Master of Arts, Miami University, 2015, Economics

By examining the way in which a financial crisis affects religious participation and affiliation via a financial crisis's effect on relative trust, where relative trust is defined as trust in organized religion relative to trust in secular institutions, relative trust is being identified as one possible mechanism through which a financial crisis causes changes in religiosity. Using U.S. data from the most recent financial crisis, I find that a financial crisis leads to an increase in religious participation and affiliation via the financial crisis's effect on relative trust, when defined as trust in organized religion relative to either trust in banks and financial institutions or trust in the military. By empirically determining possible mechanisms through which a financial crisis leads to increased religiosity, the way a financial crisis could affect terrorism can be better understood, along with better understanding how religious institutions survive for centuries while secular institutions oftentimes collapse.

Committee: Prosper Raynold (Advisor); Jing Li (Committee Member); Ejindu Ume (Committee Member) Subjects: Economics

Bachelor of Science, Walsh University, 2022, Honors

The aim of this thesis is to exemplify the application of transcendentalism and the resulting consciousness-raising in early feminism to ideas surrounding contemporary feminism in a small collegiate population at a private university with religious affiliation in the midwest United States. Similar research has neglected to address a college student population with majority religious affiliation at a private university. This research addresses how such college students define contemporary feminism, to what extent these students identify as feminists, whether or not feminist discussions are an active part of student participation in feminism, and what current ways these students participate in social activism in relation to feminist activity. Using a web-based questionnaire to investigate perceptions around contemporary feminism, this study's survey provokes an internal thought process in its participants concerning their views around feminism by applying a consciousness-raising framework. This showed that students at a private university with religious affiliation define feminism as focused on women's and equal rights; though a majority have feminist beliefs, these students are hesitant to label themselves as feminist. This study also showed that discussion around topics of feminism is somewhat prevalent amongst such a collegiate population, and this holds true for social activism s well. However, these numbers these data are more spread out due to their perceptions of feminism. The significance of the research and findings is that an application of transcendental history and consciousness-raising to contemporary feminism provided individuals with a new outlook on feminist objectives and ways to reach them.

Committee: Jeffery Warnke (Other); Eugenia Johnson-Whitt (Advisor) Subjects: American Literature; Higher Education; Social Research; Womens Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2018, Experimental Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

With the large number of controversies surrounding some recent topics in science, such as vaccinations or climate change, science skepticism in the United States is growing. This research aims to examine one group, Christians, and how their evaluations of scientists are influenced by both the scientist's religiosity and the type of research the scientist conducts. Two pilot studies showed that Christians are less trusting of science focused on policy change (i.e. impact science) than of science focused on producing technology (i.e. production science), and that Christians distrust Atheist scientists more so than other religiously-identified scientists. Three studies further examined the relationship between religious affiliation and trustworthiness by exploring science type and information type (morality/competence) respectively as moderators, as well as potential mediators (e.g. perceived threat from science to religion, inferred scientists' motives). Findings indicated a consistent main effect of religious affiliation on trustworthiness, an effect mediated by perceived benevolence motives. Specifically, Atheist scientists were found to be less trustworthy than any religiously affiliated group, due to the belief that Atheist scientists were less motivated to help humanity.

Committee: Kimberly Rios Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Experimental Psychology; Psychology; Social Psychology