Digital Commons Network^™

Distinguishing High-Quality Audio: The Unique Contribution Of Bit-Depth Resolution?, Benjamin Stone

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Individuals are capable of discerning high- and low-quality digital audio, but the current evidence tends to confound sampling rate and bit depth (see Mizumachi et al., 2014). When bit-depth is constant, higher sampling rates can be discerned (Oohashi et al., 2000). It likewise has been argued that 16- and 24-bit audio can be distinguished when sampling rate is constant (Kanetada et al., 2013). The present study aimed to evaluate bit-depth-related perceptual ability using simplified tone stimuli in order to determine at which point from 8- to 24-bit that further increases in bit-depth resolution are no longer perceptually beneficial. Potential contributions …

Exploring The Use Of Time Delay As A Pragmatic Cue In Text Messaging, Nicklas Phillips

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Text messaging is often used as a stand-in for face to face communication. While texting mimics the rapid back and forth, turn taking nature of oral conversation, it lacks many of the pragmatic cues conversationalists ordinarily rely on to establish common ground and inform their understanding of sometimes nonliteral meaning conveyed to them. To get around this hurdle, texters have developed sets of textisms. These are specific cues that can be used to make up for the lack of pragmatic information in the texting environment. Examples include emoji, emoticons, and punctuation. This is an experimental study exploring whether time can …

Terror Management And The News: An Exploration Into The Effects Of Framing On Mortality Salience, Peter Montwill

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The present study explores the link between Terror Management Theory and the use of its principles within news media. Political news media in the digital age undergoes a variety of framing effects, more specifically episodic and thematic frames of stories. To induce mortality salience, college-aged participants were presented with stories framed from the perspective of an individual’s experience or a general theme of experiences regarding the controversial pro-life topic and a non-controversial hiking topic. These stories are presented in the style of Instagram posts to mirror how college-aged people consume news media. The stories also contain wording designed to induce …

Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Pedagogy In Art Education, Amelia Guido

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis explores the implementation of Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed (ECTI) ecosystem in art education. With the increasing levels of anxiety and depression among adolescents and the growing emphasis on social-emotion learning (SEL), this study sought to address the ways art education may benefit students socially and emotionally. However, through research, an understanding and a need for an equity-centered education was formed. While SEL practices place emphasis on utilizing the social and emotional skills-based core competencies, ECTI education focuses on addressing trauma and systemic inequities to create supportive and inclusive learning environments.

The literature review encompasses an understanding of trauma and its …

American Identities In Virginia Education, Michael Mallery

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The students who attended The University of Virginia (UVA), Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Harrisonburg State Normal and Industrial School (HSNIS), and Fredericksburg State Normal and Industrial School (FSNIS) during the early twentieth century (1900-1918) showed changes in Southern gender identities. At UVA and VMI young men challenged the southern ideals of how they felt about their education by disagreeing with faculty and showing stressors within their education. Young men also fell into conflict with each other on certain social behaviors such as the usage of alcohol which went against Southern Christian morals and gentlemen behaviors if one embraced the idea …

Examining The Influence Of Spectral Envelope Shape On Pitch, Laura Reinert

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In the tritone paradox, there are many questions surrounding how listeners can make pitch judgments since Shepard tones are comprised of all octaves and this makes pitch ambiguous. The current study examined the influences from spectral envelope shape, spectral centroid, chroma, and musical training to identify how timbre and pitch interactions impacted pitch judgments to different tone types, including Shepard tones. Each trial consisted of a standard and a comparison tone differing by spectral envelope shape. Listeners were presented with these tone pairs and asked to judge whether the tone pairs were going up or down in pitch. For Shepard …

Heretic Territories: Spells For Fracture, Mia Greenwald

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This monograph accompanies the MFA thesis exhibition, Heretic Territories: spells for fracture. The show uses video, weaving, clay, and bacterial/fungal bodies in three main bodies of work: Inter; Lost, remain, fracture; and For, Of Them. The pieces, and the relationship between them, explore themes of magic, the body, and land in contradiction and opposition to colonial and capitalist structures. I approach the artificial hierarchies that subjugate people, non-human creatures, and land while trying not to replicate the mistakes of posthumanist scholarship that bypasses the fact that not all people are afforded full access to the category …

The Impact Of Sleep Quality Combined With Physical Activity On Autonomic Function (24-Hour Hrv) In College Students, Meghan Peterson, Trent Hargens, Elizabeth Edwards, Christopher Womack

