Digital Commons Network^™

Revive The Sport, Rewind The Story: Shaping A Culture For The New Volleyball League, Maryana Kuznetsova

University Honors Theses

Volleyball is a sport that started off in the United States and has been around for over a hundred years, yet lack of media coverage, sponsorship, and cultural significance, has made volleyball a second-tier sport in the minds of many Americans. Over time, there have been multiple efforts in establishing a professional volleyball league in the United States, yet limited financial resources caused an end to those attempts in 1987 and then again in 2002. At the beginning of 2017, Jamie Davis who was previously involved with the sports entertainment industry became the CEO of USA Volleyball, which gave hope …

Painting A New Narrative: Facilitating The Social Integration And Personal Empowerment Of Schizophrenic Individuals Through Art, Erica M. Vollmer

University Honors Theses

In my research I investigate how art can be used to facilitate the self-actualization and social integration of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders. Through four in depth interviews with artists diagnosed with schizophrenia, and two interviews with art gallery owners, I examine how social barriers and stigmas regarding schizophrenia can be challenged through creating art and utilizing art spaces. In these accounts, participants provide narratives of resilience through creative expression and the socially transformative potential of community art galleries. I use these personal accounts to expand on the existing discourses of the relationship between art, community, and mental …

Selling Protest In The News? Movement-Media Framing Of Occupations: An Exploratory Study, Andrew David Butz

Dissertations and Theses

Using quantitative content analysis, this study explores social movement (SM) framing in commercial news media -- by comparing how leading newspapers covered prominent protest occupations in 2011 and 2016. More than other SMs, anti-systemic protests like the 2011 Occupy Wall Street (OWS) and the 2016 Malheur Refuge Occupation (MRO) only have partial frame-setting agency, raising a broad theory question (to inform the research questions below): If SMs and media relate as interacting systems, are protest news frames more movement- or more media- driven; and do media not just enable but also constrain SMs?

With the movement-media theory question above, the …

Clarifying The Social Roots Of The Disproportionate Classification Of Racial Minorities And Males With Learning Disabilities, Dara Shifrer

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The disproportionate placement of racial minorities and males into special education for learning disabilities (LDs) raises concerns that classifications occur inaccurately or inequitably. This study uses data from the Education Longitudinal Survey of 2002 to investigate the social etiology of LD classifications that persist into adolescence. Findings suggest the overclassification of racial minorities is largely consistent with (clinically relevant) differences in educational performance. Classifications may occur inconsistently or subjectively, with clinically irrelevant qualities like school characteristics and linguistic-immigration history independently predictive of disability classification. Finally, classifications may be partially biased, with male overclassification largely unexplained by this study’s measures and …

White Space, Black Space: Community Gardens In Portland, Oregon, David Ross Billings Jr.

Dissertations and Theses

Community gardens have been the focus of social science research in the United States for several decades and the benefits associated with these alternative food spaces has been well documented. More recently, scholars have begun to argue that these benefits are inequitably distributed across society. Largely as a result of the whiteness of these spaces, people of color are less represented in community and benefit less from their presence. Portland, Oregon is recognized as a leader in sustainability, with its abundance of community gardens and urban agriculture. It is also one of the whitest urban cities in the United States. …

Bystander Intervention To Prevent Campus Sexual Violence: The Role Of Sense Of Community, Peer Norms, And Administrative Responding, Erin Christine Mcconnell

Dissertations and Theses

In recent years, the use of bystander intervention training to address campus sexual violence has risen rapidly. More research is critically needed to guide the ongoing development and implementation of prevention efforts by campuses utilizing this relatively new approach. This investigation examined associations between college students' bystander intervention behavior and three key factors: (1) perceived peer norms supportive of sexual violence; (2) perceived campus administrative response to sexual violence; and (3) sense of campus community. Data from a sample of 2370 college students was analyzed using hierarchical linear regression to test both direct and moderated effects. Findings revealed that both …

Fostering Collaborations And Partnerships Through Osep Grants, Amy T. Parker, Katina Lambros, Carol Robinson Zanartu, Robert Wall Emerson

Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Presenters from three universities discussed how Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) grant projects have fostered interdisciplinary collaborations and school/community partnerships. This session discussed the powerful lessons that have emerged from those collaborations, which have involved related services personnel in schools (e.g., school psychology, school counseling, special education, speech and language pathology, and school social work), as well as community partners (e.g., transportation specialists, urban designers, and geographers).

