Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

2020 Census And The Bureau's New Data Portal -- Data.Census.Gov, Dennis Johnson, Kanin Reese

CPAR Presents: A Data and Research Series for Community Impact

PART I. The Census Bureau has redesigned and recently unveiled a new tool for accessing their data data.census.gov In this live demonstration, you will see how to use the new system, and view new features. The portal will replace American FactFinder. PART II: Every 10 years the Census Bureau counts every person and household in the United States. This session will cover the 2020 Census, including geographic programs, partnership activities, timeline, job recruitment, and discussion of the new online option to complete the decennial census questionnaire.

Role Of Resilience In Buffering The Effect Of Work-School Conflict On Negative Emotional Responses And Sleep Health Of College Students, Brandon Wood

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

More than 70% of college students are employed while taking classes, and juggling these demands create a strain on students, with strain manifesting itself in several ways including lower academic achievement (Markel & Frone, 1998), increased prevalence of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety (Mounsey, Vandehey, Diekhoff, 2013), and the inability to maintain proper sleep hygiene (Augner, 2011). This trend of working a significant amount of hours while taking college classes is unlikely to change, fostering a research emphasis on identifying factors that facilitate college students’ ability to handle the stress of these multiple competing demands. Resilience is …

A Content Analysis Of Advertisement To Volunteer In The Global South, Kristina Medero

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

In the past decade, volunteer tourism, or the venture to volunteer abroad as a learning or leisure activity, has grown immensely. This study conducted a content analysis through a cultural intelligence theoretical framework to examine the strategies of persuasive rhetoric and images in voluntourism advertisement. The data revealed that organizations that requested monetary donations used images of egoistic appeals on websites p> 0.05, t(13) = .76. However, no significant difference was recorded between volunteer tourism organizations that required time commitment or monetary donations when using expectations of exchange. Considering the volunteer tourism organizations used a variety of techniques with …

Using From The Heartland In The First-Year Writing Classroom: Measuring Instructor Reception Of The Customized Textbook, Sarah Cohen

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The aim of the first-year writing program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is to equip students with critical reading and writing tools and strategies to advance effective written communication well into their future. This study examines and measures attitudes of UNO composition instructors – who come from a variety of pedagogical and theoretical backgrounds – toward the efficacy of UNO’s self-published Composition I textbook, From the Heartland: Critical Reading and Writing at UNO. In many ways, From the Heartland embraces what Richard Fulkerson refers to as “a critical cultural pedagogy” which encourages students to consider personal …

An Exploration Of Iranian Use Of Gray Zones And Their Deterrence, Lauren Zimmerman, Amanda Urick

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Iran, being the religious minority in the Middle East, has begun to extend its reach outside of its borders by influencing the stability of other states within the region. They have been utilizing their economic revenue to fund terrorist organizations and cyber capabilities to threaten free use of the internet in the Middle East. Iran is the world's most active state sponsor of terrorism, but how do we deter them? Our paper will explore the history of deterring Iran and future possibilities.

Abiding By Poe's Law? How Users Interpret Ambiguous Messages Of Polarizing Content Posted On Social Networking Sites, Kelly Johnson

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Today’s political climate is marked by a polarized citizenry and widespread use of social media for politically-charged exchanges. It can be difficult to discern whether posts that demonstrate an extreme position on face value intended the message to be parody or whether the author expressed sincerely held beliefs. In an online Creationism debate, a user summarized this difficulty with, “Poe’s Law: Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is [utterly] impossible to parody a Creationist in such a way that someone won’t mistake [it] for the genuine article.” Studies have shown people are more inclined to …

Experienced Sexual Harassment In The Military: Why Soldiers Aren't Reporting, Jacqueline Jaramillo

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The prevalence of U.S. military personnel experiencing sexual harassment is a significant problem that must be addressed. Recent estimates suggest that 26% of female service members and 7% of male service members experience sexual harassment in the military (Bell, Dardis, Vento, & Street, 2018). One purpose of this study is to review the research to determine the extent to which the culture of reporting in the military influences why soldiers demonstrate a strong tendency to not report sexual harassment they have experienced. A second goal of this research is to explore the evidence for soldiers’ fear of retaliation for reporting …

