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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

How Flawed Memories Sabotage Your Marriage, Jason B. Whiting Dec 2016

How Flawed Memories Sabotage Your Marriage, Jason B. Whiting

Faculty Publications

Shelby and Stan (names have been changed) were arguing in front of me over an incident at her parent’s house. “We went there for a family barbecue after we first started dating,” Shelby reported. “Stan was just getting to know my family, and he ended up losing his temper and embarrassing me in front of everyone. It was a catastrophe!”


Focusing On Men And Fathers: A Challenge For Social Work Research And Practice, Kevin Shafer, Jennifer L. Bellamy Dec 2016

Focusing On Men And Fathers: A Challenge For Social Work Research And Practice, Kevin Shafer, Jennifer L. Bellamy

Faculty Publications

In introducing this special issue of Social Work Research, we feel it is important to discuss why social work practice and research with men and fathers is of critical importance and deserving of specific attention. Social work researchers and practitioners need to focus on men and fathers, both as a special population and as subpopulations of other groups. A focus on men and fathers is critical because (a) it is a social justice issue for men, women, and children; (b) men are underserved by helping professionals, including social workers, particularly in certain contexts and programs; (c) social workers are uniquely …


Divorce Stress, Stepfamily Stress, And Depression Among Emerging Adult Stepchildren, Kevin Shafer, Todd M. Jensen, Erin K. Holmes Nov 2016

Divorce Stress, Stepfamily Stress, And Depression Among Emerging Adult Stepchildren, Kevin Shafer, Todd M. Jensen, Erin K. Holmes

Faculty Publications

Several decades of research have shown that parental divorce can be a stressful experience for children and may lead to depression and other negative outcomes. Similarly, research has highlighted the stressors often induced by stepfamily formation and their effects on children. Although singular family transitions can exert influence, few studies explore how the combined stress from two family transitions may interact to influence long-term outcomes. Our study addresses this gap by using national data from 1142 respondents who experienced parental divorce and a subsequent transition to stepfamily life. Congruent with prior research, we find that retrospective reports of divorce and …


Community Research Fellows Training Hattiesburg, Ms Evaluation Report, Candace Forbes Bright Nov 2016

Community Research Fellows Training Hattiesburg, Ms Evaluation Report, Candace Forbes Bright

Faculty Publications

The Community Research Fellows Training (CRFT) Hattiesburg program took place between January 12th, 2016 and May 17, 2016. This is the third Mississippi cohort of CRFT and the first Mississippi cohort outside of Jackson, Mississippi. This report reflects the implementation and evaluation of a community based participatory training (CBPR) program for community members in Hattiesburg. The report provides data on the assessment of the program’s effectiveness in promoting the role of underserved populations in research by enhancing the capacity for CBPR. In assessing the social network development of the cohort, we seek to understand effectiveness in bridging many …


Four Factors That Help Women Leave Abusive Relationships, Jason B. Whiting Nov 2016

Four Factors That Help Women Leave Abusive Relationships, Jason B. Whiting

Faculty Publications

Being mistreated by the person you love, especially when physical abuse is involved, is one of the most frightening and traumatic experiences a woman can face, and it is hard to know what to do when it happens. A woman who is a victim of violence faces a particularly complicated dilemma. Should she stay or go? Although this may seem to be an easy choice, as discussed in my last post, there are many issues that can make it difficult for a victim of domestic violence to leave. For instance, victimized women often love and feel committed to their partner, …


Is This Relevant? Physician Perceptions, Clinical Relevance, And Religious Content In Clinical Interactions, Aaron B. Franzen Sep 2016

Is This Relevant? Physician Perceptions, Clinical Relevance, And Religious Content In Clinical Interactions, Aaron B. Franzen

Faculty Publications

Despite wide support among physicians for practicing patient-centered care, clinical interactions are primarily driven by physicians’ perception of relevance. While some will perceive a connection between religion and patient health, this relevance will be less apparent for others. I argue that physician responses when religious/spiritual topics come up during clinical interactions will depend on their own religious/spiritual background. The more central religion is for the physician, the greater his or her perception of religion's impact on health outcomes and his or her inclusion of religion/spirituality within clinical interactions. Using a nationally representative sample of physicians in the United States and …


