Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating Public Acceptance Of Responses To Public Emergencies: Based On Text Transparency And Empathy Sentiment Analysis, Xuefeng Zhang, Yelin Huang

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance]Regarding the responses to public emergencies published by official agencies on social media, this study aims to measure information transparency and empathy in the response text, and further to investigate their influence on public acceptance of responses. [Method/process]This study used public emergency responses published on Sina Weibo, a Chinese popular social media, as data source. Through carefully collecting and filtering, we finally acquired 170 public emergency responses released from 2021 to 2023. Furthermore, by using methods of content analysis, manual coding, and natural language processing, we measured information transparency of responses from three aspects: information disclosure, information accuracy, and information …

Strategies For Prevention And Management Of Non-Communicable Diseases Among Community Women In Nigeria: Insights For Family Social Welfare, Abiola Adiat Omokhabi Dr

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

In this study, modifiable risk factors, prevention and management plans for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among women were examined. This study examined published and grey literature that was gathered from a number of sources, such as open data portals on the five major illness categories that make up the NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes, malignancies, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental health. Literature shows that the primary behavioural risk factors for NCDs, including CVDs, diabetes, and cancer(malignancies), can be largely avoided. Inactivity, tobacco use, alcohol use, and unhealthy eating habits (often high in processed sugar, fats, and salt) are a …

Non-Partner Sexual Violence Among International College Students In The United States, Kruti S. Chaliawala, Rebecca A. Vidourek, Keith A. King

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The prevalence of non-partner sexual violence among college students is a pressing concern that demands urgent attention. Although an integral part of the education system, international college students are often underrepresented in various studies. This calls attention to understanding the cultural nuances and multiple factors affecting this population. The current research delves into the experiences of sexual abuse among international students within the last 12 months, focusing specifically on incidents where sexual penetration or unwanted sexual touching occurred without consent. The study sheds light on the frequency and demographics associated with these distressing incidents using data from a large-scale survey …

Different Power Perceptions Based On Socially Situated Needs: Findings From A Qualitative Study Among Asian Americans, Hu Young Jeong, Johanna Vollhardt, Michelle S. Twali, John Tawa

Psychology

While power is often defined and operationalized as control or influence over others, alternative conceptualizations define power as the ability to meet various fundamental needs. We argue that this conceptualization may better capture how marginalized minority group members understand their group's power or powerlessness. However, there is little research examining how people themselves construe group-based power. The present study, therefore, used qualitative inquiry to examine perceived ingroup power among Asian Americans, an underrepresented racial minority group with an ambivalent power status in society. Reflexive thematic analysis of 25 interviews illustrated the relevance of Prilleltensky's (J. Community Psychol., 36, 2008, 116) …

The Effect Of Social Media On Artists' View Of Their Own Art And Desire To Create, Sydnie Gomez

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

This exploratory study examined the effect posting art on social media has on artists’ views of their own art and desire to create. The role of social media in the production, sharing, and purchasing of art has increased significantly in the past years. Thus, the importance of advertising one’s art through social media has also increased. Using a 35-question survey completed by 43 people, this study investigated how the emergence of online communities, and the pressure to gain a following and please their online audiences, has influenced artists’ views of their own work. The results of this study provides some …

Enhancing Self-Compassion: An Empirical Comparison Of Expressive Writing And Meditation, Samantha De Souza

Research Honors

Self-compassion interventions show promise in reducing stress and enhancing self-compassion among college students, a population uniquely vulnerable to high stress. Two studies were conducted to explore the impact of self-compassion practices (i.e., expressive writing and meditations). Using a within group study design, Study 1 investigated whether a prewriting task designed to induce a self-compassionate mindset could enhance the effects of a self-compassion meditation. Results showed that when participants (n = 35) completed the prewriting task before the meditation, they reported significantly higher levels of state self-compassion compared to when they were in the meditation-only group, as predicted (p = .03, …

Masih Takut: The Psychology Of Fear In The Development Of Indonesian Social Movements, Loren Andrea Lacruz

