Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Modeling Negotiations Over Water And Ecosystem Management: Uncertainty And Political Viability, Rachael E. Goodhue, Susan Stratton Sayre, Leo K. Simon

Economics: Faculty Publications

We present a modeling approach for generating robust predictions about how changes in institutional, economic, and political considerations will influence the outcome of political negotiations over complex water-ecosystem policy debates. Evaluating the political viability of proposed policies is challenging for researchers in these complex natural and political environments; there is limited information with which to map policies to outcomes to utilities or to represent the political process adequately. Our analysis evaluates the viability of policy options using a probabilistic political viability criterion that explicitly recognizes the existence of modeling uncertainty. The approach is used to conduct a detailed case study …

Unemployment In Iraqi Refugees: The Interaction Of Pre And Post-Displacement Trauma, A. Michelle Wright, Abir Dhalimi, Mark A. Lumley, Hikmet Jamil, Nnamdi Pole, Judith E. Arnetz, Bengt B. Arnetz

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Previous refugee research has been unable to link pre-displacement trauma with unemployment in the host country. The current study assessed the role of pre-displacement trauma, post-displacement trauma, and the interaction of both trauma types to prospectively examine unemployment in a random sample of newly-arrived Iraqi refugees. Participants (N = 286) were interviewed three times over the first two years post-arrival. Refugees were assessed for pre-displacement trauma exposure, post-displacement trauma exposure, a history of unemployment in the country of origin and host country, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Analyses found that neither pre-displacement nor post-displacement trauma independently …

Which Public? Whose Goods? What We Know (And What We Don't) About Public Goods In Rural China, Sara A. Newland

Government: Faculty Publications

What have we learned from a decade of research on the provision of public goods in the Chinese countryside? This review article surveys the literature in political science, economics and Chinese area studies. It describes the three dominant types of explanations for variation in the quality of public goods: Local elections, social sanctioning and economic policies. It then argues that these findings are plagued by a set of common problems. Scholars mean different things when they use the term public goods, making their findings difficult to compare. Furthermore, the most common measures of public goods ignore the ways in which …

Learning In Complex Environments: The Effects Of Background Speech On Early Word Learning, Brianna T.M. Mcmillan, Jenny R. Saffran

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Although most studies of language learning take place in quiet laboratory settings, everyday language learning occurs under noisy conditions. The current research investigated the effects of background speech on word learning. Both younger (22- to 24-month-olds; n = 40) and older (28- to 30-month-olds; n = 40) toddlers successfully learned novel label–object pairings when target speech was 10 dB louder than background speech but not when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was 5 dB. Toddlers (28- to 30-month-olds; n = 26) successfully learned novel words with a 5-dB SNR when they initially heard the labels embedded in fluent speech without background …

Neilson Library Final Charter, Smith College

The New Neilson Library

Final charter for the New Neilson Library project.

An Analysis Of Tax Forecasting Errors In Ireland, Andrew Hannon, Eimear Leahy, Róisín O'Sullivan

Economics: Faculty Publications

This paper examines the tax revenue forecasting performance of the Department of Finance over the period 1997-2014. While the general forecasting framework used reflects standard international practice, forecasting errors are relatively large by international standards. In almost all cases, we find no evidence of bias in the forecasts when considering the major tax heads over various forecast horizons. A decomposition of the forecast errors reveals substantial contributions from sources other than errors in forecasting the macroeconomic environment or in estimating the previous year’s revenue outturn. This suggests that a formal review of specific procedures and assumptions by the Department could …

Development And Validation Of The Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale–Brief, Alexandra M. Burgess, Randy O. Frost, Patricia Marten Dibartolo

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Twenty-five years ago, one of the first empirically validated measures of perfectionism, the Frost et al. Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (F-MPS) was published. Since that time, psychometric studies of the original F-MPS have provided a plethora of evidence to support the potential development of a shorter yet still psychometrically robust version of the measure. Using confirmatory factor analyses across community and clinical samples, the current study identifies an eight-item F-MPS-Brief with two dimensions (i.e., striving and evaluative concerns) that evidences good internal consistency, measurement equivalence across ethnicities, and concurrent and convergent validity. This new, short version of the F-MPS captures well …