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Long-term poor sleep quality is associated with health outcomes that can lead to autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Both cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity (PA) are associated with improvements in autonomic function and heart rate variability (HRV). Markers of fitness and sleep were explored to determine the degree of contribution to autonomic dysfunction. A total of 15 subjects, (age = 20.6±0.5; BMI = 23.9±1.0) completed 7 days of physical activity and sleep assessment via accelerometry. Participants then completed a graded exercise test to determine cardiorespiratory fitness (VO_2max), followed by a 24-H HRV measurement. HRV through LF:HF ratio was negatively …

Pasturelands As Natural Climate Solutions: A Socioecological Study Of Tree Carbon And Beef Production Trade-Offs, Bela Starinchak

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Forest restoration is the most effective natural climate solution, with the potential to sequester 37% of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) needed to reach the Paris climate mitigation goal. Cattle pastures offer an underutilized opportunity to increase global forest restoration efforts, improve biodiversity, and maximize carbon storage through the adoption of management strategies that prioritize the incorporation of trees into pasturelands. However, remote estimations of tree carbon storage in pastoral systems have never been field-verified and their accuracy is unclear. Furthermore, the effect of increased trees on cattle production is understudied across biomes. Lastly, the restoration potential of these …

Using Free-Operant Preference Assessments And Reinforcer Evaluations To Measure The Stability Of Preferences Over Time In Individuals With Developmental Disabilities, Lindsey Histand

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The present study investigated the stability of preferences over time using an alternating treatment multielement design across participants. The participants were children between the ages of eight and twelve with developmental disabilities, who also displayed interfering behaviors. The study had a baseline condition and two experimental conditions. During the first condition, the therapist provided contingent reinforcement for correct responses during reinforcer evaluations using highest preferred items. During the second condition, the therapist provided contingent reinforcement for correct responses during reinforcer evaluations using least preferred items. Repeated measures of free-operant preference assessments produced participants’ preference rankings, thus identifying highest and least …

The Students’ Army Training Corps In Virginia, R. Matthew Luther

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The Students’ Army Training Corps (SATC) is an overlooked part of the United States’ military training system during World War I. In early 1918, the War Department realized that they would need more military officers due to the rapid expansion of the Army for the war, the high expected casualty rate of officers, and the planned spring 1919 offensive. To help fix this problem, the Committee on Education and Special Training, a subsidiary of the War Department, created the SATC. College campuses served as training locations and male students enrolled at the schools received military training in addition to their …

Juggling Between Two Full-Time Jobs: Work-Life Balance Experiences Of Working Mothers In Kosovo And The United States, Elona Gashi

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This qualitative research study sought to explore the working mothers’ work life balance experiences in Kosovo and the United States. Specifically, it aimed to explore within the life, work, and sociocultural contexts of these experiences. There were six working mothers interviewed in total, three from Kosovo and three from the U.S. The findings of this study showed that each of the contexts consisted of two major themes. Self-care and child-care themes emerged as essential to participants’ life context experiences. The nature of the work and workplace support themes emerged as crucial to participants’ work context experiences. And lastly, gender norms …

From One Tired Black Student To Another: The Understanding Of Blackness In Non-Formal Spaces, Kenique Brown

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Black students all over the world are at a disadvantage. They are misunderstood and oppressed. Black students do not receive an adequate intentional education in traditional educational spaces. Non-formal educational spaces have been supportive to Black students since slavery. Non-formal spaces have provided a space for Black people to feel seen and learn in a safe space. In this phenomenological qualitative study, four female Black Zambian gap-year students within a non-formal educational space were interviewed individually to describe the impact of a non-formal space on their understanding of Blackness. Through individual, semi- structured interviews, and additional data from the researcher’s …

Linguistically Responsive Practices Of Science Secondary School Teachers In Rwanda: A Qualitative Case Study, Clemence Mukabalisa Mbabazi

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This qualitative case study examined how science teachers in Rwandan secondary schools linguistically support their students. The study was conducted virtually on Zoom through two rounds of interviews with three science teachers at a secondary school in the East of Rwanda. The primary research question examined the strategies used by these teachers to linguistically support their students. Through individual interviews with the science teachers, the participants were able to share their perspectives and experiences on students' multilingual abilities, the use of English as an instructional language, especially after the transition from French, and the relationship between students' language proficiency and …

Living Between Two Worlds: Learning About High School Immigrant Students’ Experiences In The United States: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study, Xixellonje Nebihu

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This phenomenological qualitative research study examined the experiences of two immigrant high school students in terms of adaptation, integration, academic performance, and challenges they encountered in U.S. schools. These participants have been in the United States for three years and come from Jordan and Honduras. Semi-structured interviews and the researcher’s journal served as the study’s primary data sources. Two interview sessions were conducted with the participants at their school. The findings revealed that a variety of elements, including school support, such as counselors and the option to select courses, teacher support, and a diverse student body had a positive impact …

Constructing Memories Of The Civic-Military Dictatorship In La Plata, Argentina, 1976 To The Present, Anna Neubauer

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis examines how different organizations constructed memories of the civic-military dictatorship in Argentina. Although Spanish language literature on this topic is very rich, not much English language scholarship is present in the historiography. Using a local history approach and by analyzing primary sources such as newspapers, memoirs, flyers, and police archives, this thesis demonstrates how two groups: the Unión de Estudiantes Secundarios (High School Students Union, UES) and the Montoneros in the city of La Plata drew on the history of their fallen comrades during the civic-military dictatorship to fight for a better future in Argentina.

