Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Understanding The Biopsychological Effects Of Trauma On Learning: An Investigation Of Interventions To Support Faculty, Joan Buzick

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The current era in higher education has brought changes to the academic profession. Faculty have an increasing number of responsibilities in addition to their traditional role as an instructor. At the same time, faculty are engaging with a changing and diverse student population. The population has more challenges, with increased stressors, than have been historically observed in higher education students. For many, the stressors are trauma-related and are a growing concern. Trauma has been shown to impact cognitive, social, emotional, and physical well-being. What has been learned about trauma is, to a great extent, a result of the relatively recently …

The Effect Of Peer Collaboration On Kinematic Problem Solving, Alyssa Deronda

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Kinematic problems, a type of physics problem that involves object motion, pose a challenge for adults (Caramazza, McCloskey, & Green, 1981; Kozhevnikov, Motes, & Hegarty, 2007; McCloskey, 1983b; McCloskey, Washburn, & Felch, 1983). Adults often incorrectly predict the path of a moving object despite having prior experience with moving objects or formal physics education (Caramazza et al., 1981; Kaiser, Jonides, & Alexander, 1986). One way to improve kinematic problem solving may be through peer collaboration. Working together with a partner to solve a problem allows both people to help each other remember important parts of a complex problem and discuss …

Stem Heroes: A Narrative-Based Intervention To Increase Self-Efficacy And Interest In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics In Elementary School-Aged Children, Lauren M. Carino

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Over time, researchers have struggled to identify effective interventions to support girls’ self-efficacy and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether a theoretically-grounded narrative-based intervention would be able to increase elementary school-aged girls’ self-efficacy in respect to future careers and interest in STEM subjects in school. The study sought to do this by using the stories of the “Heroes of STEM”, a series of four graphic novels developed by the principal researcher, as an intervention tool linking girls’ typically preferred subject (i.e., reading, language arts) to math and science. …

Designing A Curriculum In Active Shooter Behavioral Indicators For Students In Institutions Of Higher Education In The State Of New Jersey, David J. Sierotowicz

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The research in this study was conducted to explore proactive preventative measures to address the increasingly violent problem of active shooter scenarios for institutions of higher education within the State of New Jersey. Colleges and universities pose a unique threat when assessing risk factors, as these venues are open and, as a result, do not afford substantial protection against a violent assailant. The State of New Jersey has traditionally embraced a reactionary model of response, learning from past incidents and adjusting necessitated tactics accordingly. Active shooter training has become commonplace on college campuses in the State of New Jersey, and …

The Use Of Celebrity And Non-Celebrity Examples To Reduce Stigma In University Students, Tyrus Mccartney

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Although effective treatments have been developed for various mental illnesses, many individuals who need psychological help do not seek it because of stigma. Interventions have been developed to reduce stigma, with the hope of increasing access to mental healthcare. Vicarious contact with individuals who have mental illness can reduce both public and internal stigma. Furthermore, celebrity examples have been used to reduce stigma. The present study compared celebrity examples and non-celebrity examples across a stigma-reduction intervention, as well as a control group, to determine the most effective ways to present first-person narrative vignettes for reducing both public and internal stigma. …

Afro-Latinx Online Communities: Creating Connections Through Social Action., Rita Damiron Tallaj

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Considering the power of online media to create communities, this thesis examines how the power of social media is harnessed by the Afro-Latinx individuals to mobilize and call to actions those who identify under the same social category and create a powerful online community to come together in support and advocacy virtually. Through a digital ethnography, this research observes three Instagram pages and performs a textual analysis on 3 posts to further understand the Afro-Latinx community and their adoption of Instagram to create online communities. Find-ings emphasize the importance of creating and maintaining a niche, user engagement and mem-ber satisfaction

Navigating The Rough On And Off The Course: Best Practices For Reputation Management And Image Repair In Professional Golf, Erica Joy Naumann

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Reputation management is a challenging yet necessary process for athletes in need of image repair. This study, focused on the golf industry, compares the scandals and image repair processes of professional golfers Tiger Woods and John Daly. By analyzing William Benoit’s 1995 Image Repair Theory message strategies, the researcher was able to measure change in Woods’ and Daly’s reputations. This study found that when properly implemented, these message strategies can aid in the rebuilding of a damaged reputation. These findings supported the creation of a list of best practices for image repair which in turn, provide the golf industry with …

