Toward An Informal Informed Classrooms: Professional Musicians' Informal Music Learning Experiences, Rachel M. Smith

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Authors have studied informal music learning with different age groups. Lucy Green (2005) studied the topic with adolescents and identified it an intuitive and natural way children learn. Chad West and Radio Cremata (2016) studied informal music learning at the collegiate level, and Martina Vasil (2019) studied secondary music teachers who implemented informal music learning strategies in their teaching practices. Informal music learning in adults is relatively under-explored compared to adolescent and collegiate age groups. Utilizing lenses drawn from John Dewey’s curricular ideas to help students find meaning in learning and motivation as viewed through Self-Determination Theory, I sought to …

Identifying Systems Of Support In High Schools For Gender And Sexually Diverse Youth Living In Conservative Communities: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study, Nuriyah Bender

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Within the first few months of 2022 more than 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in states across the country (Human Rights Campaign, 2022). Many of these bills, some of which are now laws, discriminate against transgender students or restrict instruction and materials related to LGBTQ+ topics in schools. Gender and Sexually Diverse (GSD) students often do not feel safe in schools (Kosciw et al., 2020). Using a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study sought to identify the factors that helped GSD students feel the most supported in high schools in order to assist educators with actionable ways they can support students …

Narrative Review: Food Image Use For Machine Learnings’ Function In Dietary Assessment And Real Time Nutrition Feedback And Education, Jason Fee

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Technology has played a key role in advancing the health and agriculture sectors to improve obesity rates, diseasecontrol, food waste, and overall health disparities. However, these health and lifestyle determinants continue to plague theUnited States population. While new technologies have been and are currently being developed to address these concerns, they may not be practical for the general population. Utilizing machine learning advancement in food recognition using smartphone technology may be a means to improve the dietary component of nutrition assessments while providing valuable nutrition feedback. This narrative review was conducted to assess the current state of the literature on …

The Rationale For The Utilization Of Under Desk Bikes In Office Settings, Danielle Little

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Inactivity and sedentary behavior are major health concerns, exacerbated by the amount of time individuals spend at work. Purpose: To examine if 30-60 minutes of daily under-the-desk bicycle (UDB) use while working for 8 weeks helped sedentary and physically inactive adults reach the U.S. physical activity guidelines (PAG) and improve perceptions of wellness and job satisfaction. Methods: Subjects (n=22, average age=45.3 yrs, average BMI=30.2 kg/m2) cycled for 30-60 minutes on workdays for 8-weeks at a self-selected intensity level of 2 or 3 out of 8 total levels. Participants were advised not to engage in additional physical activity outside the study …

The Theory Of Reasoned Action As A Basis For Investment In Cryptocurrency, Wrr Rinaldo

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In the past decade and a half, emergent blockchain technology has gained widespread attention, especially in the past few years. For the most part, attention has been focused on cryptocurrencies, but non-fungible tokens (NFTs), that use similar technology, have been given attention as well. Many concerns about these technologies have arisen, particularly that of the environmental impacts associated with them. Utilizing the theory of reasoned action, diffusion of technology theory, and surveys conducted through Amazon Mechanical Turk, this research attempts to uncover if there is a link between the level of cryptocurrency knowledge that an individual possesses and the level …

Does A Sender’S And Recipient’S Relationship Influence Readers’ Interpretation Of Message Tone?, Allison Arp

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Given the importance of computer-mediated communication (CMC) and the uniqueness of the cues that have meaning in this environment, research is warranted to investigate how the relationship between the people communicating via CMC might impact the way the message and cues are interpreted. This study aims to investigate whether different inherent levels of authority and familiarity between a message sender and recipient affect how email tone is interpreted. Previous studies demonstrate that when individuals communicate with authority figures, they employ different strategies than when communicating with peers. Furthermore, individuals adapt their behavior to mimic the interactants behavior, which in turn …

Internet Art: An Interactive Timeline Resource, Laurel Vaccaro

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Link to Interactive Timeline Resource (ITR): https://sites.google.com/view/itr-internet-art/home

The purpose of this study was to first collect and summarize the history of internet art from its inception to current day and, second, to create an interactive timeline resource (ITR) designed for K-12 art application. Current approaches to internet art include recommendations that students engage with social media in the K-12 setting, yet gaps in the literature have neglected to address the actual history of internet art as a feature of a student’s K-12 art experiences. Initial research started from a preliminary hypothesis that highlighted the irony of students using the internet …

More Than Just Food, Haden King

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Our relationship with the natural world--as it relates to our production of food--is complex. Drawing inspiration from principles of regenerative agriculture, my paintings explore the dynamics and perceptions surrounding food, health, and a sustainable future. I deliberately use idealized images--some of which comes from corporate marketing campaigns--to examine the tension between what is real and what is fake.