Indonesia: Arts, Religion, and Social Change

This thesis offers a contemporary investigation of the extent to which historical contexts contribute to Indonesian people’s reservations towards political conversations and social movements, such as protests and demonstrations. The historical contexts in question are focused on the Soeharto dictatorship from 1966-1999 and its long reign of censorship, citizen violence, and general human rights violations. The research employs a mixed-methods approach focused on cultural and participant observation, social media analysis, and interviews. Social media analyses offer insights into activism, particularly that of students and the youth, that are not generally available in scholarly sources. Interviews with Indonesian citizens and local …

Perceptions Of Non-Using College Students’ Likelihood To Use Nonprescription Or Prescription Stimulants, Judith Frazier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has highlighted the risk of non-users among college students using illegal prescription stimulants due to misinformation and incorrect assumptions. This qualitative study aimed to explore the perspectives of college students who do not use stimulants on perceived risks, social acceptability, opportunity experiences, and likelihood of using stimulants. The study addressed factors that either encourage or discourage students from using stimulants, as well as the internal and extrinsic incentives associated with this activity, using a phenomenological paradigm. Twelve southern Ohioan students who were not users were interviewed using a structured interviewing technique, which …

Building Knowledge Across Language Systems: The Role Of Audio And Visual Supports In Bilingual Learning Through Self-Derivation, Alena G. Esposito, Katherine A. Lee, Brandan K. Gunarathne

Psychology

Children who enter the US education system as emerging bilinguals (or English Learners) show significant gaps in test scores and graduation rates compared to their English monolingual peers. Dual-language education programs may provide an instructional context that capitalizes on emerging bilingual children’s strengths and supports their academic performance while they acquire English. However, prior research has shown that integrating semantic knowledge across language systems poses a challenge. Supports may mitigate these challenges. Thus, across two studies, we examined instructional practices that may facilitate the integration of academic content across English and Spanish in elementary-age children enrolled in dual-language education programs. …

Précis Of: "Birds, Bats And Minds: Tales Of A Revolutionary Scientist, Donald R. Griffin", Carolyn A. Ristau

Animal Sentience

Donald Griffin co-discovered bat sonar and founded the field of echolocation. He studied bird migration and founded Cognitive Ethology, the study of animal awareness and mental experiences. In all these endeavors, he faced hostile opposition. The biography (Ristau 2024) examines Griffin's life and the scientific explorations by him and others in these fields. This Précis emphasizes his arguments and supporting evidence for animal consciousness as well as his later research. Griffin considered the inhibiting assumptions made by scientists, including Cartesian views, the misunderstanding of innate behaviors, prejudice against lower animals, concern with violations of parsimony, and the assertions of the …

Exploring The Denial Of Institutional Racism: Impacts Of Social Identity, Perceptions Of Privilege, And Threat, Kalen Charles Kennedy

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation consists of one correlational and one experimental study grounded in Social Identity Theory, which posits that individuals derive a significant portion of their self- concept from their membership in social groups (Tajfel & Turner, 1986). One’s social identity plays a crucial role in how individuals interpret intergroup relations. Building on this understanding, I explored factors that may explain the denial of institutional racism among White individuals, focusing on the importance of their racial identity, attitudes towards White privilege, and the perception of social threat. In Study 1, which included 193 White participants, a weak positive correlation was found …

Shocking Sentences, John B. Meixner Jr.

Scholarly Works

Harsh recidivist sentencing penalties, like three-strikes laws, have been criticized heavily among both academics and practitioners on a number of different grounds. Most arguments focus on how sentences arising from these penalties are disproportionate—that there is no sensible relationship between the wrong committed and the sentence imposed. Those critiques are valid, but there’s another important problem with recidivist sentencing penalties that has been overlooked: they lead to sentences that are totally unexpected—indeed, shocking—to the defendants who face them. Many recidivist sentencing penalties cause large leaps in sentencing exposure that amount to exponential growth when compared with a defendant’s prior sentences. …

An Examination Of Food And Alcohol Disturbance Based On Sexual Orientation In A Sample Of Women Who Binge Eat, Alicia M. Moulder

