precedent, And Public Opinion Via The Shadow Docket, Taraleigh Davis

Theses and Dissertations

The Supreme Court is attracting more attention to its emergency docket – cases decided with neither briefing nor oral argument. These cases, while seemingly focused on immediate, individual problems, could potentially create policy in a way not necessarily intended or approved by Congress. Because the Court is particularly reliant on institutional support for effective policymaking and because we know that people support the Court, at least in part, due to its legalistic nature and its specific procedures, some are concerned that making decisions using this alternative, less public process as well as relying on these hastily decided cases as precedent …

Let Go And Let God: An Ethnographic Study Of Overeaters Anonymous, Subjectivity, And Extreme Eating Distress, Abby Forster

Theses and Dissertations

Academic discussions regarding eating disorders have been dominated by two frameworks: biomedical and feminist. While the former explains eating disorders as a product of individual pathology, the latter asserts the cause is culture. An aspect of culture that is often suggested is neoliberalism. This ethnographic study utilizes the term “eating distress” to acknowledge the localized idioms that occur outside of the bounds of biomedical settings. The research documents the experiences of many members of Overeaters Anonymous dealing with eating distress within a social context in which their body types are stigmatized. The dissertation examines the relationship between subjectivity, Overeaters Anonymous, …