Gendered Partner-Ideals, Relationship Satisfaction, And Intimate Partner Violence, Sylvia Marie Ferguson Kidder

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation identified and developed indicators of a new potential predictor of relationship satisfaction and intimate partner violence (IPV): discrepancies between the ideal and perceived gendered characteristics of romantic partners. Past research has overlooked the implicitly gendered nature of these "partner-ideals." Two pilot studies were conducted to develop measures of gendered partner-ideals and -perceptions based on existing measures of gender ideology.

The main study examined survey data collected online from adults (n = 643) living in the U.S. who were in a heterosexual romantic relationship for at least six months. Three main hypotheses were tested regarding the associations among gender …

A Foucaultian Discourse Analysis Of Person-Centered Practice Using A Genealogical Framework Of Intellectual Disability, Nick Winges-Yanez

Dissertations and Theses

A genealogical framework highlights the important role sexuality has played in constructing the current label of intellectual disability (ID). The genealogical framework is meant to replace the social, medical, and/or rights-based model(s) that have dominated social work and social services working in the disability field. With this framework, or perspective, I use a Foucaultian discourse analysis to read through seminal texts regarding person-centered practice.

Person-centered practice is the foremost intervention used in social work, and other disciplines, to work with people labeled with intellectual disability. My research questions focus on what is revealed about ID in PCP through a genealogical …

Intrapersonal And Social-Contextual Factors Related To Psychological Well-Being Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness, Katricia Stewart

Dissertations and Theses

Homeless youth are typically defined as a group of adolescents and young adults (ages 12-24) who do not have stable dwellings, but instead live on the streets, in shelters or abandoned buildings, or in other unstable situations (e.g., doubling up with friends). Given the myriad of hardships, stressors, and marginalization faced by youth as they navigate life on the streets, it is encouraging that researchers have begun examining well-being among youth experiencing homelessness. However, the few studies examining well-being among homeless youth have produced inconsistent results. Furthermore, little is known about the components of well-being that are both relevant to …

Stance-Taking: Jfl Learners And Benefactive Verbs, Kumiko Takizawa

Dissertations and Theses

This study explores how JFL learners take a benefactive stance in Japanese. As Jaffe (2009) observes, stance-taking "plays a complex role with respect to the naturalization of social and linguistic ideologies and the social structures they legitimate." The way in which language is used to take a stance always concerns the social context in which a speaker finds her/himself. In Japanese, benefactive verbs (kureru, ageru, morau and their honorific and humble equivalents) are indispensable stance indicators for showing gratitude or indebtedness. Such expressions do not really exist in English and their grammar is complex. It is assumed that JFL learners …

Understanding Cervical Cancer Screening Among Latinas Through The Lens Of Structure, Culture, Psychology And Communication, Nancy Nien-Tsu Chen, Meghan B. Moran, Lauren B. Frank, Sandra J. Ball-Rokeach, Sheila T. Murphy

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study explored how structural and cultural forces work together with psychological and communication factors in influencing Pap test compliance among Latinas in Los Angeles County, a group who face health disparities related to cervical cancer screening, incidence and mortality. By adopting a multilevel approach to obtain a grounded understanding of this issue, this work revealed that structural barriers, fatalism, religious service attendance, perceived susceptibility, perceived costs, and cues to action from health care providers are all associated with Pap test compliance. Financial barriers also influence compliance, with underinsurance having a stronger negative impact compared to no insurance at all. …

Insufficient Effort Responding On Mturk Surveys: Evidence-Based Quality Control For Organizational Research, Lee Cyr

Dissertations and Theses

Each year, crowdsourcing organizational research grows increasingly popular. However, this source of sampling receives much scrutiny focused on data quality and related research methods. Specific to the present research, survey attentiveness poses a unique dilemma. Research on updated conceptualizations of attentiveness--insufficient effort responding (IER)--shows that it carries substantial concerns for data quality beyond random noise, which further warrants deleting inattentive participants. However, personal characteristics predict IER, so deleting data may cause sampling bias. Therefore, preventing IER becomes paramount, but research seems to ignore whether IER prevention itself may create systematic error. This study examines the detection and prevention of IER …

An Assessment Of Sentencing Disparities Among American Indians Within The Eighth, Ninth, And Tenth Federal Circuit Courts, Makenzie Laron Aaby