Principles And Practices Fostering Inclusive Excellence: Lessons From The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’S Capstone Institutions, Patricia Marten Dibartolo, Leslie Gregg-Jolly, Deborah Gross, Cathryn A. Manduca, Ellen Iverson, David B. Cooke, Iii, Gregory K. Davis, Cameron Davidson, Paul E. Hertz, Lisa Hibbard, Shubha K. Ireland, Catherine Mader, Aditi Pai, Shirley Raps, Kathleen Siwicki, Jim E. Swartz

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Best-practices pedagogy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) aims for inclusive excellence that fosters student persistence. This paper describes prin- ciples of inclusivity across 11 primarily undergraduate institutions designated as Capstone Awardees in Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s (HHMI) 2012 competition. The Capstones represent a range of institutional missions, student profiles, and geographical locations. Each successfully directed activities toward persistence of STEM students, especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups, through a set of common elements: men- toring programs to build community; research experiences to strengthen scientific skill/ identity; attention to quantitative skills; and outreach/bridge programs to broaden the stu- dent …

The Specter Of Climate Refugees: Why Invoking Refugees As A Reason To “Take Climate Change Seriously” Is Troubling, Gregory White

Government: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Carceral And Intersectional Feminism In Congress, Nancy Whittier

Sociology: Faculty Publications

This paper uses a materialist feminist discourse analysis to examine how women’s movement organizations, liberal Democrats, and conservative Republican legislators shaped the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the consequences for intersectional and carceral feminism. Drawing on qualitative analysis of Congressional hearings, published feminist and conservative discussion of VAWA, and accounts of feminist mobilization around VAWA, I first show how a multi-issue coalition led by feminists shaped VAWA. Second, I show how discourses of crime intermixed with feminism into a polysemic gendered crime frame that facilitated cross-ideological support. Third, I show how, in contrast, intersectional issues that activists understood as …

The Downside Risk Of Climate Change In California’S Central Valley Agricultural Sector, Michael Hanemann, Susan Stratton Sayre, Larry Dale

Economics: Faculty Publications

Downscaled climate change projections for California, when translated into changes in irrigation water delivery and then into profit from agriculture in the Central Valley, show an increase in conventional measures of variability such as the variance. However, these increases are modest and mask a more pronounced increase in downside risk, defined as the probability of unfavorable outcomes of water supply or profit. This paper describes the concept of downside risk and measures it as it applies to outcomes for Central Valley agriculture projected under four climate change scenarios. We compare the effect of downside risk aversion versus conventional risk aversion …

Ethical Dilemmas In Clinical Social Work Practice : How Are Social Workers Affected And How Do We Respond?, Jennifer S, Graves

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This mixed-methods exploratory research was undertaken to gain insight into how social workers perceive, are affected by, and respond to situations in which they are not able to enact social work ethics, or are asked to facilitate perceived injustice because of workplace restrictions. Seventy-four social workers responded to my online mixed methods survey. In quantitative responses, Likert scaled responses rated participants’ frequency and level of distress when encountering ethical dilemmas involving structural racism, classism, cultural insensitivity, sexism, heterosexism, protocols prioritizing funding over client care, protocols interfering with the treatment relationship, and protocols interfering with client self-determination. Participants also rated their …

Sensory Processing Disorder, Invalidating Childhood Environments, And Mental Health Outcomes In Adulthood, Emma Ross

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study examined the interpersonal and mental health outcomes of children with sensory processing difficulties or Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). SPD occurs when the ways in which we interpret sensory input in over-sensitive or under-sensitive ways. This can create a variety of difficulties, including impairment in the areas of touch, taste/smell, auditory, visual, proprioceptor, vestibular, and activity level/emotional reactivity. Previous studies have focused on the biological underpinnings of SPD, however few have looked at the interpersonal relationships of children with sensory processing difficulties as well as the mental health outcomes as those children mature into adults.

