Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Enhancing Teacher Delivery Of Behavior Specific Praise With Performance Feedback And Self-Monitoring, Ky’Aria Moses

Masters Theses

Teachers receive a number of professional development trainings and consultations to develop or enhance their repertoire in various evidenced based practices (EBP) and classroom management strategies. Nevertheless, teachers’ adherence to strategies learned during trainings often decline when external supports are removed (Codding et al., 2015; Oliver et al., 2015) which may lead to challenges in the consistent and accurate implementation of EBP in classroom settings (Shernoff et al., 2020). Performance feedback and self-monitoring have been used to address these challenges and promote teachers’ use and fidelity of EBP in the classroom (Scheeler et al., 2004; Oliver et al., 2015). The …

Composite Analysis Of Mendenhall Glacier Interannual Glacial Health Decline, Hailey Marie Cantrell

Masters Theses

Glacial health in Alaska, USA is demonstrating an interannual declining trend. Repetitive years have suffered an imbalance between winter seasonal ice accumulation and summer seasonal ice loss. Increased ice loss has commonly been attributed to warmer Arctic summer temperatures, which contribute to greater calving events and amplified ablation. Study of the unique climatic influences by different variables is ongoing and at the forefront of climate-glacier interaction research.

This study is designed to quantitatively evaluate correlations between changes in Alaskan climatic patterns and an interannual trend of declining glacial health for Mendenhall Glacier by combining analysis of Landsat satellite imagery, teleconnection …

Strong Women Breaking Ground: Roles Of Women In Agriculture In Michigan, April L. Shirey

Masters Theses

Agriculture in Michigan is changing. While the number of farms and farmers continue to decrease, women are increasingly taking on the role of farmer instead of the “farmer’s wife”. The number of female producers increased from 8,275 to 26,059 where the number of producers in Michigan decreased from 56,014 to 47,641 from 2007 to 2017 (USDA, 2007, 2017). Women are becoming the face of farming in Michigan, yet little research examines the impacts of these shifts. In this research, I conduct semi-structured interviews with female farmers throughout lower Michigan beginning in the summer of 2020 to learn more about these …

Laugh Until It’S No Longer A Scandal: The Use Of Humorous Apologia To Reframe Crisis Narratives On Saturday Night Live, Vanessa S. Hills

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the role of humor-based apologia as a crisis communication strategy for celebrities. Using a rhetorical method, it explicates the role that humor plays in shaping crisis narratives in response to kategoria within the context of Saturday Night Live. Four case study analyses determine whether the generic parameters of apologia include the use of a humor-based apologia or whether humorous apologiae should be classified as a unique subgenre. These findings further the body of research on apologia and highlight the need for additional research on the effectiveness of humor as a crisis communication strategy.

Evaluation Of Α-Pyrrolidindovalerophenone (Α-Pvp) And Its Isomers In Male And Female Sprague-Dawley Rats Trained To Discriminate Mdpv, Kaley Cargile

Masters Theses

Recreational use of synthetic cathinones, 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and α‐pyrrolidinovalerophenone (α‐PVP), has become increasingly popular, thus prompting characterization of their behavioral and neurochemical effects. MDPV has been studied for several years now, though there is still much unknown about α‐PVP, and its isomers. The primary objective of this study was to characterize the discriminative effects of α‐PVP and its isomers in comparison to MDPV. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate 0.5mg/kg MDPV from saline injections under a fixed ratio 20 (FR 20) schedule of food reinforcement. Substitution tests were conducted with MDPV (0.05-0.5mg/kg), α‐PVP (0.05-0.5mg/kg), (S)-α‐PVP (0.05-1mg/kg) and …

Spatiotemporal Distributions Of Sargassum On Grand Cayman, Graeme Timmeney

Masters Theses

This mixed methods research examines individual perceptions of Sargassum on Grand Cayman’s beaches in 2020 using participant mapping, and semi – structured interviews. Results from the participant mapping are compared to satellite detection of sargassum. Sargassum poses health risks to both humans and the natural environment. Decaying Sargassum produces sulfuric gas and prevents young turtle hatchlings from reaching the ocean. Since 2011, Sargassum has diffused beyond the Sargasso Sea into entirely novel locations, spanning from the west African Coast to the Gulf of Mexico. Increased biomass has proven to be overwhelming for many Caribbean Islands, including Grand Cayman where hundreds …

A Systematic Review Of The Literature On The Assessments Used For Social Communication In The Diagnosis Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rachel E. Kim

Masters Theses

This review of the literature aims to analyze the current assessments available for clinicians, parents, and other professionals to use during the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) that specifically addresses social communication. Although ASD can be diagnosed as early as the age of 2, children are often not diagnosed until the age of 4-5 years old. Especially for children who would be diagnosed with ASD and require Level 2 and/or Level 3 supports, early diagnosis can lead to early intervention which can help to provide the necessary support for both the child and family. Early intervention can help to …

As Different As Black And White: A Comparison Between Interracial Divorce And Endogamous Divorce, Abigail Constance Lewandowski

Masters Theses

Black and White race relations have been a point of interest in the United States for hundreds of years, and one way to look at these is to examine the similarities and differences between the two groups. Many studies have looked at Black and White interracial marriages to study how members of the two racial groups form and maintain marriages in comparison to endogamous marriages, but only a few studies have looked specifically at Black and White interracial divorce to see what similarities and differences present themselves to aid in understanding the complexity of interracial relations. At the time of …

Extreme Cold Event Perception And Preparedness Of Western Michigan University Students, Connor J. Landeck

Masters Theses

Preparing for disasters at universities differs throughout the country but taking preventative measures is the first step in reducing loss of life and recovery measures. This research examined differences among undergraduate students regarding perceptions when it comes to extreme cold events at Western Michigan University (WMU). The main focus of the thesis was to determine if there is a lack of awareness and/or preparation measures of extreme cold events. Data were collected online using a specially designed questionnaire through Qualtrics. Survey questions were coded and analyzed using SPSS software using standard univariate descriptive statistics and/or multivariate statistical tests deemed appropriate. …