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Designing A Personalization Intervention To Reduce Churn In Exercise Mobile Apps: A Research Proposal, Chris Li Jan 2024

Designing A Personalization Intervention To Reduce Churn In Exercise Mobile Apps: A Research Proposal, Chris Li

CMC Senior Theses

Sports and fitness mHealth app development has rapidly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic due to changes in living situations that increased the demand for exercising remotely. App developers struggle to understand the various strategies in reducing the amount of users that churn as time progresses. This research proposal will primarily focus on the effect that personalization has on churn, seeing the increased development of mobile health apps, strong desire for curated experiences, and the recent relevance of AI. To fully understand the relationship between personalization and churn, moderator effects of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and user engagement will …


Leadership In Startups: How Founder Personality And Leadership Behaviors Impact Startup Success And Psychological Safety, Ria Passi, Ronald Riggio Jan 2024

Leadership In Startups: How Founder Personality And Leadership Behaviors Impact Startup Success And Psychological Safety, Ria Passi, Ronald Riggio

CMC Senior Theses

New ventures created by entrepreneurs are crucial to the economy and to the diffusion of innovative technologies. However, startups often operate in highly uncertain environments characterized by constrained resources, lack of established processes, and complex market dynamics. Despite surges in startup investment, the failure rate for new ventures remains high, making it crucial to understand the factors that can contribute to their success. This thesis explores how founder personalities, leadership styles, and cultivating psychological safety impact startup performance and growth trajectories. Founder personality traits like openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness are positively associated with securing funding, achieving exit opportunities, and overall …


The Fast-Food Industry's Mental, Emotional, And Physical Adverse Health Effects On Latine Workers, Ricardo Aguilar Jan 2024

The Fast-Food Industry's Mental, Emotional, And Physical Adverse Health Effects On Latine Workers, Ricardo Aguilar

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the adverse health effects experienced by Latine frontline workers in the fast-food industry, a sector where these workers are disproportionately affected by both physical and psychological challenges. The research was driven by the urgent need to address the health disparities that result from employment in environments characterized by high stress, negative customer interactions, and demanding physical activities. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach that includes historical analysis and quantitative assessment of workplace conditions, this study focuses on the common physical injuries such as repetitive motion disorders, and psychological stresses leading to conditions like depression. The results indicate a high …


Democratic Decay: Public Deliberation And Nuclear Weapons, Frank Applebaum Jan 2024

Democratic Decay: Public Deliberation And Nuclear Weapons, Frank Applebaum

CMC Senior Theses

Many modern nations that consider themselves democracies rely on strategy of national defense involving nuclear weapons. These weapons, however, almost always require a compromise of many of the values these democracies typically claim to value and uphold in the world. Most importantly, the deliberative process that is required for democracy is removed from the decision to either launch or not launch nuclear weapons. Even if policies were changed to attempt to make the process for democratic, research shows that there is reason to believe nuclear weapons would be incompatible with democracy practically as well as theoretically. Nuclear weapons and nuclear …


Objectification And Meaning Transference: Does Showing More Skin Mean Less Perceived Agency For Brands?, Zachariah Schlichting Jan 2024

Objectification And Meaning Transference: Does Showing More Skin Mean Less Perceived Agency For Brands?, Zachariah Schlichting

CMC Senior Theses

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of sexual imagery in advertisements on consumers’ perceptions of brand competence and agency. The effect of a brand’s expected agency was also manipulated between two groups, high expected agency (e.g., tech companies) vs low expected agency (e.g., alcohol companies). 167 participants (M=22.48, 54% women) were recruited through Sona Systems and social media to partake in an online survey conducted through Qualtrics. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups and shown seven fictional advertisements; four target advertisements and three deception advertisements. They were then asked to rate their …


Understanding Empathy: Exploring Power Relations, Group Dynamics, And Counter-Dominance In Shaping Outgroup Attitudes, Rachel Leonardi, Shana Levin Jan 2024