The Effects Of Leader Support And Leader Gender On Subordinate Creative Problem-Solving Performance, Nadine Maliakkal

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This research draws on role congruity theory to examine whether the well-studied relationship between leader support and subordinate creativity differs when the leader is a man or a woman. Utilizing Amazon Mechanical Turk participants, the research employs experimental vignette methodology to examine (1) whether high (vs. low) leader support results in better subordinate creative problem-solving, (2) whether subordinate creative problem-solving is better under male (vs. female) leaders, and (3) whether the positive effect of support on subordinate creativity is greater for male than female leaders.

What Makes A Good Therapy Dog? Identifying Factors Associated With Calm Behavior In Therapy Dogs, Kristen Cunningham, Zachary L. Darwish, Rosemary Strasser

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Dogs offer a variety of benefits to society, including the use of therapy dogs to provide therapeutic and physiological benefits, enhancing the lives of a wide range of recipients. Unlike service or emotional support animals, therapy dogs provide support to a multitude of individuals, often in hospitals, schools, nursing homes, or other venues. While many studies have examined behavioral assessments of service dog programs, little research has investigated the factors that make a good therapy dog. Therapy dogs must undergo strategic training before becoming certified. The present study seeks to illuminate what factors might distinguish therapy dogs from pet dogs …

Entertainment-Education Has A Potential Source For Comprehensive Sexuality Education: A Content Analysis Of The Netflix Series Big Mouth, Kristina Medero

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Health communication researchers have studied the potential for entertainment-education, to increase health literacy amongst adolescents regarding sexuality education (Moyer-Guse, 2008). This study will analyze the Netflix series Big Mouth with normative theoretical framework laid out by Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (2008) to provide support about the extent to which the series can act as a potential source for comprehensive sexuality education. This content analysis of Big Mouth will potentially provide a significant level comprehensive sexuality education to its audience, p < .05 through a one-way ANOVA that will test topics covered, relevance of social context, and inclusivity of material presented in the series.

Advancing Women & Associated Populations: The Work Of Women's Foundations & Funds, Elizabeth May Gillespie

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This is my dissertation research, which is a landscape scan of all women’s foundations and funds in the U.S. Women’s foundations and funds, which expressly award grants to programs and organizations benefiting/advancing women and associated populations (girls, children and families), have grown in number and funding scope over the past five decades. These organizations award millions in grants each year as well as contribute resources and knowledge about the status of and issues facing women and associated populations. Yet, there is a gap in knowledge about these organizations and their work to advance women and associated populations socially, politically, and …

Today's Students, Tomorrow's Terrorists: An Analysis Of Education And Extremist Participation, Clara Braun

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

A growing number of studies have identified shared characteristics among homegrown violent extremists (HVEs). While these studies have focused on demographic characteristics such as age and marital status, research on the educational attainment of HVEs is underdeveloped. The current study utilizes general strain theory and examines the relationship between educational attainment and type of criminal participation using a sample of 215 HVEs who engaged in or were charged with extremist participation between 2011 and 2017. We utilized educational attainment as a measure of an individual’s strain to identify a relationship with their decision to engage in violent or nonviolent extremist …

Marked For Life: Young Adults Perspectives On The Impact Of Parental Military Deployment, Megan Humlicek

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This qualitative study explores the long-term impact of parental military deployment (PMD) on young adults 19-25 years of age. While the literature is abundant with studies focusing on the impact of PMD on children and adolescents, it is mute when it comes to the long-term impact on young adults. Thirty-two participants responded to an in-depth Qualtrics questionnaire and seven partook in a follow-up phone interview to gain insights into their adjustment process to PMD, its impact on their personality development, the services and support systems they utilized, and the potential influence it had on their career choice. The outcome demonstrates …

If I Had Something To Add, I Would: Meeting Topic Competences And Participation, Isaac Lindquist