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Food and alcohol disturbance (FAD), characterized by disordered eating behaviors in the context of drinking alcohol to enhance intoxication, counteract alcohol’s calories, or both, is associated with increased risk of negative drinking consequences. Previously established as a phenomenon occurring in college students, research has begun to support that FAD may also occur in nonstudents. Three particularly vulnerable groups for FAD may include women, individuals with history of binge eating, as well as sexual minority individuals. Consequently, the goals of the current study were to elucidate differences in FAD engagement between sexual minority women (SMW) and heterosexual women using a sample …

It Takes A Village: Investigating How Community And Cultural Factors Foster Resilience In Latine Immigrant Families, Mara Makasiar

Dissertations (1934 -)

Latine immigrants constitute the largest group of non-U.S.-born individuals in the United States and face heightened risks including poverty, inadequate healthcare, discrimination, and acculturation-related stressors. Despite these challenges, many demonstrate resilience, achieving positive outcomes for themselves and their children. This study investigated how community and cultural factors foster resilience in Latine immigrant families, addressing a gap in understanding protective mechanisms beyond individual and family levels. Using a mixed-methods approach, quantitative analyses (N=89) revealed that immigration-related stress significantly predicted caregiver mental health problems (β = 0.35, p < .01), while financial satisfaction emerged as a protective factor (β = -0.35, p < .01). For youth, ethnic identity predicted prosocial behaviors (β = 0.35, p < .01), and emotion regulation consistently predicted self-esteem (β = 0.40, p < .01) and mental health problems (β = -0.54, p < .01). Contrary to hypotheses, community factors (collective efficacy, religious social capital) and cultural cohesion did not significantly predict outcomes beyond individual and family factors. Qualitative interviews (n=30) provided context, revealing themes of resource access barriers, multifaceted support systems, cultural maintenance, and community involvement. These findings highlight the complex interplay of factors influencing resilience in Latine immigrant families and underscore the need for more nuanced measures of community and cultural influences. The study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of resilience processes in this population, with implications for developing culturally sensitive interventions and policies to support Latine immigrant families' well-being.

The Voices Of Thriving Black Women In Milwaukee: An Exploration Of Narrative Identity And Psychosocial Well-Being, Jessica Krukowski

Dissertations (1934 -)

There is a dearth in research regarding the narrative identities of Black women. Narrative identity is an individual’s internal story that evolves and transforms as one encounters new experiences and adopts new viewpoints. It is a person’s reconstructed past and imagined future, providing one’s life a degree of coherence and meaning. The present study is part of a larger project (N=79) that employed the Modified Life Story Interview; a semi-structured way for collecting one’s self-defining life story. Participants from the larger project also completed measures of psychosocial well-being. For the present strength-based study, only those participants with the highest psychosocial …

Daily Stress, Problematic Social Media Use, And Executive Functions: A Daily Diary Approach, Wee Qin Ng

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

A growing body of research suggests that daily stress may be a risk factor for problematic social media use. However, findings concerning the relation between stress and social media use are mixed, suggesting the presence of moderators that may buffer the relation between stress and problematic social media use. Further, previous studies have relied on either cross-sectional designs or longitudinal designs that may not fully capture daily experiences of stressors and social media use. To overcome these limitations, the present study utilized a 7-day daily diary study to investigate the within-individual associations between daily stress and problematic social media use. …

Associations Between Self-Reported Levels Of Aggression, Irritability, And Depression In Collegiate Athletes With A History Of Concussion, Amber Mae Bankston

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between history of concussion and symptoms of aggression, irritability, and depression. Furthermore, the relationship between these variables were examined in a small subgroup of participants before and after sustaining a head injury.