Partnering With A Different Faith: Muslim American Women’S Experiences, Beyza Sinan

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The events of September 11, 2001 critically impacted the identity of Muslim Americans in the United States and spurred attention to their experiences within the psychological literature. Prior literature has rarely explored these individuals’ within-group differences, defined Muslim American identity as bicultural, or explored experiences of being in a romantic relationship. This study was intended to address the gaps in the literature by focusing on the bicultural identity and the experience of interfaith relationships among Muslim American women. The following research questions guided this study: 1) How do Muslim American women experience their romantic relationship with a non-Muslim partner? 2) …

Preparing Students For The Real World: Analyzing Public Relations (Pr) Education For Entry-Level Practice In The Health Industry, Olivia Maria Lason

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Public relations (PR) agencies are often called upon to service the needs of niche industry areas of practice. These areas include healthcare communication which generates over 15% of firm revenue alone. Agencies are also top-employers of PR graduates, yet literature shows students are not meeting the skills and abilities expected of an entry-level practitioner. This study examined whether entry-level foundational skills and abilities (FSAs) are taught to PR students interested in the health field. Through a content analysis of undergraduate health communication syllabi in PR programs, the study found most FSAs were addressed; however, some areas were lacking. As such, …

Image Repair In Ncaa Division I Athletics, Joseph J. Martinelli

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

NCAA Division I universities are constantly under a threat of image loss due to both internal and external factors. The purpose of this study was to examine past image repair campaigns executed after a crisis by the following NCAA Division I member universities: Ohio State University, Louisville University, and the University of Maryland. A problem-oriented case study was completed on the media coverage of these situations, which evaluated the effectiveness of the strategies chosen by each respective university. Results revealed the best practices for public relations practitioners to repair and maintain a positive image in the collegiate landscape.

Understanding High School English Learners’ Chronic Absenteeism, Patricia A. George

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Chronic absenteeism has significant implications for both the individual student and society at large and has been receiving attention for over a century. Every school day counts. Regular attendance provides students with opportunities to learn and has a strong link to achievement. Conversely, poor attendance has serious implications for high school students. For each subgroup of students there is a similar pattern: the likelihood of chronic absenteeism increases as students progress through high school. Notably, the U.S. Department of Education found English learners experience higher chronic absenteeism than their non-English learner peers when they reach high school. Furthermore, compared to …

A Gift From God: An Analysis Of Social Media Policies Adopted By Catholic Institutions Of Higher Education And How They Cover Faculty, Mckenna L. Schray

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This dissertation investigates the development of social media policies in higher education. This study differentiates itself from existing social media policy research by analyzing the content of social media policies themselves, focusing on how social media policies cover faculty, and examining policies at Catholic higher education institutions. Using multiple data sources and quantitative content analysis, this study found 28.7 percent of Catholic higher education institutions have a published social media policy and 27.5 percent of Catholic higher education institutions have a social media policy that covers faculty.

Related to social media policies at Catholic higher education institutions, this study revealed …

Fluency & Over The Counter Drug Warning Labels, Jonathan M. Cecire

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Fluency is defined as the ease with which something is processed (Jacoby & Dallas, 1981; Okuhara, 2017). Recent research has shown that the fluency of a drug’s name can have an effect on people’s perceptions and evaluation judgments (Dohle & Siegrist, 2013, Dohle & Montoya, 2017). Research has also shown that the fluency of information can have an effect on people’s memory and performance (Diemand-Yauman, Oppenheimer, & Vaughan, 2011). The purpose of this study was to see how manipulating the fluency of warning labels could affect people’s perceptions, adherence, memory, and behaviors. Results showed that labels with fluent formats improved …

The Revelation Effect In Autobiographical Memory, Vincent A. Medina

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The revelation effect is a memory illusion in recognition memory where items are more likely to be considered old if they are immediately preceded by a cognitive task (for a review, see Abfalg, Bernstein, & Hockley, 2017). Recent research has shown that the revelation effect appears in past and future episodic judgments so long as the tasks are autobiographical in nature (Westerman, Miller, & Lloyd, 2017). Aging is a factor that has not yet been studied in the revelation effect literature in terms of autobiographical memory. It has implications because of aging’s significant impact on mental time travel. During this …