Dissertations and Theses

Assessing the effect of race on crime is an important topic of criminology and criminal justice research. Prior investigations have sought to uncover if racial disparities exist within certain aspects of the criminal justice system, such as arrests, trials, and sentencing. The existing scholarship, however, has largely focused on assessing differences between Black and Hispanic offenders in relation to White offenders. There has been little academic exploration to examine if racial disparities exist among American Indian offenders during criminal justice processing. To address this gap in knowledge, this study analyzes data collected from the United States Sentencing Commission to assess …

Politics In The Social Media Era: The Relationship Between Social Media Use And Political Participation During The 2016 United States Presidential Election, Kevin Everett Curry

Dissertations and Theses

The growth of social media use raises significant questions related to political information and its effect on political knowledge and participation. One issue is whether social media delivers news and political information in a similar manner as traditional news media sources, like newspapers, TV, and radio, by contributing to political knowledge, which is linked to voter turnout. This dissertation examines the relationship between an individual's social media use, their use of traditional news media sources, and whether they turn out to vote. It utilizes American National Election Survey data from the 2016 U.S. Presidential election to complete three studies. First, …

Who Am I? Criminal Social Identity As A Mediator In The Relationship Between Criminal Peers And Criminal Attitudes Within A Sample Of Probationers/Parolees, Quinton Thomas Alexander

Dissertations and Theses

Previous research has shown there to be a relationship between criminal peers and an individual's antisocial behavior and attitudes. Social literature lacks however empirical support for social identity theory, which suggests social identity serves as a mediator in the development of attitudes. Rather than a direct relationship where criminal peers influences the presence of criminal attitudes, this research suggests that criminal peers actually influences a mediator (i.e. an individual's social identity), which in turn influences their criminal attitudes. Thus, this mediation serves to clarify the nature of the seemingly apparent relationship between peers and attitudes. The current study, then, attempts …

Neighbor Perceptions Of Psychiatric Supportive Housing : The Role Of Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors, Amy Leigh Shearer

Dissertations and Theses

Purpose: Historically, communities have opposed the development of residential programs for adults with psychiatric disabilities. In the last two decades, national and local campaigns have made targeted efforts to improve public knowledge about mental illness, and attitudes and behaviors towards mental health clients. Supportive housing policies have also been revised to better facilitate integration and independence for clients with psychiatric disabilities. Despite these changes, the number of studies on perceptions of psychiatric supportive housing has dramatically declined in recent years. Little is known about how neighbors currently perceive psychiatric housing and neighbors with mental illness, or the role that mental …

Framing Physical Activity: Weight Control Frames And Physical Activity Motivation, Kristin Spurkland

Dissertations and Theses

Public health institutions and popular media frequently frame weight loss and weight control as primary benefits of physical activity. This exploratory, descriptive study examined how respondents rated statements exemplifying three physical activity frames: a weight control frame, a medical frame, and an active embodiment frame. An anonymous, online survey was conducted in March 2018; respondents rated frame statements in terms of inspiring motivation to engage in physical activity, and in terms of perceived credibility. They also provided anthropometric data and physical activity data. Data were analyzed for the entire sample as well as stratified by multiple variables, including body mass …

An Indigenous Framework Of The Cycle Of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Risk And Prevention Across The Generations: Historical Trauma, Harm And Healing, Kelly Gonzales, Michelle M. Jacob, Amanda Mercier, Heather Heater, Lindsay Nall Goes Behind, Jillene Joseph, Suzie Kuerschner

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Gender Gap In Postsecondary Enrollment Intentions: The Mediating Role Of Student Attitudes And Behaviors, Paul J. Deppen Iii

Dissertations and Theses

Current literature on the gender gap in higher education lacks in-depth exploration of how the gap between males and females in postsecondary enrollment and degree attainment differs among racial/ethnic groups and among students of differing socioeconomic status (SES). This thesis explores the potential mediating role of student attitudes and behaviors and whether or not inclusion in certain racial/ethnic or SES groups moderates the relationship between gender and intentions to continue one's education immediately after high school graduation. This study uses data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. Results suggest that student attitudes mediate more of the relationship between …

Short-Term Tracking Of Orientation With Inertial Sensors, Golriz Sedaghat

Dissertations and Theses

In the past several years, IMU's have been widely used to measure the orientation of a moving body over a continuous period of time. Although, inertial navigation is a common approach for estimating the orientation, it greatly suffers from the accumulation of error in the orientation estimation. Most of the current common practices apply zero velocity update as a calibration method to address this problem and improve the estimation accuracy. However, this approach requires the sensors to be stationary frequently.