Eight Reasons Women Stay In Abusive Relationships, Jason B. Whiting Jul 2016

Eight Reasons Women Stay In Abusive Relationships, Jason B. Whiting

Faculty Publications

When NFL linebacker Ray Rice knocked his fiancée Janay Palmer unconscious in an elevator in 2014, it didn't initially get much attention. He was accused of domestic violence and suspended for two games. After a few weeks he was formally charged, but he and Palmer were married the next day. However, when a security video of the event surfaced, it quickly went viral. Watching Palmer get knocked out and roughly dragged out of the elevator by Rice had a powerful effect on viewers. The waves of outrage that followed caused the NFL to scramble to increase their punishment of Ray …


When To Seek Help: Six Signs A Relationship Is Going Downhill, Jason B. Whiting Jul 2016

When To Seek Help: Six Signs A Relationship Is Going Downhill, Jason B. Whiting

Faculty Publications

Billionaire inventor Elon Musk is known for his intense drive to change the world. He has developed technology to get humans off fossil fuels and up to the stars and is the CEO of electric car company Tesla, as well as rocket launcher SpaceX. By all accounts he is brilliant, driven, and uncompromising. His successes have earned him respect and money, but he has struggled in his romantic pursuits.


The Deception Of Depression: How A Melancholy Mood Can Sink A Marriage, Jason B. Whiting Jun 2016

The Deception Of Depression: How A Melancholy Mood Can Sink A Marriage, Jason B. Whiting

Faculty Publications

Logan was a doctoral student studying ancient Italian poetry. His life was filled with shelves of old books and a teaching job where he was supposed to inspire lethargic freshmen. His doctoral adviser was difficult and inconsistent, and Logan was a people- pleaser who worried that his adviser and students were always upset with him. He came to see me at the request of his wife, Yuko, who was starting to panic at his change in personality. “He used to be cheerful, fun-loving, and interested in his work,” she said. “Now he is a zombie. He goes through the motions …


Your Face: The Window To Your Love Life, Jason B. Whiting May 2016

Your Face: The Window To Your Love Life, Jason B. Whiting

Faculty Publications

I was sitting in church one day as a newly-married man and noticed a nice-looking woman on the piano bench up front. She was staring my direction and caught my eye. She had an intense look that startled me. She gave a coy smile. I was surprised and alert – but I didn’t recognize her and was getting uncomfortable. I glanced at my wife beside me, who didn’t notice what was going down. I looked back at the woman and she laughed, and then winked. I felt extremely awkward and started to sweat. I glanced around again to see if …


The Fight About Nothing: Three Ways Couples Can Get Out Of Useless Battles, Jason B. Whiting May 2016

The Fight About Nothing: Three Ways Couples Can Get Out Of Useless Battles, Jason B. Whiting

Faculty Publications

Tyler left the office early feeling nauseated. He hit the bed, and a couple hours later his wife Bethany walked in, surprised to find him there. “What are you doing?” she blurted. Tyler grimaced. “I’m sick. Is that ok?”


Post-Feminism For Children: Feminism ‘Repackaged’ In The Bratz Films, Sarah Anna Becker, Danielle Thomas, Michael R. Cope Apr 2016

Post-Feminism For Children: Feminism ‘Repackaged’ In The Bratz Films, Sarah Anna Becker, Danielle Thomas, Michael R. Cope

Faculty Publications

After their release in 2001, Bratz dolls carved into Barbie’s previously monopolistic share of teen doll sales. Amidst their growing popularity, cultural critics expressed a host of concerns about Bratz dolls, especially over how they sexualize youth, but the line grew to include a host of products like costumes, makeup kits, games, books, clothing, and movies. It also inspired new, similar doll lines from other toy companies. In this article, we situate the Bratz’s popularity in a specific cultural moment tied to the history of modern feminism. We use a content analysis of the Bratz movie series to explore the …


Excuse Me! How Rationalizing Weakens Relationships, Jason B. Whiting Apr 2016

Excuse Me! How Rationalizing Weakens Relationships, Jason B. Whiting

Faculty Publications

In a marriage seminar I conducted, a wife mentioned her husband’s frustrating habit of rationalizing when he apologized. She called this his “sorry, but” tendency, because he would admit he was wrong, but then give reasons why he did it. He would say, “Sorry, but I was stressed because of the kid’s screaming.” Or, “Sorry, but you really shouldn’t be that upset.”


