Honors College Theses

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https://jewlscholar.mtsu.edu/handle/mtsu/3483

The capstone experience of the Honors College curriculum is the thesis, conducted across two consecutive semesters. This unique opportunity allows students to conduct scholarly research or a creative project under the direct guidance of faculty mentors.

A thesis project is required of every student who graduates from the University Honors College. The purpose of the thesis or project is to prepare the student for graduate or professional school, to provide an opportunity for the student to complete a scholarly or creative project of significant proportions, and to gain a new perspective on knowledge by becoming a contributor to the recognized knowledge in a particular field of study. This experience provides invaluable preparation and a competitive edge to students applying to graduate or professional schools.

Honors College Thesis Archives Collection is now preserved online through Walker Library’s institutional repository called JEWLScholar and are indexed in the library’s catalog. The thesis archives prior to 2015, are printed copies maintained in Special Collections (4th floor) of the James E. Walker Library and are also indexed in the library catalog.

Use the search box or "browse by" filters on the right side of this page to navigate the Honors Thesis Collection.

To see other Honors College publications, please visit http://jewlscholar.mtsu.edu/handle/mtsu/4362

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A Cross-Cultural Analysis of COVID-19 Mask Mandates and Social Distancing Measures

(University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2021-12) Henley, Zoe

Since its discovery at the end of 2019, COVID-19 has heavily affected the world in a myriad of ways. This recent viral outbreak has spurred a shift in societal behaviors globally, from a growing popularity of mask usage, to a normalization of social distancing procedures, along with highlighting cultural idiosyncrasies in regards to disease, illness, health and wellness. Based on the research gathered and presented in this thesis, I develop a cross-cultural inspection of the various components of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it has affected the countries Spain, Japan, and the United States. Along with analyzing perceived risks, adaptations, and stigmas present in the advent of the novel pandemic, I also incorporate a holistic, anthropological approach in order to better elucidate deeper cultural components at play, such as how American ideals of freedom and personal responsibility and Japanese views of group adherence and public spiritedness influence how the virus and subsequently how social distancing procedures are perceived and followed.
A History of Hand Knitting in the British Isles and My Contemporary Adaptation

(University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2021-12) Chisamore, Nora

The history of knitting is long and diverse, spreading across continents and islands, all with their own varied techniques. The British Isles are known for their long history in the wool industry and their connection to knitting. This project is to research and record the history of knitting in the British Isles. The different techniques are knitted as samples to demonstrate the style and are based on or from historical patterns. The traditional techniques are then interpreted and redesigned to echo contemporary understandings and interests. This thesis includes sections on England, the Channel Islands, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Each section includes a written history, a sample based on historic patterns, and the relevant charts for the sample. The uniqueness of cultural historical knitting techniques is in danger of being lost. This study points to ways of preserving them for the future. Part of keeping the techniques is bringing to the focus in the current day. I have designed a line of six sweaters based on the historic knitting styles and knitted and fully patterned one of them.
A Study on Composing for Film

(University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2021-12) Cox, Ian

The goal of this creative project is to examine the process of scoring a film, particularly within the drama, thriller, and sci-fi genres. In the written portion, I examine the methods that three different composers used for three different films. These films are The Lighthouse composed by Mark Korven, Under the Skin composed by Mica Levi, and Enemy composed by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans. I analyze how the scores augment the mood of the films, discussing the instrumentation and composition in each scene. In the creative portion, I have composed the score for a short film where I attempt to implement the methods discussed in the written component of this project. The film follows an isolated man who becomes delusional as his way of life is threatened by outsiders. The score uses chaotic instrumentation and dissonant composition to reflect the story of the film.
Academic Tenure and Housing Choice

(University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2018-05) Seagraves, Cayman

This study tests a model of housing choice to cross-sectional data from the faculty at Middle Tennessee State University. The faculty participants include tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenured professors. The study employs econometric regression, which conditions household decisions based on a variety of factors. The variable of interest in this study is academic tenure. Like past studies, my results indicate that demographic and economic differences largely explain the housing tenures choices that individuals and families make. The results show that being single or Latino decreases the chance of homeownership, and these results conform with past research. Moreover, the regression shows that faculty who have achieved academic tenure are significantly more likely to own a home than those who have not achieved academic tenure. With the results, there is enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis that academic tenure does quantitatively influences housing choice.
Access to Nutritional Food for SNAP Recipients through the Sustainable Farming Method of Aquaponics

(University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2018-12) Williford, Kaitlyn