Repertoire Selection For High School Band Assessment, Miranda Cook

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Selecting repertoire is one of the most dynamic responsibilities music educators face, as it often serves as the music curriculum for band directors. Selecting high quality repertoire for students that achieves musical, educational, and culturally responsive goals is vital as part of their ensemble experience. When selecting repertoire for assessment, band directors must determine what repertoire their ensemble can perform well according to the Virginia and Band and Orchestra Directors Association performance rubric, while demonstrating musical and educational growth. The purpose of this study is to examine elements used by high school band directors when choosing repertoire for assessment. Research …

American Vibe Check: Based, Mid, Or Cringe? Measuring Gen Z’S Attitudes And Perceptions About American Democracy, Bethany Perryman

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Democracy is a concept, process, and practice, and American democracy is a specific flavor of it. Public opinion is influenced and shaped by mass media, and messages about American democracy emerge in a web of powers and among power dynamics. These messages include the actions and relationships of the American civic system with its citizenry and the world. Generation Z is a socially, culturally, economically, and politically unique population in American life, who form their own perceptions and attitudes about American democracy based on their experiences and with the ecosystem of communication and interaction they have with mass media messages. …

Working For The Benefit And Advancement Of Women: Three Women's Organizations That Commemorated The American Civil War, 1880-1920, Annette F. Guild

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In the past forty years, scholars and members of the public alike have obsessed over the complex legacy of the American Civil War (1861-1865). As debates over Confederate monuments and the United States’ racial past have frequently emerged in politics, many Americans have disagreed as to how the Civil War should be remembered. In examining the evolution of Civil War memory in American society, numerous scholars have noted the important role that women’s organizations played in influencing the Civil War’s collective memory in the fifty years following the conflict. However, while scholars have noted the significance of these organizations for …

A Survey Of Secondary Music Educators Regarding The Perceived Impact Of Integrating Non-Ensemble General Music Activities Within Secondary-Level Performing Ensembles, Brandon Morris

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to survey Commonwealth of Virginia middle and high school music educators concerning the impact of integrating non-ensemble general music activities within secondary ensembles. Specifically, the questions focused on integrating guitar/piano, composition, and music technology into (non-jazz) performance ensembles, as identified through the lens of the NAfME Performing Strand. For the purposes of this study, non-ensemble general music courses were defined as courses that are traditionally not viewed as performance classes. Throughout this study, the integration of general music activities in secondary performance ensembles was examined through the lens of the NAfME Performing Strand.

The …

Using Video Prompting For Daily Living Skill Acquisition In Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Meghan Park Mitchell

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The current study examined the effects of video prompting on the acquisition of a daily living skill with adults who have intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). A multiple baseline across participants design was used to assess whether a video prompting procedure was able to teach adults with IDD a daily living skill with minimal socially mediated instruction. It was found that performance increased once the intervention was applied. Future directions for research and application in teaching daily living skills to adults with IDD are discussed.

Enabling Security Analysis And Education Of The Ethereum Platform: A Network Traffic Dissection Tool, Joshua Mason Kemp

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Ethereum, the decentralized global software platform powered by blockchain technology known for its native cryptocurrency, Ether (ETH), provides a technology stack for building apps, holding assets, transacting, and communicating without control by a central authority. At the core of Ethereum’s network is a suite of purpose-built protocols known as DEVP2P, which provides the underlying nodes in an Ethereum network the ability to discover, authenticate and communicate confidentiality. This document discusses the creation of a new Wireshark dissector for DEVP2P’s discovery protocols, DiscoveryV4 and DiscoveryV5, and a dissector for RLPx, an extensible TCP transport protocol for a range of Ethereum node …

I Belong Here Too: An Oral History Of The Immigration Of Bangladeshis To New York City, Subat Matin

Masters Theses, 2020-current

I Belong Here Too is an oral history project which consists of twenty interviews of the Bangladeshi community in New York. The oral histories touch on many aspects of Bangladeshi-American life, history, memory, identity, culture, and the struggles of being an immigrant. It tries to put the interviewees experiences in a larger historical context in order to understand how the Bangladeshi community in Brooklyn, New York has grown and the challenges they faced as immigrants in a new city. The two chapters of this thesis examines the oral history processes and the difficulties of Bangladeshi immigrant women. The project is …