Is It Ever Ok To Lie To Your Lover?, Jason B. Whiting Apr 2016

Is It Ever Ok To Lie To Your Lover?, Jason B. Whiting

Faculty Publications

The healthiest relationships have a high degree of trust. However, it is surprisingly easy to be deceptive in an intimate relationship. Research has shown that about 10% of interactions between intimates contain deceptive elements, like exaggerations, excuses, or other lies. Not surprisingly, these have a distancing effect. But are all deceptions damaging? Isn’t it kind to protect each other from painful truths? It may depend on the motive.


Why Do Lovers Lie To Each Other?, Jason B. Whiting Apr 2016

Why Do Lovers Lie To Each Other?, Jason B. Whiting

Faculty Publications

Mel was a foreman for a big box store, where he oversaw shipping and unloading. He was a husky blonde who was addicted to Juicy Fruit gum. He told me in therapy that he had a “little gaming issue.” He didn’t want his wife to know, because he felt like she wouldn’t understand or would give him grief. Our conversation began with me asking him what, exactly, he was referring to. He explained:


Marital Quality Buffers The Association Between Socioeconomic Status And Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Wendy C. Birmingham, Jenny M. Cundiff, Bert N. Uchino, Timothy W. Smith Apr 2016

Marital Quality Buffers The Association Between Socioeconomic Status And Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Wendy C. Birmingham, Jenny M. Cundiff, Bert N. Uchino, Timothy W. Smith

Faculty Publications

Background Socioeconomic status is robustly associated with rates of death and disease. Psychophysiological stress processes are thought to account for a portion of this association. Purpose Although positive and supportive relationships can buffer psychophysiological stress responses, no studies have examined whether the quality of a primary adult relation�ship—marriage—may buffer the negative association be�tween socioeconomic status and stress-related disease processes. Methods The current study examines the interaction between income and marital quality (supportive vs. ambivalent) on individuals’ daily ambulatory blood pressure, a valid and re�liable indicator of cardiovascular risk. Results Results revealed that supportive marital relationships buffered the otherwise higher ambulatory …


“Whatever God Has Yoked Together, Let No Man Put Apart:” The Effect Of Religion On Black Marriages, Cassandra Chaney Phd, Lucy Shirisia, Linda Skogrand Mar 2016

“Whatever God Has Yoked Together, Let No Man Put Apart:” The Effect Of Religion On Black Marriages, Cassandra Chaney Phd, Lucy Shirisia, Linda Skogrand

Faculty Publications

This qualitative study examined how religion strengthened the marriages of three (n = 6) African American couples. An ancillary purpose of this study is to examine the extent that spirituality influences the marriages of these couples. Through the use of a family-strengths framework, this study examined how a religious orientation (Hill, 1968) stabilized Black marriages. Qualitative analysis revealed the following four themes: (1) Religion is The Foundation of the Marriage; (2) Couples Consistently Practiced their Religion; (3) Couples Turned to Religion during Difficult Times; and (4) Religion Transcended Race. The findings indicate these couples practiced their religion …


Health And Psychosocial Outcomes Of A Telephonic Couples Behavior Change Intervention In Patients With Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Paula M. Trief, Lawrence Fisher, Jonathan G. Sandberg, Donald A. Cibula, Jacqueline Dimmock, Danielle M. Hessler, Patricia Forken, Ruth S. Weinstock Mar 2016

Health And Psychosocial Outcomes Of A Telephonic Couples Behavior Change Intervention In Patients With Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Paula M. Trief, Lawrence Fisher, Jonathan G. Sandberg, Donald A. Cibula, Jacqueline Dimmock, Danielle M. Hessler, Patricia Forken, Ruth S. Weinstock

Faculty Publications

To compare glycemic control and secondary outcomes of a 4-month telephonic couples behavioral intervention to individual intervention, and to education, for adults with type 2 diabetes.