Understanding Empathy: Exploring Power Relations, Group Dynamics, And Counter-Dominance In Shaping Outgroup Attitudes, Rachel Leonardi, Shana Levin

CMC Senior Theses

This article is a literature review of how the context of group dynamics, power relations, and counter-dominance change our understanding of empathy towards outgroups. A large focus of current psychological research around empathy aims to better understand empathy in improving intergroup relations. However, many of the current studies measure the perspectives of the majority (high-power) groups, while failing to take into account the differences in the perspectives of the minority (low-power) groups, for whom empathy does not predict positive intergroup attitudes. In order to look at the importance of group dynamics and power relations in understanding empathy, I analyze different …


Exploring The Factors That Influence Female Offending In The U.S. And Mexico, Dana Villasenor Jan 2024

Exploring The Factors That Influence Female Offending In The U.S. And Mexico, Dana Villasenor

CMC Senior Theses

Hollywood has painted a picture of the criminal woman as a sexy, sneaky, and often psychotic female fatale. This is because men run Hollywood. Much like movies, research on why women offend had historically focused on men as their stellar. However, towards the turn of the century and with the disproportionate rise in female incarceration, literature caught up to the fact that women and men do not experience the same socialization, standards, or reality and, therefore, have different reasons for and ways of offending. This research explores those reasons for women in the U.S. and Mexico and paints the picture …


Psychological Effects Of Solitary Confinement, Asia Mclemore Jan 2024

Psychological Effects Of Solitary Confinement, Asia Mclemore

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis critically examines the controversial practice of solitary confinement (SC) in correctional facilities, aiming to elucidate its profound impact on the mental well-being of incarcerated individuals. Through a comprehensive review of empirical studies, theoretical frameworks, and case analyses, it explores the psychological, cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physical responses of inmates subjected to prolonged isolation, revealing the intricate interaction between environmental deprivation and psychological distress. Key themes investigated include the induction and exacerbation of mental health conditions, including symptoms akin to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the conflicting effects of SC on institutional order. Furthermore, the study evaluates the ethical …


What Are We Most Curious About? Understanding The Relationship Between Curiosity And Marginal Knowledge, Alexis Lee Jan 2024

What Are We Most Curious About? Understanding The Relationship Between Curiosity And Marginal Knowledge, Alexis Lee

CMC Senior Theses

There are several competing theories about the relationship between curiosity and metacognitive judgment, or one’s assessment of their own knowledge. Novelty theories say that curiosity is highest for wholly unknown information; complexity theories say that curiosity is highest for moderately unknown information; and the Region of Proximal Learning (RPL) theory says that curiosity is highest for almost-known information. The present study aimed to address how curiosity differs within marginal knowledge (MK), memory content that is available but not accessible, across two experiments. In both experiments, participants responded to 100 short-answer general knowledge questions, selecting a phenomenological category to represent their …


Redefining Rehabilitation: Evaluating The Washtenaw County Pre-Plea Diversion Program, William Ellsworth Jan 2024

Redefining Rehabilitation: Evaluating The Washtenaw County Pre-Plea Diversion Program, William Ellsworth

CMC Senior Theses

The Washtenaw County (MI) Prosecutor’s Office’s Pre-Plea Diversion Program (PPDP) aims to divert eligible misdemeanor defendants from the criminal justice system, offering rehabilitative programming to reduce reoffending and minimize the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction with case dismissal. This research assessed whether PPDP participants were less likely to be re-arrested in the six months following program completion compared to a sample of defendants facing similar charges within the same court. It was hypothesized that the PPDP would effectively reduce re-arrest, with community service and mental health counseling proving particularly impactful. Employing a quasi-experimental design, data from 90 successfully diverted …


Investigating The Novel Effects Of First-Time Wim Hof Breathing: An Experimental Study, Yuhan Kong Jan 2024

Investigating The Novel Effects Of First-Time Wim Hof Breathing: An Experimental Study, Yuhan Kong