An Investigation Of Existential And Positive Psychological Resources In College Students, Ian Lesueur

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The number of college students reporting moderate to severe mental health symptoms has steadily increased since the 1990s to the point of a “mental health crisis” occurring on the majority of American college campuses (Joyce, 2016, p. 17). Students face a number of stressors including academic pressure, developmental challenges, and the existential issues of meaning in life and identity formation. Unfortunately, many college students struggle to respond to psychological stress in healthy and adaptive ways. This study measured the relationships between positive psychological resources, existential thought, coping strategies, and mental health symptoms among a national sample of 251 undergraduate students. …

Parent Satisfaction With Family Professional Partnerships And Services For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Amanda R. Templeman

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

As an increasing number of children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), research on the efficacy of interventions and treatments—the way these services affect the family, the child’s outcomes, and the family’s experience with their child’s services—are gaining importance. Children with ASD tend to be involved in multiple services to a higher degree than children with other disabilities, and parents of children with ASD have reported higher dissatisfaction with services than have parents of children with other developmental disabilities. To date, limited research has addressed the family’s perception of these services and how they feel service providers improve child …

Analyzing Tactics And Strategies In Pr Campaigns To Identify Best Practices For Targeting The Usa-Based Hispanic Population, Norky Karisa Diaz

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study analyzed tactics and strategies in public relations campaigns targeting Hispanic-Americans in the United States for its effectiveness in order to identify the best practices to guarantee a successful campaign. This study included a case study examining three public relations campaigns targeting Hispanic-Americans. The case studies uncovered common themes and trends throughout the three campaigns, as well as analyzed the tactics and strategies that were implemented. This then resulted in the recommendations of the best practices for effectively targeting Hispanic-Americans throughout public relations campaigns which were, conduct extensive research, determine the theme, determine the language, and be culturally relevant.

The Benefits Of Utilizing Earned Media For Emerging Pop Music Artists: A Case Study In Music Publicity, Brianna Bell

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Publicists play a significant role in achieving the short-term and long-term career goals of emerging pop music artists. Therefore, this study researches earned media within the pop music industry through a case study that analyzes the publicity strategies used by the teams of three successful pop music artists. This study finds that publicity is a cost-effective solution to the problems of declining music sales and the need to stand out in a saturated industry, and it provides seven best practices that are supported by industry professionals for publicists to use when creating campaigns that generate awareness and establish reputation.

Posting Straight From The Art: An Analysis Of How Nonprofit Performing Arts Centers Use Social Media To Engage Audiences, Sean Quinn

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

With the NEA in jeopardy under President Donald Trump, nonprofit performing arts centers need to connect with potential donors now more than ever. Yet little research has been done into how venues should accomplish this. This project attempted to remedy that by analyzing what types of messages six nonprofit performing arts centers in the New York metropolitan area posted on Facebook and Twitter over a one-week period and which kinds of messages online audiences engaged with the most. Using the results, the study proposed seven recommendations public relations staff members can use to enhance their social media efforts and build …

Imagining A Memory Palace: Method Of Loci And The Effect Of Object And Spatial Imagery Skill, Louis Varilias

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The method of loci is an ancient mnemonic technique. It involves imagining information to be remembered in a visual form, mentally placing those items into an imagined environment, and then mentally traveling within this environment to recall the information. Numerous studies have found that this method is robust and powerful, especially when compared to other mnemonic techniques like verbal rehearsal. Neuroimaging studies have found that using the method of loci recruits regions of the brain that involve spatial processing and episodic memory. However, little research has been done to examine the effects of individual imagery skill when using the method …

The Effects Of Counterfactual Priming On Belief In Fake News, Sean Bogart

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Fake news overwhelmed social media platforms, like Twitter and Facebook, during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. This new, digital brand of fake news that can be spread much more rapidly than older forms, is coupled with a lack of academic research into its effects, the reasons that certain individuals trust its veracity, and methods of decreasing overall belief in fake news. Confirmation bias is one of several reasons why individuals fall victim to fake news; although there are a few strategies that can be used to combat the negative effects of confirmation bias; counterfactual reasoning is one that has demonstrated …