As rates of recipients qualifying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Tennessee increase, so do non-communicable diseases due to poor diet. It is imperative to direct attention to this issue in an effort to address the factors that lead to inaccessibility to healthy nutrition for SNAP recipients. This thesis reviews the factors and issues specific to a population of SNAP recipients through a review of literature available on this topic. Additionally, this thesis proposes interventions for SNAP recipients and a possible solution to decreasing food deserts and increasing accessibility to healthy nutrition.
Accounting's Role in the Ethical Behavior of Management

(University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2015-12-02) Ball, Emily

Within business there are many debates over the ethical behavior that managers employ when making business decisions. There are many decisions made every day that question ethical codes of conduct. Though some actions may be legal, they may not necessarily be ethical. This paper delves deeper into this ethical debate of management’s behavior within organizations. It explains how accounting is used to influence the ethical behavior of management. Even accounting standards and regulations do not encompass all ethical decision making within an organization. Some decisions are entirely based on ethics and what a company deems appropriate. This paper takes the ideas of earnings management and agency theory and determines how they affect the ethical decision making of management. This paper explores the background of accounting and how company culture, agency theory, and fraud affect the ethical behavior of management within a company.
Adaptive Music for Fiction: Writing Multi-Sensory Short Stories in a Digital Age

(University Honors College Middle Tennessee State University, 2021-04-27) Lichtman, John

Since 2011, it has become commonplace for individuals and large companies alike to attempt to create a more immersive reading experience on a digital platform. While their efforts have yielded interesting and impressive results, attempts to intersect books and soundtracks have never been generally embraced as a viable alternative to simply reading. Conversely, video games have been constantly improving the integration of music to encourage more immersive gameplay by using adaptive music that reacts to user input. Using this approach, I have written a collection of five short fictions entitled Sheltered Home: Creaturely Stories and composed accompanying music for each story using a vertically layered method. The objective of this creative thesis project is to combine short fiction with reactive music on a digital, eBook-like platform to encourage a more immersive multi-sensory reading experience.
Adventures of Self-Compassion: Memoir of a Depressed Undergraduate

(University Honors College Middle Tennessee State University, 2020-12-02) Morrissey, Isabella

Self-compassion, conceptualized by psychologist Kirstin Neff in 2003, is a possible mediator to the depression epidemic in university settings. I am among undergraduate students at Middle Tennessee State University who have had experiences with depression. In this thesis, I reflect on moments of self-compassion which led to me finding peace with my depression.
All Colors in Balmy Fields: A Modern Floral Dictionary with Accompanying Poems

(University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2018-12) Giles, Hannah

n/a
All Humans are Human: Environmental Humanization and Its Positive Impacts on People Struggling with Substance Abuse

(University Honors College Middle Tennessee State University, 2021-04-28) Sands, Briana

The Opiate Epidemic began in three waves, each wave getting gradually worse. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Health, and the Department of Health and Human Services changed the guidelines for how prescription opiates were being prescribed and began helping people who have already become addicted. With these changes, the amount of opiate related deaths dropped 5.1% (CDC, 2018). The question then is, why have the trends not changes so much? There must be an underlying factor that is not being taken in account. A study conducted by a Canadian researcher, Bruce Alexander (1978), shows through a series of rat experiments that the environment can be just as impactful as the chemical makeups of addictive drugs. The methods of this procedure included recruiting participants from Facebook support groups to complete a survey asking qualitative questions about the environment they were raised in, the environment their addiction began, and their environment after completing a rehabilitation program. As a result with 23 responses, it was concluded through multiple things that the environment positively impacts sobriety because of confidence, family relationships, and mental health. The negative impacts of environmental dehumanization included abused trust, physical or mental abuse, normalized substance abuse, and poor mental health.
An Analysis of Sponsorship Strategies in Esports

(University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2021-12) Harmon, Cory

Esports, while originating decades ago, have become exponentially more popular in the last decade. Because of this, businesses are tempted to enter the industry in the form of sponsorships to promote their brands. While well-known companies already have esports sponsorship deals, there is still hesitation from many others. This study examines the sponsorship practices of one endemic and one non-endemic brand. The endemic brand that was analyzed is Razer, a company that manufactures and sells gaming peripherals and has been in esports since the company’s beginnings in 1998. The non-endemic brand was State Farm, an insurance provider that started in 1922. This company entered the esports industry in 2018 but had a deep history with traditional sports sponsorships that influenced their strategies in esports. This study includes a literature review of the beginnings of esports and gives definitions and explanations of sponsorships. This is provided to give the reader context as to why these brands wish to sponsor in esports. There is background given for each company for their general history, as well as esports background for Razer and traditional sports background for State Farm. Then, the strategies of each company are analyzed and then made into advice for other brands wishing to enter esports sponsorships.
Analysis of Dental Anxiety and Avoidance Behaviors in Young Adults