Effectiveness Of Pictorial Preference Assessments For Children With Disabilities, Emma Oliver

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Pictorial stimulus preference assessments are a valuable resource for practitioners to determine stimuli that may function as reinforcers to aid in possible behavior change plans or skill acquisition objectives. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of electronic pictorial stimulus preference assessments (EP-MSWO) compared to a tangible stimulus preference assessment (T-MSWO) for children. This study includes two participants, aged 2 and 9, and involved in in-home behavioral services. Participants reached level two of the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) prior to the study being implemented. Participants were exposed to a pre-matching skills …

A Review Of Dietary Monitoring Applications And Eating Disorder/Disordered Eating Symptomatology, Donald Mellott Jr.

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Eating disorders are among the deadliest mental illnesses in the United States. Given their high prevalence and low treatment rates, mitigating risk exposure is necessary for prevention. Dietary monitoring applications are highly popular self-monitoring tools that can inform dietary patterns and improve weight loss efficacy. However, they can also serve as a means for those with body preoccupation to restrict and possibly exacerbate disordered symptomatology. A literature search was conducted to identify research regarding the usage of dietary monitoring applications and eating disorder/disordered eating symptomatology. Twelve articles met inclusion criteria and are discussed in the review. An association between the …

God And Reason: An Intellectual Religious Journey Through The Mind Of Thomas Paine, Jason R. Patterson

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Thomas Paine was one of the most prolific writers in the Age of Revolutions. His writings can be analyzed from a political, philosophical, humanitarian, or religious point of view. However, it was Paine's use of religious rhetoric that ultimately led to the demise of his character and reputation as a popular actor in the American Revolution. Most historiography on Paine focuses in on one of the mentioned perspectives, leaving out a much larger narrative or arch of Paine's life. This thesis will cover a series of Paine's writings beginning with his first, The Case of the Officers of Excise (1772) …

The Effect Of Acute Caffeine Withdrawal On Exercise Performance In Habitual Caffeine Users, Timothy D. Griest

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate how exercise performance is impacted by acute withdrawal from caffeine (CAF) in habitual users and if CAF ingestion will reverse the negative impact of withdrawal or have a net positive benefit. Methods: Ten recreational cyclists (age 39.1 ± 14.9 y; VO_2max 54.2 ± 6.2 mL/kg/min) who were habitual CAF consumers (394 ± 146 mg/d) completed four trials, each consisting of peak isokinetic torque testing and a 10-km time trial (TT). On each trial day, subjects consumed either 1.5 mg/kg CAF to prevent withdrawal or placebo (PLA) 8 hours before their …

Nest, Camillia Elci

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The major themes in this body of work are time and layers. These themes are linked by the materiality of the work. Intentional destruction and recreation, perpetually. The work is constantly being made, destroyed, and remade. It is always partly past and partly future. Nest is a self portrait displaying objects acquired and made over the past several years.

Spinning Plates, Anikó K.L. Sáfrán

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Spinning Plates is an intermedia exhibition based on multitasking, at times to an absurd level, to address the gendered division of care labor in a typical, heteronormative household. One hundred years into the pursuit of passing an Equal Rights Amendment, women are still taking on the majority of duties related to managing and caretaking the household and its children, even though most women have also joined the income-generating labor force. At the core of the exhibit are performance-based videos of the mother-artist multitasking, completing household chores, exercising, and creating art. Some of the artworks are action paintings, others are drawings …

Early Career Music Teachers And Trauma: A Mixed Methods Study, Tiffany N. Sitton

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Existing research rarely directly addresses individual trauma experiences of early career music teachers, despite copious research on adjacent areas such as stress and burnout. Early career music teachers have seldom had the opportunity to share stories of their trauma in the literature. Following an explanatory-sequential mixed method (Creswell, 2015), the researcher surveyed 250 music educators about their self-reported trauma experiences and then interviewed six of those participants to gain explanation of the survey data and to further illuminate their stories. Participants evaluated their own experiences using the definition of individual trauma from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration …

Representation In Visual Schedules For Individuals With Disabilities, Colleen Fowkes

Masters Theses, 2020-current

A visual activity schedule (VAS) is an evidence-based intervention that can assist individuals to follow a routine, see what is coming next, reduce dependence on others, and aid in transitions. A VAS is a sequence of visuals (photographs, avatars, line drawings, etc.) that can be used to show the user what they are to do in a specific order. A VAS acts as a template for the task the user is supposed to accomplish. Visual schedules can be beneficial for a wide range of users; they have been seen to be especially effective when used with individuals with disabilities, autism …

