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Departmental Honors Projects

This is an independent research program for students who have a strong academic record for four previous semesters of college study. Overall GPA of 3.5 and departmental approval are required for enrollment. Students in Messiah University’s Honors Program can complete their required Honor’s Projects through departmental honors.

Acceptable Papers

The following types of papers are acceptable for Departmental Honors projects.
Research Projects (Quantitative or Qualitative studies)
Theoretical Projects (Integrative or Historical/Library based studies)
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Program Evaluation and Assessment
Program Design & Implementation
Community Based Research

Department Major Honors Project Guidelines

An overview of the time table is below. This example is based on May graduation. There are equivalent dates for December graduation in the full Honors Project Guidelines.

SEMESTER	ACTION REQUIRED	DUE DATE
1st Semester Jr. Year	Letter of Intent	November 15
2nd Semester Jr. Year	Choose Committee; Submit Proposal	April 1
1st Semester Sr. Year	1st Draft of Paper / Final Draft of Literature Review and Method Section	October 1/ October 31
2nd Semester Sr. Year	Final Draft / Revisions from Committee & Presentation	April 1 / Early May

Full Major Honors Guidelines (PDF file)

Sample Abstracts

(Complete projects are available for review in Boyer 351).

Identity Development Across Adolescence (May 2018)

This study focused on the development of one’s identity during adolescence. According to Erik Erikson’s theory, adolescents experience the crisis of identity development vs. role confusion. These years are important for discovering who one is and one’s role in society. Adolescents shape their identity through interpersonal relationships, family, friends, activities, and the overall society. Ecological Systems theory encompasses these categories in a layered model by Urie Bronfenbrenner. Both of these theories were explained and utilized in the exploration of identity development across adolescence. The primary objective of this study was to examine literature on identity development and apply these principles through the qualitative method of an autoethnography. Autoethnography is a method that uses an individual’s experience for studying culture. This method allows for cultural understanding through the telling of personal stories. Additionally, this study included creating a code with the factors affecting identity and using the coding system to analyze the author’s personal journals from ninth grade and twelfth grade. The coding system was broken down into categories based on the layers of Bronfenbrenner’s model and factors that influence adolescents’ identity. The results included themes of processing family dynamics, faith application, increased involvement, and social comparison. In conclusion, the themes and stories were analyzed in the context of the surrounding youth culture.

Effects of Parents' Strokes (May 2016)

Anyone, especially those over 64 years of age, is at risk of a stroke. When a stroke victim has adult children, his or her children often need to step in as caregivers to aid in recovery. Adult children in these positions often face the risks of role strain, unequal division of responsibilities between siblings, and lack of adequate resources available to them. Resources such as stress management techniques, caregiving relief, and valuable educational resources can combat these stressors. Currently, most research focuses on the experiences of stroke survivors during recovery. While this is important, understanding the effects strokes have on survivors’ family members, specifically adult children, can help to minimize the outlined risk factors and maximize the outlined protective factors. This paper explains a qualitative research study in which the focus is understanding how seven adult children’s lives are changed following their parents’ strokes in attempt to answer the question: What is the overall effect of a parent’s stroke on his or her adult child? Analysis of the interviews suggests that adult children often experience the most changes in their relationships with their family, use of their time, and view of their parents. These changes were often attributed to the adult children’s support from others, understanding of their parents’ strokes, and importance of their faiths. This knowledge is beneficial to stroke survivors, family members, and professionals in health care settings on how adult children can best adapt to their parents’ strokes to make the smoothest transition possible into caregiving roles.

The Experience of the Non-Offending Caregiver: A Review of Psycho-Educational Support (May 2014)

A non-offending caregiver of a sexually abused minor faces significant challenges in facilitating their child’s recovery. According to the available literature, non-offending caregivers could experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, victimization, and/or bereavement. A trend of secondary traumatization among caregivers has been acknowledged as well. The current study is a review of two curricula for non-offending caregiver psycho-educational support groups. The content of each program was systematically compared with the experience of the non-offending caregivers as described in recent studies. Possible improvements to the curricula and limitations of the current study are discussed.

Families Talking About Faith: Factors Affecting Spiritual Disclosure in Christian Families (May 2011)

Some families speak frequently and openly about their spirituality, while other families find it difficult to spiritually disclose to each other, even if they highly value faith. This qualitative study explores the factors that both help and hinder Christian families with adolescents in the act of spiritual disclosure. Interviews were conducted with 11 pairs of siblings from Messiah College and online surveys were sent to the parents of the siblings. Four distinct themes emerged from both the interviews and the surveys: authoritative parenting as helpful to spiritual disclosure; a difference in core beliefs as a cause of tension; the importance of bi-directional reciprocity in disclosure; and how the stage of adolescent with its focus on identity formative and individuation may provide a unique set of challenges regarding spiritual disclosure.

Perspectives of Siblings of Adolescents with Eating Disorders: Parental Communication, Parenting Style, and Perceived Family Satisfaction (May 2009)

There is a gap in eating disorder literature regarding the perspectives of well siblings of adolescents diagnosed with eating disorders. Research has shown that parental actions can impact the well sibling’s experience of the disorder, and that parental communication about the eating disorder can benefit the well sibling. Twenty-two well siblings were studied via online survey with particular attention to the relationship between communication about the eating disorder and the authoritative style of parenting, as well as the relationship between such communication and perceived family satisfaction. The latter relationship was found to be significant. Limitations of this study and implications for future research are discussed.

 Instant Message Use and Taboo Topics of Self-Disclosure (May 2008)

This study investigates the influence of instant message (IM) on self-disclosure, specifically “taboo” topics. College students (N = 162) currently in a romantic relationship were surveyed online using the program Survey Monkey. Participants were asked to rate their “comfort level” on a 7-point Likert scale regarding a list of “taboo” self-disclosure topics, generated by Baxter & Wilmot’s (1985) study on “off-limit” topics in close relationships. Face-to-face (FtF) comfort levels were compared against those of IM. Results indicated that participants felt more comfortable discussing topics via FtF communication. Higher comfort levels also significantly correlated with greater levels of relationship satisfaction. Results are discussed in light of the current effects computer-mediated communication (CMC) may have on this generation of college students.

Analyzing Premarital Education for Military Couples (May 2008)

Military couples face a number of distinctive stressor events, including relocation, deployment, and financial instability. Therefore, premarital education programs that address marriage skills, such as healthy communication, as well as conditions that are unique to military life, are important for healthy military marriages. An online survey was taken by 19 participants involved in military relationships. Respondents who participated in premarital education reported receiving information about general marriage skills, but not the specific factors related to military couples. Implications for intervention and further research are discussed.

Analyzing Marital Enrichment Resources Employed in Churches (May 2008)

This study surveyed churches from six counties in South Central Pennsylvania to understand resources churches have employed to strengthen the marriages in their congregations and to learn if these resources were designed specifically for marriages composed of two professing Christians or for marriages where one or both persons do not profess a Christian faith. The study found that 71.1% of the churches surveyed utilize some type of resource for married couples within their congregation. The majority of the resources used are based on Christian experience and not on empirical research. This study gives an introductory understanding of the role churches are taking to help support marriages in their congregations and will hopefully generate further concern for Christian marriages.