CMC Senior Theses

Breathwork, or voluntary controlled breathing exercise, is central around the world for spiritual and well-being purposes. Most extant research has focused on slow breathing techniques and has found a range of benefitsin physiological (e.g., increase in parasympathetic tone) and psychological (e.g., reduction in depression, anxiety, stress) outcomes. Less explored is fast-paced breathwork, which may also be beneficial for mental and physical health. Wim Hof Breathing (WHB), a novel breathing technique that gained popularity in recent years, has been claimed to have a range of health benefits, including improving mental health, autonomic regulation and cardiovascular functioning. However, very limited scientific studies …


Effects Of Priming Independent And Interdependent Self-Construals On Personal And Collective Future Thought, Claire Hou Jan 2024

Effects Of Priming Independent And Interdependent Self-Construals On Personal And Collective Future Thought, Claire Hou

CMC Senior Theses

Personal and collective future thought refer to the way people conceptualize and think about their own personal futures, and the futures of groups they are affiliated with, such as one’s nation or cultural community, respectively. Previous research has indicated that there are key cultural differences in how American and Chinese individuals think about their personal future and the collective future of their nation. The present study investigated the impact of cultural constructs of self-construal, namely individualism/independence and collectivism/interdependence, on personal and collective future thought. We attempted to experimentally manipulate participants’ self-construals with a priming task, and participants were asked to …


Adolescent Bereavement And Resilient Outcomes: A Comprehensive Analysis, Jenna Holmes Jan 2024

Adolescent Bereavement And Resilient Outcomes: A Comprehensive Analysis, Jenna Holmes

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis explores the complexities of adolescent bereavement and factors that improve resilience. Bereavement in adolescence is particularly difficult and complicated because it occurs during a crucial developmental period, and maladaptive coping during this time has been linked to many negative outcomes. This review covers three different theoretical models (i.e., Model of Adolescent Grieving, Multidimensional Grief Theory, and the Contextual Resilience Model for Bereaved Adolescents) of adolescent bereavement and compares their strengths and weaknesses. The importance of promoting resilience and healthy bereavement is underscored, followed by a discussion of how the type of loss (e.g., parent, sibling, and friend), different …


Analyzing The Mental Health Realities Among Daca Recipients Within The Mexican Community, Oscar Javier Gonzalez Jan 2024

Analyzing The Mental Health Realities Among Daca Recipients Within The Mexican Community, Oscar Javier Gonzalez

CMC Senior Theses

Immigration to the United States, particularly from Mexico, has resulted in a significant population of undocumented individuals residing in the nation. Among them are those who arrived in the U.S. as children, with some eligible for protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, offering temporary relief from deportation and government benefits. This thesis analyzes the historical context of immigration and the DACA program, focusing on the often-overlooked experiences and mental health realities encountered by Mexican DACA recipients. These experiences encompass the pursuit of the American Dream, deportation fears, family separation, challenges in accessing government services, navigating the …


Your Anonymous Words Matter: The Harms Of Internet Anonymity And Its Inhibiting Effects On Producing Knowledge, Sena Selby Jan 2024

Your Anonymous Words Matter: The Harms Of Internet Anonymity And Its Inhibiting Effects On Producing Knowledge, Sena Selby

CMC Senior Theses

In this paper, I will argue against Karen Frost-Arnold’s claim that internet anonymity has more epistemic benefit than epistemic harm for online communities. I will first outline her arguments that anonymity poses epistemic benefits for speakers of marginalized communities, who often rely on anonymity to share their experience and testimony without fear of repercussions, such as testimonial injustice, backlash, and even physical harm. I will then consider objections to Frost-Arnold’s account made by others, including the idea that anonymous testimony is not reliable. I will show how this objection alone is insufficient against Frost-Arnold’s claim. Then, I will offer my …


Analysis Of Research On The Effects Of Auditory Stimulation On Anxiety And Stress In Clinical And General Populations, Rebecca Lee Jan 2024

