Honors Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item Language effects on mental health stigma(Washburn University) Walter, MollyLanguage is powerful, and the social power of language and labels is something that still needs to be developed in the field of psychology. In two studies, we investigated the effects language had on the stigmatization of mental health problems, specifically depression and suicidal ideation. In study 1 we examined individuals’ emotional responses to, perceptions of, and biases towards those labeled with possesive-based or noun-based labels of depression. We hypothesized the noun-based label would be seen more negatively than either an individual labeled with the possessively-phrased label or an individual with no label and that an individual associated with the possessively-phrased label would be seen more negatively than an individual associated with no label. Results indicated that a label of depression appeared to benefit the labeled individual.. In study 2, we investigated the effects of joking about suicide on individuals’ perceptions and helping behaviors toward someone who admitted to having suicidal ideation. We hypothesized participants who hear someone joking about suicide will have more negative perceptions of someone who states feeling suicidal and that they would be less likely to report the suicidal ideation. While no significant results were found for study 2, we found trends supporting our hypothesis. Overall, the language that is used to discuss mental health has important implications. Whether this be due to the way we phrase labels or the context we use to talk about mental health, it is beneficial to understand what the impacts our conversations may have.Item Goats, goddesses and genitalia: The secret cabinet of naples as seen by the grand tourist(Washburn University) Mowry, Bethany R.In May of 1827 an anonymous clergyman wrote a letter to the King of Naples, urging him to abolish the Secret Cabinet of the Royal Museum. In this letter he related the experience of “running into a group of foreigners, browsing the classified room of obscene things” during his recent visit to the Museum. The priest was “horrified” to see “one over-opened woman to a man, both naked; here a goat, held behind by another, with risen member, and that in the attitude of coitus; in another part one man on another, committing the nefarious defect of sodomy; scattered various Priapi, and other objects that freeze the hand, and the core.” Amidst this “plague of Religion” the foreigners, who were English, gossiped among themselves. The priest, who understood English, relayed their conversation to the king: “‘Is this the Catholic Reign that boasted of healthy morals? Is this the Roman Catholic shelter? Shame! Only to Naples would these infamous things belong!’” The priest ended his letter with a veiled threat of excommunication if the collection remained, but promises of Paradise if the king closed the Cabinet down.Item Determination of tetrachloroethylene bioconcentration in Unio Complaneteus using SPME and GC-ECD(Washburn University) Grubbs, JermaineTetrachloroethylene (also known as perchloroethylene or PCE) is a harmful, organic solvent. It has been documented as an environmental pollutant in many public drinking water supplies. The long-term effects of the chemical are still unknown. It has been suggested that PCE does not bioconcentrate in fish or other aquatic organisms. This experiment showed that PCE does bioconcentrate at low levels (5-50ppb) in freshwater mussels. This experiment also suggests that there is a threshold of tolerance for PCE in freshwater mussels.Item American business history through the eyes of Thomas Cochran(Washburn University) Havlicek, BecciThomas Cochran's views on the growth and development of business are tied tightly to the concept of a national culture. He acknowledged that business can take many forms and having many definitions and chose to define 'business' as "the generic term for the interrelationships of men and machines that have led to socio-economic change." He also suggests the existence of different types of businessmen and the ambiguity of that term by defining it as "anyone who participates in decisions for organizing the production and distribution of goods and services for profit." This vague definition places small proprietorships in the same category as Fortune 500 companies, however despite the broadness, Cochran considered only a small percentage of Americans throughout history true businessmen.Item "Our weapon is our nakedness": Public nudity as a method to bring about social change(Washburn University) Burton, LauraLegends holds that in the early eleventh century Lady Godiva was unhappy with her husband's treatment of peasants. The Lady wanted her husband to lower taxes and increase appreciation of the arts and music, actions that were not common in the time period, and her tendency to demand political change was considered highly unorthodox. Nevertheless, she was determined, and told him that she would ride naked through the streets of the city if he complied with her requests. Her husband agreed, and Lady Godiva became the first known individual to use public nudity for political gain. Today, women removing their clothes in order to improve their conditions are a clear and present force. The use of nudity as a form of protest is an ancient method of obtaining political power that has gained significant popularity in recent years. Although the method is used more frequently in industrialized nations,its ancient roots and true power is typically in underdeveloped nations, where traditional ideas about women still abound. In a world where the "haves" and the "have-nots" are becoming increasingly distant from each other, a study of nude protests provides an interesting lens through which to view different cultures and economic systems. In order to best analyze the different uses of nude protesting we will look at two case studies. The first study will look at the use of nudity to bring about social change in the impoverished nation of Nigeria. The second will analyze the "Baring Witness" project intended to protest the United States led war in Iraq.