Methods: Archival data of NCAA Division II and club collegiate athletes from Florida Institute of Technology was included in the present study. Participants were included in this study if they completed baseline and/or post-trauma neuropsychological evaluations that included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), and Irritability Questionnaire (IRQ). Athletes’ demographic information along with …

The Changing Nature Of Work And Its Effects On Employee Well-Being, Lauren O'Connell

Student Publications

The nature of work is constantly evolving, shaped by societal shifts and the absence of a universal standard for organizations. Remote work, initially a temporary solution during the COVID-19 pandemic, has emerged as a lasting norm, with flexible work-from-home (WFH) arrangements becoming a defining feature of the modern workplace. Despite the growing prevalence of WFH, limited research remains on its effects on employee well-being. This paper examines the benefits of WFH, like flexibility and autonomy, alongside challenges, such as longer hours, reduced supervisor support, and weakened employee connections. These trade-offs impact roles that depend on a positive and cohesive team …

Stress, Obesity, Depression, And Codependency As Predictors Of Unmitigated Communion In African American Pastors, Troy Tyrone Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many pastors spend significant time tending to their congregants’ needs while disregarding their own needs. They may not know how to ask for or receive help and may look to others for self-worth and value. Inappropriate self-sacrificing behaviors could result in pastors' compromised emotional and physical health. The purpose of this study was to determine whether stress, obesity, depression, and codependency, individually or in a linear combination, were adequate predictors of unmitigated (UC) among African American senior pastors who pastor congregationally led churches without the benefit of paid support staff. The social cognitive learning theory was the theoretical framework in …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of And Preference For Interactive Computer Training With Student-Generated Examples, Sylvia C. Aquino, Stephanie Hood, Tara A. Fahmie, Richard Tanis

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Designing effective and preferred teaching practices for undergraduate students are common goals in behavior analytic training programs. A preliminary study by Nava et al. (2019) showed that undergraduate students generally rated peer-generated examples of the principles of behavior analysis as more preferred, relatable, and culturally responsive than traditional textbook examples. However, peer-generated examples did not result in any improvement in performance on concept knowledge assessments. The current study extended the study by Nava et al. by embedding peer-generated examples within interactive computer training (ICT) to provide opportunities for active responding, prompt fading, automated feedback, and practice with examples and nonexamples. …

Investigating Gender Bias In Large Language Models Through Text Generation, Shweta Soundararajan, Sarah Jane Delany

Conference papers

Large Language Models (LLMs) have swiftly become essential tools across diverse text generation applications. However, LLMs also raise significant ethical and societal concerns, particularly regarding potential gender biases in the text they produce. This study investigates the presence of gender bias in four LLMs: ChatGPT 3.5, ChatGPT 4, Llama 2 7B, and Llama 2 13B. By generating a gendered language dataset using these LLMs, focusing on sentences about men and women, we analyze the extent of gender bias in their outputs. Our evaluation is two-fold: we use the generated dataset to train a gender stereotype detection task and measure gender …

Childhood Adversity's Impact On Criminal Behavior, Isobel Marie Avento

Theses and Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as abuse, neglect, and family criminal history, have been identified as potential risk factors for negative physical, psychological, and behavioral health outcomes. Emerging literature suggests that ACEs are also among the primary factors leading to delinquency and adult criminal behavior. However, there is limited applied research that provides practitioners with appropriate insight to intervene when ACEs are identified among juvenile delinquents to reduce recidivism risk. This study adds to the existing literature by examining how cumulative ACEs shape criminal behavior of individuals from the onset until its desistance over the span of twenty years. Using …

Do Parents Know Best: The Impact Of Parental Sleep Knowledge And Related Factors On Sleep In Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Rachel Nicole Chavez

Theses and Dissertations

Sleep problems are a common concern reported by parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). The prevalence of sleep disorders in those with NDD have been reported as high as 86% compared to 25% of typically developing children (Horwood et al., 2019, Robin-Shelton, 2016). These sleep problems can have detrimental effects on cognition, development, behavior, emotion regulation, and physical health. Existing research demonstrates a significant relationship between a child’s sleep disturbances and their parents’ sleep quality and level of parenting stress. This study aimed to identify the gaps in parental sleep knowledge and examined how parent sleep quality and parental …

Out Of Left Screen: Factors Impacting Well-Being In Digital And Physical Collegiate Athletes, Jessica Poskus