Analysis Of Research On The Effects Of Auditory Stimulation On Anxiety And Stress In Clinical And General Populations, Rebecca Lee

CMC Senior Theses

The use of auditory stimulation may be a useful method in treating clinical anxiety disorders, as well as aiding in coping with daily stress among general populations. The understanding of how certain forms of auditory stimulation can increase anxiety and stress is also critical so clinicians and the general population can approach decreasing anxiety and stress in the most effective way possible. The following paper will provide a literature review on studies published after the year 2000, analyzing the various impacts of different types of auditory stimulation, including impacts of music-therapy, music and noise at different frequencies, binaural beat stimulation, …


Towards Algorithmic Justice: Human Centered Approaches To Artificial Intelligence Design To Support Fairness And Mitigate Bias In The Financial Services Sector, Jihyun Kim Jan 2024

Towards Algorithmic Justice: Human Centered Approaches To Artificial Intelligence Design To Support Fairness And Mitigate Bias In The Financial Services Sector, Jihyun Kim

CMC Senior Theses

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has positively transformed the Financial services sector but also introduced AI biases against protected groups, amplifying existing prejudices against marginalized communities. The financial decisions made by biased algorithms could cause life-changing ramifications in applications such as lending and credit scoring. Human Centered AI (HCAI) is an emerging concept where AI systems seek to augment, not replace human abilities while preserving human control to ensure transparency, equity and privacy. The evolving field of HCAI shares a common ground with and can be enhanced by the Human Centered Design principles in that they both put humans, the user, at …


Mindfulness: A Look Into The Effects On Performance In The Academic, Work, And Athletic Spaces, Danielle Beder Jan 2024

Mindfulness: A Look Into The Effects On Performance In The Academic, Work, And Athletic Spaces, Danielle Beder

CMC Senior Theses

Mindfulness and meditation offer many benefits to people in all aspects of life. This paper provides insight to how mindfulness and meditation can affect an individual’s performance. Mindfulness and mediation has emerged as a very popular tool in western therapies in the last 60 years. Through reviewing lots of prior research and literature, the results show that mindfulness can help increase performance. This is done through three mechanisms: emotional regulation, flow state, and cognitive functions. Mindfulness increases an individual's emotional regulation systems through reduced depression and anxiety, increased happiness, and development of emotional intelligence. Mindfulness also increases the frequency of …


The Standing Of Anger: Insights From The Debate(S) On Constructed Emotion, Andrew Holzer Jan 2024

The Standing Of Anger: Insights From The Debate(S) On Constructed Emotion, Andrew Holzer

CMC Senior Theses

In her book, Anger and Forgiveness: Resentment, Generosity, Justice, Martha Nussbaum argues that anger is inherently flawed because it fundamentally contains the desire for payback. To support her argument, she posits specific metaphysical claims about the nature of emotions like anger. This thesis is an extended critique of her metaphysical foundation from the perspective of empirical research in the neuroscience of emotion. The first reason to dispute this picture is descriptive; this view of anger is based on an outdated version of cognitive appraisal theory, which sees emotions as triggered directly by static moments of cognitive appraisal. The second …


The Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health And Well-Being, Connor Printz Jan 2024

The Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health And Well-Being, Connor Printz

CMC Senior Theses

This paper seeks to examine the positive and negative effects of social media on the well-being and mental health of people. The emergence of social media platforms has transformed the landscape of human interaction and communication, revolutionizing the way individuals connect, share information, and engage with the world around them. With the rapidly increasing popularity of platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch, and more, people now have unprecedented access to virtual networks, enabling instantaneous communication and global connectivity. While social media and these apps have without a doubt brought about numerous benefits, including enhanced social connectedness, access …


Drama Therapy As An Intervention For Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Potential Benefits For Youth And Adulthood, Ella S. De Castro Jan 2023

Drama Therapy As An Intervention For Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Potential Benefits For Youth And Adulthood, Ella S. De Castro