A Comparative Analysis Of Montpelier's, Monticello's, And Mount Vernon's Collaborative Effort With Their Descendant Communities, Rachel Gregor

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Historical homes and plantation sites focus interpretation on the life and legacy of the white owners of the property and the architectural and decorative elements of the home. In order to tell the whole-truth history of these sites, there must be an active discussion regarding the lives of the enslaved population, especially since the enslaved individuals were the reason the white owner was able to be successful. While very little written historical records exist for enslaved communities in comparison to those that survive for the white plantation owner, the surviving documentation, when coupled with archaeological evidence and especially the oral …

Rapid Response Behavior Before And During The Pandemic, Katarina E. Schaefer

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Different levels of examinee motivation pose a validity threat to the interpretation of test scores. This problem is heightened in low-stakes, remote testing environments. Though some ways exist to gauge average motivation throughout testing, less ways exist to gauge motivation fluctuations throughout a single test. One of those ways is through response times. Specifically, rapid response behavior occurs when examinees quickly answer an item without reading or engaging with the item. At James Madison University (JMU), students participating in campus-wide Assessment Days typically experienced an in-person, proctored Assessment Day. However, that changed during the pandemic. During the pandemic, examinees participated …

Analyzing The Validity Of Self-Reports Of Emotional Responding Using An Electronic Device, Tiffany E. Shiflet

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The assessment of internal behaviors such as thoughts, feelings, or physiological symptoms not seen by the naked eye are often assessed with indirect measures such as self-reports and questionnaires given the lack of accessibility and observations by outside observers. The self-management of human behaviors, including internal events, carries socially valid implications for an individual’s quality of life, including children and individuals with neurological, developmental, and intellectual disabilities. This study aimed to address the following question: are there valid measurement procedures (e.g., collecting data on physiological responses) to analyze the correspondence between self-reports of emotional states and observable and measurable overt …

An Analysis Of Behavior Management Strategies Used Within Parent-Child Interaction Therapy To Facilitate Verbalizations By Children With Developmental Disabilities, Megan Barnes

Masters Theses, 2020-current

We examined the effects of the procedures recommended for interventions using the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) protocols on child verbalizations. The effects of the procedures of Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) were examined in a non-concurrent multiple baseline across participants design. Two seven-year-old participants with developmental disabilities and language delay experienced a baseline condition followed by two experimental conditions during a free play environment. A range of child toys were rotated systematically throughout the study. The total number of therapist-child interactions remained consistent across all experimental conditions. The experimenter received bug-in-the-ear feedback about her use of the therapy components in order to …

Cycles Of Domination And Resistance: A Performance Autoethnography Of A Black Woman At A Pwi, Savannah Brown

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis is a performance autoethnography that examines and unpacks my experiences as a Black woman who attends a predominantly white institution. Through narratives, letters, and photos, I reveal and analyze the ways in which I navigate both systems of domination and resistance between my interactions with spaces, people, discourses, and objects. As I use Critical Race Theory, intersectionality, and performance studies as my theoretical underpinnings, I can understand how my Black, female body is situated and contested within the institution that I refer to as Everywhere University. While this project shows my experiences with concepts such as racism, whiteness, …

Teaching Specials Teachers To Use Behavior Specific Praise In Elementary School, Elizabeth Rich

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Behavior-specific praise (BSP) has been shown to be an effective intervention across age groups for improving behavior in the school setting, including increasing on-task behavior, increasing engaged behavior, and reducing disruptive behavior. Following a review of the literature, the researcher selected tactile prompting paired with a visual prompt to increase specials teachers’ use of BSP. Using a multiple probe across participants design with an add-in component, this study investigated the effects of a visual prompt and a tactile prompt paired with a visual prompt to increase BSP use for two elementary school music teachers. Researchers also examined whether increasing BSP …

Walking The Line: The Legacy Of The Lost Cause In Redefining Femininity At The Normal, 1909-1942, Jennifer D. Page

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The students who attended the State Normal and Industrial School at Harrisonburg during the early period (1909 – 1942) used social organizations to echo, amplify, and rehearse Lost Cause hierarchies of class, gender, and race. The Lee and Lanier Literary Societies were the two elite groups on campus which provided spaces for the women to practice these societal norms. These groups created a system of gatekeeping that ensured exclusivity and elevated the social standing of those who were members. These organizations were spaces to rehearse refinement and to practice the white women’s own roles in society. Their understanding of their …