Theses and Dissertations

Competitive video gaming, or “esports,” has quickly become a popular college extracurricular. Its classification as a varsity sport on many campuses reflects a broader shift in cultural conceptualizations and perceptions of athleticism. As esports continue to evolve in today’s increasingly digital world, new professional leagues emerge, and viewership rivals that of traditional physical sports. Esports can be a gateway for unique opportunities for college students; however, it may also pose some challenges. This study explored differences between digital and physical athletes, who must balance their chosen activity with other collegiate responsibilities, including academic, social, and physical health. Physical sports and …

Motivating Physical Activity With Fitness Tracking And The Interpersonal Context, Sapphire H. Lin, Sonny Rosenthal, Rich Ling

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Many societies have aging populations. Getting older people to exercise can help them achieve a higher quality of life. Fitness tracking and social support can buttress that goal. This study tested the effects of fitness tracking and spousal influence on the physical activity of older adults. In a 2 (blinded vs. feedback) × 2 (individual vs. dyad) between-group experiment, 240 participants received a fitness tracker with a visible or blinded display. They participated in the three-month experiment either individually or with their spouses. Participants who received feedback met daily step counts of 7500 and 10,000 more frequently than those without …

Weight Bias Internalization And Disordered Eating: Examining The Role Of Sexual Orientation In A Sample Of Women Who Binge Eat, Meredith I. Turner

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Sexual minority women and heterosexual women endorse different rates of disordered eating symptoms. Weight bias internalization (WBI), or self-directed negative attitudes and beliefs about oneself due to their weight, is known to be associated with binge eating and other disordered eating behaviors. However, little is known about the influence WBI may have on disordered eating symptoms across various sexual orientations. Therefore, this study examined disordered eating, WBI, and the association between them among sexual minority and heterosexual women. Specifically, the study aims were to (1) compare instances of WBI and disordered eating symptoms between sexual minority and heterosexual women, (2) …

The Relationship Between Health Anxiety, Health Information Seeking Behaviors, And Healthcare Outcomes, Rima Malkan

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between health anxiety and health information-seeking behaviors (HISB) suggests a possible bidirectional or reciprocal relationship, suggesting that health anxiety leads to HISB and HISB exacerbates health anxiety. The motivations for individuals seeking different types of health information vary and may be impacted by numerous factors that lead to particular health outcomes. However, the impact of these collective variables on healthcare outcomes has not been extensively investigated. The current study aimed to bridge this gap in the literature. The study sample consisted of 133 individuals ages 20-77 years who had varying levels of health anxiety. Results suggested that those …

An Examination Of The Experiences Of Traumatic Events And The Consequences Of Identity Formation, Alba Kremlin Bunnell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The specific problem addressed in this qualitative, phenomenological research study was understanding the impact of traumatic events on the identity formation. There was a lack of studies on identity formation and trauma. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of young adults who might struggle with identity formation as a result of experiencing trauma during childhood or adolescence. This study was guided by Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development, which described how teenagers form their identity as they enter emerging adulthood. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 12 participants who indicated that they had experienced a …

Doctoral-Level Practitioner’S Views And Opinions Regarding The Use Of Social Networking Sites In Criminal Responsibility Evaluations, Jillian Lafrance

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Pew Research Center, there has been an increase in social networking site (SNS) usage by 72% since 2011. Due to the rise, researchers have undertaken studies on using the internet and SNS-based data with forensic assessments. However, researchers have not explored the views and opinions of professionals who conduct these evaluations, specifically regarding doctoral-level practitioners and criminal responsibility. Due to this, the American Psychological Association (APA) does not have specific guidelines on using SNS as a collateral source. This study involved one-on-one interviews with seven doctoral-level practitioners who conduct criminal responsibility evaluations on individuals 18 and older …

Mass Shootings In The United States, Sydney Livingston

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

High rates of mass shootings are becoming a uniquely American problem; the US makes up 73% of the world’s mass shootings, yet makes up only 4.25% of the world’s population. School shootings, in particular, have increased dramatically in the US since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, an event many perpetrators have since drawn upon as inspiration. There is a strong divide of opinions in the nation regarding how firearm deaths should be reduced, which has complicated and slowed progress in identifying effective solutions. Each mass shooting causes additional shootings to occur, and each one takes a toll on …