Digital Commons Network^™

Precursors Of Young Adults' World Beliefs Across Cultures: A Machine Learning Approach, Jennifer E. Lansford, Andrea Bizzego, Julio Daniel Bermúdez Chinea, Gianluca Esposito, William Andrew Rothenberg, Jeremy D. W. Clifton, Dario Bacchini, Lei Chang, Kirby D. Deater-Deckard, Laura Di Giunta, Kenneth A. Dodge, Sevtap Gurdal, Daranee Junla, Paul Oburu, Concetta Pastorelli, Ann T. Skinner, Emma Sorbring, Laurence D. Steinberg, Marc H. Bornstein, Liliana Maria Uribe Tirado, Saengduean Yotanyamaneewong, Liane P. Alampay, Suha M. Al-Hassan

Psychology Department Faculty Publications

Primal world beliefs ("primals") capture individuals' basic understanding of what sort of world this is and are strongly associated with a wide range of behaviors and outcomes, yet we have little understanding of how primals come to be. This study used a data-driven machine learning approach to examine what individual, parenting, family, and cultural factors in childhood best predict young adults' beliefs that the world is Abundant, Alive, Enticing, Good, Hierarchical, Progressing, and Safe, contributing a long-term longitudinal perspective to the nascent work in developmental science on primal world beliefs ("primals"). Participants included 770 young adults from eight countries (Colombia, …

The Information Edge - Library Newsletter - September 2025, Sarah Burns-Feyl, Jennifer Rosenstein

University Library Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Books Of Interest Fall 2025, Stephen T. Satkiewicz

Comparative Civilizations Review

Books that may be of interest to scholars of the comparative study of civilizations, and may add significantly to the body of scholarship in the civilizational field. These books are also available for book reviews in future editions of Comparative Civilizations Review.

The Fragrance Muse: Musk As A Symbolic Tapestry In Classical Persian Poetry, Akbar Shirini, Shen Xudong, Zhao Dan

Comparative Civilizations Review

This paper explores the symbolic representation of musk in classical Persian poetry, uncovering its role as a multifaceted emblem of Iranian cultural identity and human experience. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of primary texts from the Ganjoor archive and secondary sources, the study traces musk’s historical significance across China, Iran, and Islamic world. In China, musk is prized for its rarity, medicinal properties, and metaphysical roles; in Iran, it intertwines with mythology, Zoroastrian cosmology, and trade; in Islamic contexts, it holds commercial and therapeutic value, cherished by figures like Mohammad. Within Persian poetry, musk transcends its material origins, symbolizing blackness …

Situation Perceptions Of Educators And Marshallese Families During Pandemic Remote Learning, Vicki S. Collet, Elsie Berman

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study considers perceptions of Marshallese families and educators in the United States during spring 2020 COVID school closures. The expectation that schoolwork be conducted at home from March to May 2020 blurred public and private places. Findings suggest educators expected family routines to change to accommodate school-at-home, and this created challenges for Marshallese students and families, potentially deepening educational inequities. The study offers implications for fortifying efforts for equitable schooling in a postpandemic world.

E. Assignment Four: Scopes Trial History Lesson & Class Activities, Frankie Nicole Weaver

Frankie Nicole Weaver, Comparative Twentieth Century South African and United States Civil Rights and Voting Rights Histories

Build on introductory context and engage with themes tied to the 1925 Scopes trial, particularly highlighting public discourse and civic engagement in culture and politics, TN law and state judicial proceedings, science and technology, religion and Christianity in the US, notions of evolution and human evolution, public education, journalism and media, national politics or political ideologies, and US Constitutional liberties of speech, press, and religion.

F. Assignment Five: Scopes Trial Creative Assignment, Frankie Nicole Weaver

Frankie Nicole Weaver, Comparative Twentieth Century South African and United States Civil Rights and Voting Rights Histories

This creative assignment encourages students to reflect on independent exploration, class group learning, discussions, and to use research to think critically and to present their ideas in a 5-6-page essay. Students will also think like educators and create 8-10 PowerPoint slides.

D. Assignment Three: Scopes Trial Introductory Assigned Activities: Learning From Tennessee’S Scopes Trial 100 Years Later, Frankie Nicole Weaver

Frankie Nicole Weaver, Comparative Twentieth Century South African and United States Civil Rights and Voting Rights Histories

This assignment encourages students to engage actively with scaffolded pre-learning necessary for the Scopes Trial unit. Students are introduced to the history of the 1925 Scopes Trial and the folk history connected to Inherit the Wind, in its various forms.