Shape-Note Music Traditions Of The Shenandoah Valley, Tyler Brinkerhoff

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Though over the years documents about shape-note music from Joseph Funk and Sons and the Ruebush-Kieffer companies have been spread throughout many archives, they are now being brought back together online in one digital archive. Interpreting the information contained in these documents and the ledger book of subscribers for The Southern Musical Advocate and Singer’s Friend magazine through graphs and maps makes the information contained in them easier to access for researchers. The collaboration between a physical museum site, a website, and a Omeka site allow for multiple ways to learn about the history of shape-note music in the Shenandoah …

The Development, Evaluation, And Pilot-Test Of A Nutrition Education Tool Kit At A Mobile Food Pantry In Virginia., Caitlin Swanson

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop, test and evaluate a nutrition education tool kit at a mobile food pantry (MFP) in rural Virginia.

Design: Cross-sectional, mixed methods approach using both quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate the effectiveness of a tool kit training at increasing participant self-efficacy, basic nutrition knowledge and perceived readiness to conduct a nutrition lesson with MFP guests. The ability for participants to translate the training into practice was also observed and documented.

Setting: Pilot tested on March 11^th 2020 at the Timberville Blue Ridge Area Food Bank MFP site.

Participants …

Praying For The South: Catholics And The Confederacy, Thomas Richardson

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis examines the distinctiveness of Southern Catholic support of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, with a geographic emphasis on Virginian Catholics. During the antebellum decades, the Catholic Church in America thrived despite facing increasing hostility from the largely-Protestant United States. In response to these challenges, Catholics learned to support their state and federal governments whenever and wherever they could as a means to defuse anti-Catholic attacks. This led Catholics to condone (and involve themselves in) American racialized slavery, even after the Church itself condemned the practice. Seen in this light, Catholics who fought for and supported the …

The Effect Of Creatine Supplementation On Body Composition And Total Body Water Measured By Multi-Frequency Bioelectrical Impedance, Emily A. Buck

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Background: Acute fluid ingestion causes an increase in estimated body fat percentage (BF%) measurements by single frequency (SF-BIA) and multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance (MF-BIA). However, it is unknown if MF-BIA accurately measures total body water (TBW) and BF% after chronic fluid retention. Creatine supplementation causes fluid retention, and resultant increases in TBW and body mass. Research is needed to determine if MF-BIA is capable of detecting fluid retention secondary to creatine supplementation. Methods: 13 male and 14 female subjects (18-22 y) completed one week of creatine monohydrate or maltodextrin supplementation at a dose of 0.3 g/kg body weight. Subjects completed pre-supplementation …

The Effect Of Dietary Nitrate Supplementation On Physical And Cognitive Performance During Load Carriage In Military Cadets, Nicholas C. Bordonie

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on physical and cognitive performance during exercise conducted under heavy pack load in military cadets. Methods: Ten college-aged males (VO_2max 56.2 ± 3.7 ml/kg/min) consumed 140mL/d of concentrated beetroot juice (BRJ; containing 12.8 mmol of dietary nitrate) or a placebo (PL; flavor, color, energy, and texture-matched with no dietary nitrate) for six days preceding an exercise trial. The trial consisted of 45 min of constant-load exercise on a treadmill at 4.83 km/h and 1.5% grade, followed immediately by a 1.6-km time-trial completed at maximal …

Writing While Black: African American Vernacular English (Aave) And Perceived Writing Performance, Jaylin N. Nesbitt

Masters Theses, 2020-current

In the education system, there have historically been inequities that have severely disadvantaged Black students academically. One area in which these inequities surface is on writing assessments in the form of lower scores. I argue that because the U.S. education system is centered around Standard American English (SAE), it disadvantages those from different linguistic backgrounds, specifically Black students, as they are most likely to be speakers of African American Vernacular English (AAVE). Although there are theoretical justifications for this, past literature has not empirically tied inequities on writing assessments to Black students’ use of AAVE. The current study used Natural …

“But For Those Of Us Who Live Here”: Performance Of Work And Community By Women Employed In Rural, Predominantly White, Small-Town Schools, Telena M. Turner

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Rural, small towns are incredibly complex cultural centers. Although rural places are consistently portrayed as unchanging, the operation of cultural and identity within these locations is consistently on the move. Using reflexive interviewing, poetic transcription, autoethnographic writing, this project (re)presents poems on community and identity from five women employed in schools in rural, mostly White, small towns in the Central Appalachian region. Analyzing the poems through concepts in performance studies and work on space and place, this project positions movement and change at the center of small towns and examines how notions of rural place and community are performed through …