Locomotion And Life History In A Leaping Primate: Mechanics And Energetics Of Movement Throughout The Propithecus Lifespan, Nicholas Heslep

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Arboreal primates are typically altricial, exhibit long juvenile periods, and use dynamic locomotor behaviors that can be challenging and risky. Sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi) have particularly slow life histories for their size, with long juvenile periods, protracted reproductive careers, and long life spans. Slow somatic growth poses potential mechanical challenges for juvenile sifaka who use thigh-powered vertical clinging and leaping to follow group members during travel. I examined mechanical and energetic costs of movement in developing sifaka. I instrumented 8 wild sifaka (3 yearlings, 3 subadults, 2 adults) in 4 social groups with inertial sensors measuring tri-axial acceleration for …

Understanding Context Dependent Responses To Climate Change In Arizona Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma Mavortium Nebulosum), Kentrell Richardson

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Future emissions scenarios project climate change to increase average global temperatures by at least two ℃ in the next 50 years resulting in changes in local climate and causing increased variability within microclimates. Ectotherms are especially sensitive to climate change due to their dependence on environmental temperatures to regulate physiological functions. Changes in temperature are likely to impact thermally cued processes within amphibians and result in changes in variable magnitudes and directions within local populations.

Salamanders were placed in cups and partially submerged in a water bath and heated at a rate of ~0.27℃/ minute. Once salamanders were unable to …

The Sounds Of The Shore: An Afrofuturistic Double Record Performed Through Vernacular Technology, Collin Bright

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Predominately white institutions are socially exclusive hostile environments that uphold white heteronormative patriarchal systems (Harper, 2013; Holliday & Squires, 2021; Razzante, 2018). The everyday task of existing on campus is a struggle for students of color as they are asked to enter spaces/places that are not diverse, inclusive, equitable, or accepting. To address the oppressive and dismissive forces of campus, my thesis uses Afrofuturism to reimagine what it means to exist as a student of color at a PWI. Afrofuturism is a “counter-imaginative cultur[al]” aesthetic-based practice that uses creative postcolonial critiques to reimagine future possibilities (Asante & Pindi, 2020; Pirker …

The Effectiveness Of Using Behavior Specific Praise Versus General Praise For One Elementary-Aged Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Angie Slusar

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The purpose of this study was to look at the effectiveness of general praise (GP) versus behavior specific praise (BSP) on increasing on-task behavior and decreasing the behavior of hitting in an elementary-age child with autism spectrum disorder. The researcher conducted a single function functional analysis to confirm that hitting was maintained by access to adult attention. The researcher used an alternating treatment design to compare GP and BSP as behavior change interventions. The researcher observed an educator working one-on-one with an elementary-aged child with autism. In each condition, the educator gave the praise that corresponded with the condition, to …

Ladies Of Distinction: Examining Twentieth Century African American Socialites And Civil Rights, Mackenzie Mason

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Discontent post-war Philadelphians had a full list of problems which the city had been dealing with since the beginning of the Great Depression. Conditions in the city had deteriorated so badly that by the late 1930s, a group of young middle-to-upper-class professionals who called themselves “Young Turks” began advocating for postwar progressivism in the city. These wealthy white male lawyers, architects, and university professors frequently met and discussed their reformative ideas within intellectual associations and gentleman’s clubs. During this same time period and inside the same city, two African American women born into affluent families in Philadelphia desired to design …

The Daniel Harrison House Project: Heritage Education Programs At A Historic House Museum, Megan Schoeman

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis project attempts to identify and address outdated interpretation and education programs of the Daniel Harrison House, a historic house museum commonly known as Fort Harrison, in Dayton, Virginia. The project consists of two parts, a written component and an online digital exhibit. The written component of the project evaluates the Daniel Harrison House’s current educational programs and provides updated suggestions to reflect current trends within the heritage education and public history fields. The Interpretation Plan identifies the organization’s existing interpretation methods, historical content, artifact collection, education programs, staff and volunteers, accessibility of information to the public, and development …

I Belong Here Too: An Oral History Of The Immigration Of Bangladeshis To New York City, Subat Matin

Masters Theses, 2020-current

I Belong Here Too is an oral history project which consists of twenty interviews of the Bangladeshi community in New York. The oral histories touch on many aspects of Bangladeshi-American life, history, memory, identity, culture, and the struggles of being an immigrant. It tries to put the interviewees experiences in a larger historical context in order to understand how the Bangladeshi community in Brooklyn, New York has grown and the challenges they faced as immigrants in a new city. The two chapters of this thesis examines the oral history processes and the difficulties of Bangladeshi immigrant women. The project is …