Methods:

This mixed methods …

Septal Oxytocin Administration Impairs Peer Affiliation Via V1a Receptors In Female Meadow Voles, Allison M.J. Anacker, Jennifer D. Christensen, Elyssa M. Laflamme, Diana M. Grunberg, Annaliese K. Beery

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

The peptide hormone oxytocin (OT) plays an important role in social behaviors, including social bond formation. In different contexts, however, OT is also associated with aggression, social selectivity, and reduced affiliation. Female meadow voles form social preferences for familiar same-sex peers under short, winter-like day lengths in the laboratory, and provide a means of studying affiliation outside the context of reproductive pair bonds. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the actions of OT in the lateral septum (LS) may decrease affiliative behavior, including greater density of OT receptors in the LS of meadow voles that huddle less. We infused OT …

Young Adolescents’ Gender-, Ethnicity-, And Popularity-Based Social Schemas Of Aggressive Behavior, Katherine H. Clemans, Julia A. Graber

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Social schemas can influence the perception and recollection of others’ behavior and may create biases in the reporting of social events. This study investigated young adolescents’ (N = 317) gender-, ethnicity-, and popularity-based social schemas of overtly and relationally aggressive behavior. Results indicated that participants associated overt aggression with being male and African American and relational aggression with being female. In addition, participants associated all types of aggression with high perceived popularity. The strength of endorsement of several subscales differed significantly as a function of raters’ gender and ethnicity. Findings highlight the importance of understanding how aggression-related social schemas may …

Child Maltreatment’S Heavy Toll: The Need For Trauma-Informed Obesity Prevention, Susan M. Mason, S. Bryn Austin, Jennifer L. Bakalar, Renee Boynton-Jarrett, Alison E. Field, Holly C. Gooding, Laura M. Holsen, Benita Jackson, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Mar Sanchez, Stephanie Sogg, Marian Tanofsky-Kraff, Janet W. Rich-Edwards

Psychology: Faculty Publications

This paper is the product of a workshop on the topic of child maltreatment and obesity at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard that brought together the listed authors, who are experts across a number of relevant fields.

Emerging research has highlighted childhood maltreatment and other psychological traumas as risk factors for obesity and related comorbidities.1–3 Although the high rate of obesity in the U.S. affects the entire population, those with histories of maltreatment—making up at least 30% of the population4,5—appear to be at greater risk. Unfortunately, childhood maltreatment is often overlooked as a risk factor for adult …

Determinants Of Resource Needs And Utilization Among Refugees Over Time, A. Michelle Wright, Abir Aldhalimi, Mark A. Lumley, Hikmet Jamil, Nnamdi Pole, Judith E. Arnetz, Bengt B. Arnetz

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Purpose: This study examined refugees’ resource needs and utilization over time, investigated the relationships between pre-displacement/socio-demographic variables and resource needs and utilization, and explored the role of resource needs and utilization on psychiatric symptom trajectories. Methods: Iraqi refugees to the United States (N = 298) were assessed upon arrival and at 1-year intervals for 2 years for socio-demographic variables and pre-displacement trauma experiences, their need for and utilization of 14 different resources, and PTSD and depressive symptoms. Results: Although refugees reported reduction of some needs over time (e.g., need for cash assistance declined from 99 to 71 %), other needs …

Discrimination, Racial/Ethnic Identity, And Substance Use Among Latina/Os: Are They Gendered?, Kristine M. Molina, Benita Jackson, Noemi Rivera-Olmedo

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Background—Prior research suggests that stronger racial/ethnic identification offsets negative effects of discrimination on substance use. Yet research in this area and on whether gender modifies this association is limited for Latina/os.