(University Honors College Middle Tennessee State University, 2021-05-05) DeLucia, Renata

The aim of this thesis was to analyze dental anxieties in young adults to account for the role these anxieties play in avoidance behaviors in patients. Fifty-eight young adults participated in an online survey about dental fears and behaviors related to dental experiences. We assessed gender differences in dental anxiety as well as the relationship between dental anxiety and avoidant behaviors in the sample. Results indicated that males reported fewer specific dental fears than females; although, males and females reported similar levels of overall dental anxiety. Regarding the relationship between dental anxiety and avoidant behaviors, results indicated that participants with higher dental anxiety practiced more dental avoidance behaviors than those with lower dental anxiety. Lastly, we challenged the prediction that those with high and low dental anxiety would report similar physiological response in dental situations; this hypothesis was not supported. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Analysis of Kelp Quality and Starvation on Grazing Behavior of T. tridentata

(University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2017-08) Armour, Gabrielle

The purpose of this experiment was to determine if Tegula tridentata exhibit awareness of the quality of kelp (Lessonia trabeculata) they consume, and, if so, what quality of kelp is preferred. A two-and-a-half-month study that consisted of three separate trials took place over Chile’s winter (June - August 2016). Arenas were set up to introduce individuals of T. tridentata that had previously been starved at three different levels to kelp fronds from the species L. trabeculata with three levels of damage (damage types: physically damaged, naturally damaged, and undamaged). Behavior was monitored over a continuous four-hour period. In all trials, snails did not show a preference for fronds that had experienced natural damage over undamaged and artificially damaged fronds, and there was no affect of starvation. This indicates that T. tridentata may not exhibit choice in the quality of food that they consume and that starvation levels do not effect choice.
An Analysis of Millennials and their Interactions with Financial Institutions

(University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2019-04-01) Fallon, Endsley

As the largest generational cohort since the Baby Boomers of the mid-20th century, Millennials hold significant power over the future. This is especially true in business, and just as a good marketer considers the environment within which she wants to do business, so too must she consider how best to reach a target market she sees as the most lucrative. Millennials seem to fit this role more every year. An Analysis of Millennials and How They Interact with Financial Institutions is a creative thesis project in which the Millennial age cohort is investigated and a social media portfolio is put together in an effort create a short social media campaign for Ascend Federal Credit Union to market their financial services and education to people ages 23 – 37. This project seeks to create a better understanding of how to utilize social media in a business setting to grow business effectively with minimum cost to the company. The project will also explore the reasons behind why Millennials as an age group tend to be waiting until later in life to take on some of the bigger financial commitments such as mortgages. The two main goals of this project are 1) To have a better, more accomplished understanding of Millennials and how to use social media to sell to them and 2) To obtain a sufficient understanding of Millennials so as to create a marketing plan targeting this age group in order to bring business to the credit union with which I will be working.
Analysis of the Differentially Expressed Genes of Cryptococcus neoformans -Infected Macrophage Mouse Cells

(University Honors College Middle Tennessee State University, 2020-11-19) Frantzen, Niah

Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn), a facultative intracellular pathogen, causes 223,000 infections and 181,000 deaths yearly. When Cn comes into contact with the alveoli of an immunocompromised individual through the inhalation of the pathogen’s spores, immune cells such as macrophages are recruited to attack; however, Cn can infect these cells, leading to fatal infections. During intracellular infection, the pathogen and host can influence each other. To study the gene expression effects of Cn on macrophages through an unbiased approach, RNA sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and therefore, biological pathways affected by Cn in two different macrophage polarization states. DEGs specific to infection in the M1 or M2 polarization state or infection regardless of polarization state were identified and characterized by biological pathways to provide a deeper understanding of the host and pathogen interaction, as well as host target genes that might be used to develop more effective therapies.
An Analysis of the Evolution of Death Narratives in Superhero Comic Books

(University Honors College Middle Tennessee State University, 2021-04-25) Manning, Megan