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Most employees participate in workplace meetings, and their experiences in the meetings can vary greatly, which can lead to positive or negative effects on both job attitudes and behavior. In this study, we examined the effect that a meeting attendee’s competence in the meeting topic had on their participation in the meeting and their perception of meeting effectiveness. Results indicated those with higher levels of competence in the meeting topic were more likely to participate and through participation found their meeting more effective, and this relationship was stronger when employee dissent in the meetings was high. Leaders should ensure that …

When Creativity Bites: An Analysis Of Far-Left Online Communiques, Laramie Sproles

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

In recent years, terrorism scholars have proposed that the concepts of creativity and innovation can be applied to violent extremism. Similar to conventional organizations, violent extremist groups use creativity to generate products (e.g., attacks) that are unique, surprising, and effective. Despite the increased attention in creativity and innovation among terrorism scholars, few have applied these concepts to understand far-left extremism. The current study builds upon malevolent creativity and violent extremism research to explore the use of creativity in far-left extremist attacks. More specifically, I examine the relationship between indicators of creativity and agricultural target types using a sample of 206 …

The Role Of Need For Cognition In Creative Thinking Processes, Vignesh Murugavel, Roni Reiter-Palmon, Victoria Kennel

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Expanding on past findings, we examined the effects of need for cognition on different cognitive processes of creative problem-solving. We assessed need for cognition (NFC) and creative abilities of 180 undergraduates in problem construction, idea generation, and idea evaluation tasks. Regression analysis was used to test the effects of NFC on measures of creativity. Our findings indicate that NFC positively relates to the core creative processes of problem construction, idea generation, and idea evaluation. The theoretical and practical implication of our findings are discussed.

Estimating Variations In Metabolic Cost Within The Stride Cycle During Level And Uphill Walking, Arash Mohammadzadeh Gonabadi

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Indirect calorimetry provides the average cost of a stride cycle and prevents from identifying which part of the gait cycle causes increased metabolic cost in patients, however, recent simulation methods allow estimating the time profile of metabolic cost within the stride cycle. In this study, we compare the estimations of the time profile of the metabolic cost of two simulation methods for level and uphill walking. We used kinematic, kinetic and electromyography data from level and uphill walking (one participant) to estimate the time profiles of metabolic cost using the muscle-level metabolic model of Umberger using electromyography and kinematic data …

Applicant Reactions To Gendered Wording In Job Advertisements, Sahra Kaboli-Nejad, Eric Scheller, Carey Ryan

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Women account for only 28% of the STEM workforce (Neuhauser, 2014). One contributing factor may be gendered wording in advertisements (e.g., the use of more masculine wording in male-dominated fields). Masculine wording may discourage women from applying for male-dominated STEM careers. Research has shown, for example, that participants perceive there to be more men in occupations that use more masculine than feminine wording in their advertisements, resulting in women finding the jobs less appealing (Gaucher et al., 2011; Horvath & Sczesnya, 2016).

The present research examined whether gendered wording in an advertisement for a male-dominated STEM career affects perceptions of …

Reducing The Influence Of Constraints On Volunteers' Word Of Mouth Communication, Sheridan Trent

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This study utilized examined organizational constraints and burnout as a predictor of volunteers’ word of mouth communication valence, as well as a potential moderator. Satisfaction with volunteer contribution was found to moderate the indirect relationship between organizational constraints and word-of-mouth valence through burnout at the second stage.

Food Insecurity : The Student Experience, B.J. Fletcher

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Food insecurity exists on college campuses among college students. Prior studies have considered the prevalence of food insecurity among college students; this study aims to expand on these past studies by considering how college students experience food insecurity. The study takes a phenomenological approach to understand how students at the University of Nebraska at Omaha experience food insecurity, including the experiences and challenges students face when it comes to being food insecure and the barriers students face in addressing food insecurity. In-depth interviews with six students, ranging from undergraduate to doctoral level students, were conducted. Horizontalization, clusters of meanings, textural …

An Investigation Of Stimulants: Reviewing Their Effects On The Brain, Including Memory And Microglia, Michael Douchey