Engaging Students And Stakeholders In Times Of Crisis: Hbcus Bridging Social Capital On Facebook While Navigating Physical Distancing, Pamela Peters

Journal of Research Initiatives

COVID-19 placed a strain on colleges that tend to rely on tuition, especially small HBCUs, which traditionally serve a high percentage of underrepresented students. Being away from campus, many stakeholders were experiencing higher levels of stress and anxiety. Social media offers an outlet for schools and stakeholders to stay connected during a crisis. Using social capital, this study examined how small HBCUs bridged social capital on Facebook during the year before and the first two years of the pandemic. A comparative analysis of Facebook posts of 30 HBCUs with a student population of under 2000 was conducted to determine post …

Bridging The Digital Skills Gap: A Comparative Study Of Employability Readiness Among Tourism Students And Professionals In Malaysia, Asif Khurshid Mian, Fraz Arshed Butt, Omar Sajid

Journal of Global Hospitality and Tourism

The increasing digitalisation of the tourism industry has introduced new expectations for workforce competencies, particularly in developing economies like Malaysia. The present study investigates how three core digital competencies, i.e. digital literacy, platform/tool awareness, and technology readiness, influence employability readiness among two key groups including final-year tourism students and in-service professionals. Drawing on Human Capital Theory and the Technology Readiness Index, the research applies Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to examine 350 responses collected through purposive sampling. Results confirm that all three competencies positively influence employability readiness, with platform/tool awareness exerting the strongest effect. Multi-group analysis reveals that …

Scripted For Surveillance: Parole Revocation Hearings And The Performance Of Procedure In New York, Kelsey G. Greeff

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis examines parole revocation hearings in New York as complex performances that extend carceral control beyond prison walls. Drawing on a composite vignette from the Bronx parole court, it analyzes the interplay between procedural reform, constitutional due process, and neoliberal governance. Using a dramaturgical framework informed by Michel Foucault’s discourse analysis and Judith Butler’s theory of performativity, the study identifies four interrelated processes: the judge as director, who orchestrates hearings according to institutional priorities; normalization, where repetition embeds structural inequality as routine; type-marking, the classification of parolees into predefined roles through accumulated records and cues; and the extension of …

Disability Theatre Communities: Engaging Artists And Audiences In Contemporary International Performance, Joseph Paul Hill

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

“Disability Theatre Communities” examines how communities are constructed in, through, and around contemporary international disability theatre performances. It explores ideas of community formation and intersection across three case studies to elucidate the various ways in which disability theatre artists, productions, companies, and organizations attract, engage, and educate variable artist and audience communities. The project analyzes Rome, Italy’s Teatro Patologico and its Integrated Theatre of Emotion, a theatrical training program for neurodivergent performers; Wales-based writer, theatre-maker, and dramaturg Kaite O’Reilly, whose international collaborations center d/Deaf and disabled performers and foreground audience accessibility; and the biennial BIT (Blind in Theatre) International Festival …

Teaching And Technology: "You Can't Just Do The Same Thing Online", Sakina Laksimi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines how faculty at the City University of New York navigated the abrupt transition to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing how pedagogy is shaped by technological, institutional, and social conditions. Drawing on twenty-two interviews with twelve faculty across eight disciplines, I use a grounded theory approach to analyze how instructors adapted courses, reimagined assessment, and sustained connection with students amid crisis. Three overlapping pedagogical orientations emerged: improvisational, relational, and design-based teaching. These approaches highlight how faculty balanced responsiveness, care, and intentional course design in environments mediated by digital platforms and marked by inequity. The study situates …

Nursing Students’ Sociodemographic Characteristics And Consumer Preferences’ Prediction Level Of Perceived Food Literacy, Sinan Duru

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Food literacy, which is a critical competency for nursing students, plays a pivotal role in promoting evidence-based nutrition behaviors and contributes effectively to public health. This study aimed to determine the level of perceived food literacy among nursing students.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 488 nursing students from two universities in the south of Turkey. The research data were collected face to face via the Personal Information Form, the Consumer Preferences Form, and Self Perceived Food Literacy. The data was analyzed using the Independent Sample t Test, One Way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression.