Scripps Senior Theses

There are many interventions commonly used for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, one that has not been researched as often is drama therapy. Though there are not many studies on drama therapy and ASD, the ones that do exist seem to indicate positive results. The goal of this proposed study is to assess whether drama therapy could be a good intervention for ASD and if it could potentially be a better option compared to applied behavioral analysis (ABA). The proposed study is broken into two smaller studies. The first study explores the potential benefits of drama therapy for …


More Moments With Others Matter For Emotion Regulation And Well-Being: A Study Of First-Year College Students’ Daily Life During Covid-19, Jaymes Paolo Delas Armas Rombaoa Jan 2023

More Moments With Others Matter For Emotion Regulation And Well-Being: A Study Of First-Year College Students’ Daily Life During Covid-19, Jaymes Paolo Delas Armas Rombaoa

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted emerging adult, first-year college students’ daily lives and well-being. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) recognizes that effective and adaptive emotion regulation can be improved by training skills for managing contextual (ABC) and physiological (PLEASE) factors. An ecological momentary assessment study collected 1,796 data points from 76 first-year students' daily usage of emotion regulation (ER) skills and momentary experiences of well-being (PERMA; Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationship, Meaning, Accomplishment) during COVID-19 in Spring 2020. Research questions explored: (a) Is usage of ER skills associated with elements of momentary PERMA above and beyond trait-level PERMA?; (b) Are lifestyle factors (e.g., …


The Value Of Mentoring In Living Out Your Calling, Megan Benzing Jan 2023

The Value Of Mentoring In Living Out Your Calling, Megan Benzing

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way people think about the role that their job plays in their life. There is a greater desire for purposeful work and engaging in a role that positively impacts society, or more simply, to perceive and live a calling. One perceives a calling when they know the occupation that they were destined for or that fits with their values, where their strengths and passions are leveraged, and the job is prosocial in nature. However, perceiving this calling is only a piece of it, as one needs to work in a role where they actively …


The Effect Of Age, Syntax Complexity, And Cognitive Ability On The Rate Of Semantic Illusions, Sara Anne Goring Jan 2023

The Effect Of Age, Syntax Complexity, And Cognitive Ability On The Rate Of Semantic Illusions, Sara Anne Goring

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Semantic illusions are recognition errors that occur when an individual fails to notice that information contradicts their prior knowledge (Barton & Sanford, 1993; Erickson & Mattson, 1981). For example, after hearing the question, “If a plane crashes while flying over state lines, where should the survivors be buried?” many start to consider the legality or appropriateness of the scenario despite knowing “survivors” should not be buried. Having more knowledge does not necessarily prevent individuals from overlooking illusory information/misinformation. Older adults tend to have greater crystallized intelligence than young adults, yet these age groups appear to detect illusory information at equivalent …


What Motivates Transformational Leaders? On The Relationship Between Leaders’ Satisfaction Of Basic Psychological Needs And Transformational Leadership, Haoxiong Li Jan 2023

What Motivates Transformational Leaders? On The Relationship Between Leaders’ Satisfaction Of Basic Psychological Needs And Transformational Leadership, Haoxiong Li

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The current research addresses the scarcity of studies exploring the motivational antecedents of transformational leadership, which focuses on developing followers for extraordinary performance. Grounded in the Self-Determination Theory, I propose that leaders' psychological needs satisfaction is associated with transformational leadership. Specifically, leaders' autonomous motivation, mindfulness, and positive affect are outcomes of their satisfaction of basic psychological needs and act as motivating factors for exhibiting transformational leadership behaviors. I conducted two studies to test these hypotheses. Study 1, a correlational study, aimed to establish relationships among the constructs. A sample of 238 leaders with at least two subordinates participated in an …


Ableism In Education: Professor Perpetuation Of Disability Discrimination Through Accommodation Non-Compliance, Kasey Bumgardner Jan 2023

Ableism In Education: Professor Perpetuation Of Disability Discrimination Through Accommodation Non-Compliance, Kasey Bumgardner