Purpose—The purpose of the present study is to examine whether different sources of discrimination (everydayand racial/ethnic) are associated with substance use (alcohol use disorder, smoking), if racial/ethnic identity buffers this association, and the potential moderating role of gender among these variables.

Methods—We present cross-sectional, US population-based data from the Latina/o adult sample (1427 females and 1127 males) of the National Latino and Asian American Study. Respondents completed self-reported measures …

The Use Of Specialization : ǂB Are Artists A Clinically Distinct Population?, Camila D. De Onis

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This research study explored how clinical social workers perceive their practice with clients who self-identify as artists. The study was based on qualitative interviews with 13 participants who described their clinical experiences with people who self-identify as artists and discussed whether they believe that this type of client is clinically distinct. Using grounded theory (Engel & Schutt, 2013), the study analyzed responses, clinical examples, nature of interventions, and personal reflections that each participant shared about her or his practice. Case vignettes provided real-world examples of the great satisfaction participants feel about their work with so-called artist-clients as well as concrete …

Santeria And Mental Health : Bridging The Gap Between The Social Work Profession And Orisha, Penelope Williams

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study was conducted with the purpose of exploring how Orisha priest and priestesses dealt with issues of mental health with in their Iles and/or community. This study was made possible by the participation of seven priests and priestess, by conducting semi-open ended narrative interviews. The findings indicated that issues of mental health were present and dealt with in a number of ways by elders in the community. The results show that collaborative measure need to be supported between elders in the Santeria community and the social work profession, in order to establish culturally competent and therapeutic results to …

Oil On The Waters? Middle East Studies And Economics Of The Middle East, Karen Pfeifer

Economics: Faculty Publications

The total volume of work on the economies of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remains low in comparison to other “developing” regions of the world, but it has been growing since the 1990s. This growth is due in part to the opportunities for students from the region to receive doctoral degrees in the United States and other Western countries and in even greater measure to the dedication of resources by international agencies and organizations to the cultivation of MENA economists. However, the process entails more of a penetration by Western neoclassical economic ideas and modeling techniques into …

Neoliberal Transformation And The Uprisings In Tunisia And Egypt, Karen Pfeifer

Economics: Faculty Publications

By the lights of the international financial institutions, Tunisia and Egypt were the celebrated success stories of the Washington Consensus, or neoliberal reform, in the Arab Mediterranean and participated fully in the worldwide economic boom of the 2000-2008 period. Neoliberalism promised to shrink government and promote private enterprise as the engine of growth and new job creation. While fewer resources were provided to public investment and services like health and education, private investment did not fully compensate, even as most benefits of growth, liberalization and privatization were concentrated in the hands of a class of crony capitalists led by the …

The Effect Of Safety-Net Programs On Food Insecurity, Lucie Schmidt, Lara Shore-Sheppard, Tara Watson

Economics: Faculty Publications

We investigate to what extent major safety-net program benefits affect food insecurity in families. We impute program eligibility and benefits in each state for 2001-2009, accounting for cross-program eligibility rules. We use simulated eligibility and benefits for a nationally representative sample as instruments for imputed eligibility and potential benefits. Among nonimmigrant, low-income, single-parent families, $1,000 in potential cash or food benefits reduces the incidence of food insecurity by 1.1 percentage points on a base of 33 percent. Cash and food both reduce food insecurity. The results highlight the importance of jointly considering a full range of safety-net programs.