Results: The …

Exploring The Impact Of Leadership On Encouraging Innovative Behaviours: An Employee’S Perspective, Fouzia Khan, Aysa Siddika, Abdullah Sarwar

International Journal of Management, Finance and Accounting

Innovation is crucial in the current business environment amidst uncertainties and heightened competition. The study explored how employees perceive their leaders' behaviour regarding innovations in the service sector. An in-depth interview technique has been employed as part of a qualitative research approach to identifying leaders' behaviours likely to enhance or discourage employees' innovative behaviour. Eight participants with extensive experience in the service sector were selected from various sectors, including consultancy, financial services, and the telecommunications industry in Malaysia. Thematic analysis was used to identify leaders' behaviours that encourage or discourage employees' innovative behaviour at work. The study observed 15 different …

Visual Narrative Through The Wimba Approach In Tahilalats Comic With Campaign Theme Bersama Stop Judi Online, Rangga Pangkuluhur Gumelar, Basnendar Herry Prilosadoso

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

Comics, as a medium for conveying ideas and concepts through imagery, integrate textual and visual elements to construct meaning and communicate messages effectively. Their distinctive visual communication enables the delivery of complex social issues in an accessible manner through characters, panels, layouts, and visual representations of sound and dialogue. This study analyzes the Tahilalats comic (2024 edition), which incorporates the hashtag #bersamastopjudol as part of a visual campaign against online gambling addiction. The narrative is presented entirely through images without verbal language. The research applies Primadi Tabrani’s Wimba theory to decode visual language and Roland Barthes’ semiotics to interpret symbolic …

Exploring The Emotional Impact Of Silent Grief Among Black Christian Women, Tracie Joyel Lott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Grief is an inevitable part of life. When grief-related emotions or behaviors do not align with societal attitudes, grief may become disenfranchised, causing the griever to become silent. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe Black Christian women’s experiences with silent grief in a Midwestern U.S. state. In this research, silent grief was synonymous with disenfranchised grief. Kimberle Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory guided this study, providing insight into the intersection of religion, culture, and mental health challenges in the grieving process of Black Christian women. Data collected via in-depth participant interviews underwent analysis using Gadamer’s hermeneutics. Despite literature …

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of The Role Of Spiritual Mindfulness Practices In Coping With Divorce Loss In Christian Women, Gale Louise Nicolai

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study aims to understand the role of spiritual mindfulness practices in counseling individuals who have experienced divorce. The theory guiding this study is the biopsychosocial-spiritual model, which recognizes the interconnectivity and mutual influence of biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors. This data will be descriptive, using open-ended interview questions. Data analysis will be thematic. The study participants are women who self-identify as Christian at 1-10 years post-divorce. The independent variable is spiritual mindfulness practices. The dependent variables are women who self-identify as Christian at 1-10 years post-divorce.

About The Contributors

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

No abstract provided.

Exploration Of Counselors’ Epistemology: Epistemic Style Perspectives In Helping Relationships, Muty Rachmadiny Utami, Nissa Aulia Belistiana Utami, Nandang Budiman

Jurnal Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling

Epistemological studies provide important insights into how counselors build their knowledge related to the helping relationship through epistemic styles. This study aims to describe the epistemology of the helping relationship in counseling. A qualitative approach with a case study design was used to explore the experiences of guidance and counseling teachers and students as research participants. Data were collected through the analysis of counseling documents and semi-structured interviews with guidance and counseling teachers as well as five counselee participants. The study results discuss the epistemology of the helping relationship of counselors in seven themes: sources of counselor knowledge, the process …

Spiritual Music As A Factor Of Religious Identity In Ukrainian Orthodoxy, Oleh Sokolovskyi, Maksym Melnychuk, Sviatoslav Melnychuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This scholarly article explores current challenges and spiritual-cultural trends arising in the context of historical events and civilizational transformations experienced by modern Ukraine. The study focuses on the revival of authentic traditions of sacred musical art within Ukrainian Orthodoxy, regarded as one of the fundamental factors in the formation of national identity. Within an interdisciplinary approach that combines religious studies, philosophy, art history, and cultural studies, the research analyzes the musical sacredness as a phenomenon of numinous experience imbued with transcendental meaning and cathartic energy. It is established that the spiritual music of the Orthodox tradition functions as a form …

Utilization Of Colors, Lighting, And Materials As A Narrative Ai-Tool To Convey Human Emotions In Museums’ Interior Spaces. A Case Study Of The Museum Of Islamic Art Cairo, Egypt., Dalia Moati, Rawan Medhat, Fagr Hesham, Nada Khaled, Tamer

Architectural Engineering

This study explores the relationship between museum interior design and human emotional responses, focusing on how key design elements—color, lighting, and materials—can be optimized to enhance visitor engagement and emotional well- being. Conducted at the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, Egypt, the research examines two critical spaces along the visitor journey: the Medicine Hall, introducing the experience, and the Writings Hall, situated toward the end of the route, where fatigue and emotional disengagement often occur. Over a nine-week period, a mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating structured observation, behavioral mapping, and AI-assisted image modifications to generate controlled design variations, alongside …

Faculty Newsletter Fall 2024, University Of Missouri-St. Louis Libraries

Library Publications

No abstract provided.