Scripps Senior Theses

This proposed study aims to explore factors that may decrease professor compliance with their disabled students’ documented academic accommodations, including pre-existing ableist beliefs held by professors, race of the disabled student, and visibility of the student’s disability. Participants will consist of undergraduate professors from colleges and universities across the United States, varying in size and geographical location. Participants will complete scales to assess their ableist beliefs, and will be asked to report their likelihood of complying with, or fully meeting, various disabled students’ documented accommodations. It is expected that results will reveal that professors who hold more ableist beliefs tend …


Music Therapy: Structural Music Modulation On Reducing Symptoms Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder., Isha Kaur Singh Jan 2023

Music Therapy: Structural Music Modulation On Reducing Symptoms Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder., Isha Kaur Singh

Scripps Senior Theses

The present study examines whether modulating musical structural elements in therapeutic treatment reduces the severity of symptoms among individuals diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. Music therapy has recently become a more utilized non-traditional treatment modality for anxiety. However, the specific elements of music that trigger relaxation responses alongside prevent rumination spirals has not received significant attention in literature thus far. This study aims to assess what type of music allows for the most effective treatment in reducing anxiety. Using a 2 (tempo: adagio, allegro) x 2 (timbre: string instrumental, vocal) x 2 (key: C major, D minor) between participants experimental …


La Sagrada Medicina De La Madre Tierra: Traditional Ancestral Preservation In Pomona, Ca Community Gardens, Lizbeth Valdivia-Jauregui Jan 2023

La Sagrada Medicina De La Madre Tierra: Traditional Ancestral Preservation In Pomona, Ca Community Gardens, Lizbeth Valdivia-Jauregui

Scripps Senior Theses

For thousands of years before colonization, Indigenous ancestral knowledge has preserved, honored, and nurtured the sacredness of Mother Earth through kin-based institutions knitted together in a cosmic web of lineages and tribes (Henrich, 2020). The purpose of this grounded theory community-centered study was to examine how traditional ancestral knowledge is transmitted within community gardens in the city of Pomona, CA. Participants (N = 16) were interviewed using open-ended qualitative interviews that followed Charmaz’s (2014) constructivist grounded theory framework, in order to explore participants’ perspectives and personal experiences in possibly viewing community gardens as spaces of cultural transmission (Charmaz, 2014). …


Certain That I Belong In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math (Stem): Women's Authentic Belonging And Men's Inclusion Actions Through Job Crafting, Cecelia Lee (Dotzler) Corson Jan 2023

Certain That I Belong In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math (Stem): Women's Authentic Belonging And Men's Inclusion Actions Through Job Crafting, Cecelia Lee (Dotzler) Corson

CGU Theses & Dissertations

As of 2022, the total number of Nobel Prizes granted in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields was roughly 614 and of those, only 24 have been awarded to women. STEM fields have historically excluded women at all levels with increasing impact at the higher levels of the career ladder (NSF, 2010). To address the stark gender gap in many organizational spaces including STEM, organizations have turned to diversity training with undetermined effectiveness (Devine & Ash, 2022). This dissertation research seeks to understand women’s authentic belonging in STEM fields and to develop an intervention to aid men in including …


Evaluative Thinking Amid Disaster, Phung Khanh Pham Jan 2023

Evaluative Thinking Amid Disaster, Phung Khanh Pham

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Evaluation and emergency medicine have appreciable parallels and are likely to intertwine as they each evolve, especially in response to disasters or other pervasive problems that can worsen into the future. Evaluative thinking—which largely involves critical thinking, valuing, and other dynamic processes—may be ubiquitously useful to practitioners, scholars, and others from both these fields of practice. In this dissertation, I referenced the dual systems theory of the human mind to conceptualize evaluative thinking as paradoxically fast (automatic) and slow (deliberate), and I characterized the COVID-19 pandemic as a disaster laden with societal games. Derived from game theory, societal games range …