Service Learning Enhances Conceptual Learning In A Rn To Bsn Program, Henny Breen, Melissa Robinson Jan 2016

Service Learning Enhances Conceptual Learning In A Rn To Bsn Program, Henny Breen, Melissa Robinson

Faculty Publications

A qualitative study using transcript analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of service learning in enhancing conceptual learning in RN to BSN students. As part of their capstone course in an online program, students engaged in 64 hours of service learning in their local community. The transcripts of asynchronous discussions and journal entries formed the data for analysis. The findings illustrated that the student’s conceptual understanding was enhanced from the service learning experience. Further, the students demonstrated higher-level thinking by linking concepts that could be applied to nursing practice. Service learning reinforced the community-based philosophy of the School of …


Androgyny/Hermaphroditism: Hebrew Bible, Jennifer J. Williams Jan 2016

Androgyny/Hermaphroditism: Hebrew Bible, Jennifer J. Williams

Faculty Publications

The Hebrew Bible lacks a term for androgyny or hermaphroditism. The term tumtumim, which identifies persons of indeterminate or “hidden” sex, appears later in rabbinic texts. Nevertheless, sexual fluidity, ambiguity, intersexed persons, and persons with a combination of masculine and feminine characteristics appear in the Genesis creation stories and prophetic texts. While gender transgression is relevant to the general discussion, this entry from The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Gender Studies: Oxford Biblical Studies Online focuses primarily on ancient understandings, namely those presented in the Hebrew Bible, of those of “both sexes.”


The Poetry Of John Dewey, Jerry L. Williams Jan 2016

The Poetry Of John Dewey, Jerry L. Williams

Faculty Publications

This essay examines the poetry of John Dewey, 101 poems in total. Characteristic of the rhymed and metered poetry of the period, they show a very human side of Dewey. This analysis argues that many of his poems deal with existential themes—love, finitude, and God, for example. On a deeper level these poems are also show connections to Dewey’s philosophy, in particular his ideas about social change and dualism.


Effects Of Service-Learning On Kinesiology Students' Attitudes Toward Children With Disabilities, José Santiago, Jihyun Lee, Emily Roper Jan 2016

Effects Of Service-Learning On Kinesiology Students' Attitudes Toward Children With Disabilities, José Santiago, Jihyun Lee, Emily Roper

Faculty Publications

Contact theory (Allport, 1954) served as the framework to investigate undergraduate kinesiology students’ attitudes toward children with disabilities after a service-learning (SL) experience. Fifty-one undergraduate kinesiology students enrolled in an adapted physical education (APE) course served as the experimental group, and 31 undergraduate kinesiology students enrolled in an introductory kinesiology course served as the control group. The Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale–Form A (Yuker, Block, & Younng, 1970) was administered at three different times: before, during, and after the SL. A mixed-design ANOVA revealed that there were no statistically significant main or interaction effects for gender, group, and time on …


Service-Learning And Perceptions Of Homelessness, Tabitha Hart, Felipe Gómez, Priya Raman Jan 2016

Service-Learning And Perceptions Of Homelessness, Tabitha Hart, Felipe Gómez, Priya Raman

Faculty Publications

This article examines how service-learning positively impacts students’ perspectives of the homeless. Data were collected through a pre- and post-assessment issued to students in a service-learning course. At the beginning of the course, students characterized the homeless according to common stereotypes. At the end of the course, students’ views were more humanized.