Popular culture has been around for centuries. It is representative of the ideas of a certain culture, at a certain time. As the society in which it is based evolves, so too does the culture it creates. Comic books were created in the early 20th century and have evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry, encompassing everything from serialized stories to blockbuster movies. Death is extremely common in superhero comic books, and follows patterns. These patterns change based on when the book was written and are influenced by events on global, national, and local levels. Understanding how popular culture understood these events can give us a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people.
Analysis of the Polysaccharides in Cannabis sativa Joey and Cannabis sativa Fedora 17

(University Honors College, Middle Tennessee State University, 2017-12) Bradley, Kayleah

Cannabis sativa L., also known as hemp, is a member of the Cannabaceae family, and a cousin to Cannabis indica (Bagci, 2003). The exact origin of cannabis is unknown, but based on research it is believed that cannabis originated in Asia (Ranalli, 1999). Cannabis sativa Joey, and Cannabis sativa Fedora 17 are two strains of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.). Little is known about the polysaccharide composition of hemp in general, and these strains in particular. In this study, the polysaccharides from both strains were extracted by reflux in EtOH and water. The samples were then deproteinated using Sevag Reagent. Steps were also taken to remove the lipids and fatty acids from the samples. The polysaccharides were purified using a DEAE anion exchange column by FPLC. Fractions from the column were assayed for polysaccharides using a phenol/sulfuric acid assay. The purity of the fractions from the ion exchange column were analyzed by size exclusion chromatography using refractive index detection. Based on size exclusion analysis, the polysaccharides Cannabis sativa Joey were purer than those from Cannabis sativa Fedora 17 after a single chromatography step. Future research would include repeating the extraction on Cannabis sativa Fedora 17 to confirm results. Once the results are confirmed, the polysaccharides will be further purified using a preparative scale size exclusion column. Once purified, the monosaccharide composition can be determined for each major polysaccharides from each strain.
Analyzing College Students' Finances and How They Were Impacted by COVID-19

(University Honors College Middle Tennessee State University, 2021-04-24) Hummel, Patricia

The introduction of COVID-19 led to a plethora of questions regarding its impact on finances. The purpose of the proposed study is to analyze the finances of college students at Middle Tennessee State University by means of a survey. Doing so will contribute to the knowledge currently being gathered regarding the effect of COVID-19 and will determine if the students in question have indeed advanced their financial understanding and finances in the duration of the ongoing pandemic. The survey for the study was developed using Qualtrics and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) in October 2020. The intention of the survey is to compare the finances of college students attending Middle Tennessee State University both before and after the introduction of COVID-19 as a means to determine if the students have gained more financial understanding due to the financial concerns and assistance that surfaced during the pandemic. The survey is targeted towards three factors: financial literacy, budgeting, and impact of COVID-19 financial assistance.
Analyzing Financial Literacy Among Undergraduate Students and Current Methods of Increasing Financial Literacy

(University Honors College Middle Tennessee State University, 2019-12-02) Barreto, Montgomery

This study examines the financial literacy levels of students at Middle Tennessee State University and the best tools on campus to increase students’ knowledge of basic financial topics and their own student debt. A survey was administered across campus to students in multiple finance classes and to the general population of students. The survey was administered twice, once at the end of the Spring 2019 semester and once at the beginning of the Fall 2019 semester. The first set of data includes a total of 142 completed surveys. Results showed that students had a higher than average financial literacy level, with 55.63% of students being able to correctly answer all the Big Three questions. The results from the second round of collection, in Fall 2019, are less favorable with 41.14% of students correctly answering all the Big Three questions. There were mixed results regarding respondents’ understanding of their own student loan debt with some aspects being almost fully understood and others being vastly misunderstood. The most effective instrument on campus to help students improve their literacy was found to be the completion of a finance course. Respondents who said they had completed a Middle Tennessee State University finance class were significantly more likely to answer the Big Three questions correctly and more likely to understand their own student loan debt.
Analyzing Political Polarization in News Media with Natural Language Processing

(University Honors College Middle Tennessee State University, 2020-11-09) Sharber, Brian

Political discourse in the United States is becoming increasingly polarized. A Natural Language Processing (NLP) framework is provided to uncover political polarization, utilizing political blogs and political websites as unique sources of insight into this phenomenon. These aspects of polarization are quantified utilizing different machine learning classifiers and methods of analysis. The creation of an ensemble learner as a voting system is proposed for increased accuracy of text classification of documents between differing political poles. Methods are applied to study polarization across eleven differing political sources from the timeline of January 2020 to July 2020. Findings indicate that discussion of events across this timeline are highly polarized politically, and a list of the top identifying features (words) which may indicate significant slant is provided. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of computational methods for studying polarization in political news media and how differing political groups manifest in language.

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