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Stimulants are a class of drugs that have a variety of effects on the brain, including changes in receptor activity in the brain areas responsible for- memory, attention, emotion, motor control, and the reward pathway. Stimulants may be generally classified by their availability. For example, prescription stimulants, which include drugs such as methylphenidate (Concerta™, Ritalin™) and mixed amphetamine salts (Adderall™), must be prescribed by medical professionals. Another regulated stimulant, albeit one available without a prescription, is nicotine; a highly addictive chemical that is age-restricted by the U.S. federal government. Nicotine is found in tobacco products, and in tobacco-free alternatives including …

Stress Experiences And Appraisals Influence Global Perspectives On Meeting Satisfaction, Emily Adams, Joseph Allen

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Meetings are inherently group activities, yet perceptions of meeting outcomes may vary by individual stress appraisal. This study explored the relationship between global meetings-related stressor experiences and meeting satisfaction as moderated by stress appraisals. Results are interpreted in light of occupational health theories and meetings science.

Empathetic Nurses And Their Reactions Towards Hostile Patients, Rebecca Marselle

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Nurses and other medical personnel are frequently victims of what the Department of Labor defines as Type II Violence, or customer-to-employee violence, with 80% of health care workers have reported that they have experienced some type of physical aggression at some point in their career (Clements, DeRanieri, Clark, Manno, Kuhn, 2005). Patient aggression consists of direct physical assaults (with or without weapons), written or verbal threats, physical or verbal harassment, and homicide (Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA, 2015). The purpose of this study is to review both organizational factors and personal qualities of medical personnel that influence their responses …

Experienced Sexual Assault In The Military: An Exploration Of The Organizational Factors Influencing Under-Reporting And Consequences When Victims Report, Medicine Flower Blue Star

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Sexual assault of both male and female service members is a pervasive and serious problem. In 2017, based on data from the U.S. Department of Defense, 5,200 service members reported sexual assault, representing a 10% increase from 2016. Scholars, military and government leaders are concerned that the prevalence of sexual assault is underestimated due to under-reporting. O’Brien, Keith, and Shoemaker (2015), for example, point to a 2013 report by the U.S. Department of Defense, which estimates that 67% of women and 81% of men do not report their military sexual assaults. One purpose of this study is to explore the …

Marmosets Respond Consistently To Threats Across Contexts, Sarah Carp

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Behavioral traits, such as how adventurous an individual is, can vary both across individuals and within an individual across contexts. However, there is evidence that individuals are stable across time in how they respond to certain stimuli. This consistency in behavioral responses to similar environments is termed a behavioral syndrome, or set of correlated behavior. We assessed the degree to which individual marmoset monkeys were consistent across four behavioral tests that measured different aspects of novelty seeking. The four tasks included exposure to a novel object in a familiar environment, exposure to a novel environment, behavioral flexibility in response to …

Electronically Monitored Youth: Perceptions Of Stigma, Marijana Kotlaja

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

This study examines the stigmatizing effects of electronic monitors (EM) among youth currently enrolled in an EM program. EM is viewed as a sanction that is less punitive than incarceration, more cost-effective and provides advantages over other alternatives. A total of 140 participants were randomly assigned to conditions (stigma salient vs. stigma non-salient) for an experiment in which they will be told the purpose of the study is to learn more about their thoughts and behaviors related to wearing an EM. This study can be deemed one of the first assessments to assess stigma consciousness and self-fulfilling prophecy (SFP) as …

Pilot Study Of Empathy In Adults, Libby Moberg

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Empathy is of critical public health importance due to its association with relationship satisfaction and well-being (Davis & Oathout, 1987; Davis, 1983). There is growing evidence that bilingual individuals may have higher levels of empathy (Javor, 2016). One potential mechanism for this relationship is that bilingual individuals tend to have higher levels of executive functioning (Costa et al, 2008), which is linked to higher empathy because individuals are able to more easily adopt others’ perspectives. Previous studies examining this question have largely relied on self-report questionnaires assessing empathy as a general tendency (i.e., trait). No studies have examined differences in …