Public Higher Education’S Role In Shaping A Workforce In Rhode Island: The Case Of Rhode Island College, Francis J. Leazes Jr., Mikaila M. L. Arthur Jan 2016

Public Higher Education’S Role In Shaping A Workforce In Rhode Island: The Case Of Rhode Island College, Francis J. Leazes Jr., Mikaila M. L. Arthur

Faculty Publications

Skilled human capital plays a major role in sparking innovation, enhancing productivity, raising incomes, and driving economic growth. State prosperity depends heavily on attracting well-educated workers because these workers enjoy significantly higher per-capita incomes and perform well on other economic measures. The knowledge-based economy places a higher premium on an education that challenges those entering the workplace to be able to think beyond the immediate job they will seek. If the most desirable high-value technical businesses cannot find enough skilled workers in Rhode Island, they will neither come to the state or stay in it. Furthermore, in today’s economy, we …


Strange Fruit: Race, Terror, And The War On Terror, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D. Jan 2016

Strange Fruit: Race, Terror, And The War On Terror, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This poem examines drone warfare as a form of lynching. “Strange Fruit” links the deaths of Pakistani children Zeerak and Maria Khan to the murders of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, documented in the most infamous lynching photograph in U.S. history.


Of All Days: Critical Pedagogy Outside The Classroom, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D. Jan 2016

Of All Days: Critical Pedagogy Outside The Classroom, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A student at the author’s college pens a racist column on immigration for the school newspaper. Two departments, including the author’s, send campus-wide emails denouncing the rhetoric. A firestorm erupts, as much over the emails as over the op-ed. Years later, the student visits the author unannounced.


Building Age-Friendly Community: Notes From The Field, Rachel Filinson, Marianne Raimondo, Maureen Maigret Jan 2016

Building Age-Friendly Community: Notes From The Field, Rachel Filinson, Marianne Raimondo, Maureen Maigret

Faculty Publications

Building age-friendly communities is a global as well as a national concern. The purpose of this paper is to explore fundamental tensions underlying the formulation of age-friendly goals and their implementation, based on a review of age-friendly projects and reflections on the journey towards age friendliness in one state (Rhode Island). The authors conducted a comprehensive investigation of the relevant literature on previous age-friendly initiatives, which included case studies of individual projects, meta-analyses of age-friendly work, and educational toolkits for promoting age-friendly community. They also collected original data from ten focus groups with older adults, interviews with key informant service …


Reliability Generalization Of The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure- Revised (Meim-R), Timothy B. Smith, Hayley Marie Herrington, Erin Feinauer, Derek Griner Jan 2016

Reliability Generalization Of The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure- Revised (Meim-R), Timothy B. Smith, Hayley Marie Herrington, Erin Feinauer, Derek Griner

Faculty Publications

Individuals’ strength of ethnic identity has been linked with multiple positive indicators, including academic achievement and overall psychological well-being. The measure researchers use most often to assess ethnic identity, the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM), underwent substantial revision in 2007. To inform scholars investigating ethnic identity, a reliability generalization analysis was performed on data from the revised version (MEIM–R) and compared with data from the original MEIM. Random-effects weighted models evaluated internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach’s alpha). Reliability coefficients for the MEIM–R averaged α = .88 across 37 samples, a statistically significant increase over the average of α = .84 for …


When Not To "Tie The Knot”: A Study Of Exogamous Marriage In Ezra-Nehemiah Against The Backdrop Of Biblical Legal Tradition, Gerald A. Klingbeil Jan 2016

When Not To "Tie The Knot”: A Study Of Exogamous Marriage In Ezra-Nehemiah Against The Backdrop Of Biblical Legal Tradition, Gerald A. Klingbeil

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Sex, Drugs And Alcohol: What Adventist College Students Say About The Role Of Parents And Religion, Alina M. Baltazar, Duane C. Mcbride, Curtis J. Vanderwaal, Kathryn Conopio Jan 2016

Sex, Drugs And Alcohol: What Adventist College Students Say About The Role Of Parents And Religion, Alina M. Baltazar, Duane C. Mcbride, Curtis J. Vanderwaal, Kathryn Conopio

Faculty Publications

Relationships with peers, parents, and God make a difference in the behavior choices of youth. If a young person spends time with peers who don’t use substances and are planning to wait until they get married to have sex, they are less likely to engage in these behaviors. In addition, if the youth has a close relationship with parents who clearly state their standards regarding substance use and premarital sex, they are less likely to practice these behaviors. Finally, when the young person has a close relationship with God, they are more likely to care about the religious standards such …