Personality As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Casual Sex Behavior And Psychopathology, Dean J. Harris

Theses and Graduate Projects

Prior research has evaluated the impact of casual sex on mental health outcomes; however, there is a lack of research on the possible moderating effects of personality traits on this relationship. Thus, the purpose of this study was to clarify whether personality traits -specifically extraversion and neuroticism- are protective or risk factors for symptoms of anxiety and depression among individuals who engage in casual sexual behaviors, particularly in college-aged individuals. Using a cross-sectional design, 108 participants who met survey criteria completed self-report measures assessing casual sex behavior, the PHQ-9, the GAD-7, the International Big-Five Mini- Markers, and demographic questions. Moderation …

The Label Of Low Effort: Exploring Teachers’ Effort-Related Language, Meritocratic Beliefs, And Attribution-Based Responsibility Assignments, Kelly A. Larson

Doctorate in Education

Educators play an integral role in the academic success and future educational trajectory of their students. Yet, in an unjust, hyper-individualistic education system grounded in a meritocratic myth, even the most well-intentioned teachers have a tendency to explain students’ underperformance through a self-protective, deficit-based attribution process that puts the onus of academic achievement almost entirely on students and their families. This recursive cycle is especially damaging for students who do not exhibit effort in normalized, Eurocentric ways. This study examines how teachers’ attributions and responsibility assignments for students’ perceived low-effort behavior are shaped by inequitable meritocratic beliefs and reinforced through …

A Comparative Study Of Fgcs And Non-Fgcs In Mainland China : An Analysis Based On The G University, Meihan Tao

Lingnan Theses (Doctoral degree)

While Western scholarship on First-Generation College Students (FGCS) is well-established, research on FGCS in mainland China remains underdeveloped, despite the group’s substantial size and critical role in social mobility. This study examines the disparities between FGCS and Non-First-Generation College Students (Non-FGCS) in cultural capital accumulation, university major selection, academic adaptation, and career planning. Grounded in cultural capital theory and social cognitive career theory (SCCT), the study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative in-depth interviews and quantitative surveys to explore how familial cultural capital influences educational and career trajectories. The research focuses on students from G University in southwest China. Quantitative …

A Decolonial Reading Of The Dystopian Narratives About Feticide And Infanticide In Hindi Films, Argha Basu, Priyanka Tripathi

Kritika Kultura

The guiding principle concerning the question of bodily agency and the feminist discourse of

Mentoring In The Undergraduate Classroom And Beyond: Creating A Feminist Praxis, Satarupa Dasgupta

Feminist Pedagogy

In the following critical commentary, it is discussed how mentoring--- in the classroom and in academia---can be a feminist practice that comprises an essential part of being a feminist educator. Mentorship encompasses a process in which the mentor disseminates knowledge as well as psychosocial support that are perceived by the mentee as essential for professional or personal development (Sedlacek et al., 2007). Mentorship has been specifically found to fulfill professional needs for women, while enhancing their self-worth and sense of competence, and providing instances of role modeling and social affirmation (Meschitti & Lawton Smith, 2017).

What Is “So Severe, Pervasive, And Objectively Offensive?”: Defining Sexual Harassment, Investigating Reporting Requirements, And Supporting Disclosures With Communicative Role-Playing, Lauren L. Buisker, Kylie Johnson

Feminist Pedagogy

Despite the pervasive reach of rape culture on college campuses, university sexual harassment trainings frequently fail to provide students with clear definitions of sexual violence, often avoid using intersectional frameworks to teach students about the topic, and obscure the bureaucratic complexities that inhibit survivors’ abilities to seek out appropriate resources when they experience sexual trauma. As such, this article outlines communication strategies for feminist instructors interested in improving their students’ understanding of sexual harassment, given that social science and humanities classrooms provide apt spaces for grappling with difficult topics and the way in which language constructs our reality. We propose …

Flowing Progress: Transforming The Danube Through Infrastructure, Stefan Dorondel, Luminita Gatejel

Central European Studies

Flowing Progress: Transforming the Danube Through Infrastructure focuses on how different political regimes and forms of governance have imagined and technologically transformed the most international river in the world. Multidisciplinary and drawing on methodologies of history, anthropology of infrastructure, and science, technology, and society, this collection explores the tensions between the river and its natural pulses, the humans that populate its floodplains, state agencies, and infrastructure. The book engages the concept of disturbance to point out the circular and spiraling dynamics between hydrological processes and technopolitical and economic practices. Disturbance denotes a specific type of long-term dynamic between human attempts …