"My Choice, My Voice, My Opinion" : An Exploration Of A Strengths-Based Model Used With Youth In Hip Hop Therapy : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At Beats, Rhymes, & Life (Brl), Julia S. Fogelson

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine how the Academy program at Beats, Rhymes, & Life, Inc. (BRL) utilizes a strength-based therapeutic approach. This study focused on identifying facets of a strength-based model utilized by the Academy, and exploring the effect of a strengths-based approach on participants. Using semi-structured interviews with seven current and past Academy members, the study found that the strengths-based approach positively impacted all participants in three distinct ways: (1) Valuing multiple forms of knowledge in a non-hierarchical manner, which included processes related to collaboration, self-directed learning, and use of a multicultural perspective, (2) Honoring client …

Seven Self-Care Strategies, Joshua Miller

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

It Takes A Village: Applying A Social Ecological Framework Of Resilience In Working With Lgbtq Youth, Kenta Asakura

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

Hostile social environments can have detrimental impacts on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth. Considering the profession's commitment to social justice and person-in-environment perspectives, socia workers are well positioned to promote not only the internal capacity of LGBTQ youth but also the capacity of their social ecologies to better support them. This article suggests the relevance of a social ecological framework of resilience to social work practice with LGBTQ youth. Findings of the author's grounded theory study, along with other relevant literature, are used to specify elements in applying this framework to working with LGBTQ youth. A youth …

Glucose And Acute Exercise Influence Factors Secreted By Circulating Angiogenic Cells In Vitro, Sarah Witkowski, Gayatri Guhanarayan, Rachel Burgess

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

Circulating angiogenic cells (CAC) influence vascular repair through the secretion of proangiogenic factors and cytokines. While CAC are deficient in patients with diabetes and exercise has a beneficial effect on CACs, the impact of these factors on paracrine secretion from CAC is unknown. We aimed to determine whether the in vitro secretion of selected cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) from CAC is influenced by hyperglycemia and acute exercise. Colonyforming unit CAC (CFU-CAC) were cultured from young active men (n = 9, 24 ± 2 years) at rest and after exercise under normal (5 mmol/L) and elevated (15 mmol/L) glucose. Preliminary …

Religious-Ethnic Differences In Prevalence And Correlates Of Suicidal Ideation And Attempts Among Israeli Vocational Education Students, Joy Benatov, Ora Nakash, Shai Chen Gal, Sarah Abu Kaf, Anat Brunstein Klomek

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

Background: The current study is the first to examine serious suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and psychological distress among students belonging to different religious-ethnic groups attending VET high schools. Method: 3,553 students studying in the VET high schools completed a self-report survey. The survey evaluated serious suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, depression, anxiety, somatization, self-efficacy, belonging and sociodemographic variables. Results: Students coming from minority groups (Arab Muslim, Bedouin Arab Muslim, Druze) are more likely to have seriously considered suicide or attempted suicide compared to their Jewish counterparts, with the exception of Christian Arabs. Bedouin Arab Muslim students were more susceptible to suicide …

The Complexity Of Covering: The Religious, Social, And Political Dynamics Of Islamic Practice In The United States, Aubrey Westfall, Bozena Welborne, Sarah Tobin, Özge Çelik Russell

Government: Faculty Publications

Mainstream American perception often views Islamic head covering as a controversial practice indicative of gender repression and norms violating individual rights. Practicing Muslims counter that head covering expresses piety, modesty, and protection. Recent scholarship affirms the complexity of the practice, and reveals that the motivations behind donning the headscarf span the religious, social, and political realms for Muslim women.Methods.We explore the motivations for the practice among American Muslims, examining the way religious, social, and political life interact and reinforce one another, using data from an online survey of 1,847 Muslim-American women from 49 states.Results.Our findings demonstrate that religiosity is not …

Refusing To Relax My Smile : Building Resistance Through Hip Hop Therapy : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At Beats, Rhymes And Life, Stephanie Clowdus

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study explores how hip hop therapy programming promotes resilience in youth. Based in Oakland, CA, Beats, Rhymes and Life (BRL) provides hip hop therapy to 12-24 year olds through their Therapeutic Activity Groups (TAGs). The purpose of this study is to establish evidence of how TAGs improve psychological resilience in youth program participants and of BRL’s effectiveness as a culturally congruent mental health provider. This study is part of a larger program evaluation in efforts with five other student researchers completing Smith College School for Social Work theses. Additionally, this study in particular serves as a pilot of a …