This thesis introduces a novel method of calibration for estimating the elevation and bank angles of the orientation over a …

The Role Of Caregiver Disruption In The Development Of Juvenile Sexual Offenders, Miranda Sitney

Dissertations and Theses

In the last decade, it has been recognized that juveniles commit as much as 20% of all sexual offenses in the United States (DOJ, 2004). Research that attempts to understand why young people commit sex crimes points to an array of family factors that may uniquely contribute to the development of sexual offending over and above general juvenile delinquency. This study specifically examines disrupted caregiving, or receiving insufficient or substitute care, as a potential moderator in the relationship between offense status and caregiver-child relationship quality. Four distinct moderators were tested: gender of caregiver, biological relationship between caregiver and child, number …

Moving Beyond Alpha: A Primer On Alternative Sources Of Single-Administration Reliability Evidence For Quantitative Chemistry Education Research, Regis Komperda, Thomas C. Pentecost, Jack Barbera

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

This methodological paper examines current conceptions of reliability in chemistry education research (CER) and provides recommendations for moving beyond the current reliance on reporting coefficient alpha (α) as reliability evidence without regard to its appropriateness for the research context. To help foster a better understanding of reliability and the assumptions that underlie reliability coefficients, reliability is first described from a conceptual framework, drawing on examples from measurement in the physical sciences; then classical test theory is used to frame a discussion of how reliability evidence for psychometric measurements is commonly examined in CER, primarily in the form of single-administration reliability …

Anarchism On The Willamette: The Firebrand Newspaper And The Origins Of A Culturally American Anarchist Movement, 1895-1898, Alecia Jay Giombolini

Dissertations and Theses

The Firebrand was an anarchist communist newspaper that was printed in Portland, Oregon from January 1895 to September 1897. The newspaper was a central catalyst behind the formation of the culturally American anarchist movement, a movement whose vital role in shaping radicalism in the United States during the Progressive Era has largely been ignored by historians. The central argument of this thesis is that the Firebrand publishers' experiences in Gilded Age Portland shaped the content and the format of the newspaper and led to the development of a new, uniquely American expression of anarchism.

Anarchism was developed in response to …

Affirmative Consent Endorsement And Peer Norms Supporting Sexual Violence Among Vulnerable Students On College Campuses, Alyssa Marie Glace

Dissertations and Theses

Understanding how students endorse affirmative consent in their sexual relationships is essential to sexual violence prevention. Some research has indicated that LGBT students and students with disabilities may negotiate and endorse consent uniquely because of socially constructed traditional sexual scripts. Research indicates gender differences may exist as well. The proposed research examines differences based on gender, LGBT status, and disability in affirmative consent endorsement and peer norms around sexual violence. Results indicated that women, nonbinary students, LGBT students, and students with disabilities were significantly less likely than their privileged counterparts to indicate low endorsement of affirmative consent. Results also indicated …

An Experimental Study On The Impact Of Informal Rape Myth Education To Alter Rape Myth Acceptance Scores In A Non-Student Sample, Leah Noelle Reddy

Dissertations and Theses

Sexual assault has come to the forefront in terms of prevention and education for many social institutions such as college campuses. However, with a growing body of research highlighting the importance and effectiveness of interventions, research examining the impact of rape-related education on altering rape myth acceptance (RMA) among non-student populations is severely lacking. This is a problematic gap given the issue of sexual assault in the United States extends well beyond academia. The current study aimed to fill this gap by employing an experimental design with repeated measures. To detect changes in RMA after a short rape myth education …

Differential Well-Being In Response To Incivility And Surface Acting Among Nurses As A Function Of Race, Lauren Sarah Park

Dissertations and Theses

Demand for healthcare services is rising dramatically as the proportion of older adults in the United States increases, and the success of these healthcare organizations depends on cooperation among patients, doctors, and nurses. These interpersonal interactions come with costs associated with managing one's emotions in ways that are in line with completing job tasks effectively, especially as past research has demonstrated that nurses are likely to experience and respond to incivility, and nurses of minority backgrounds even moreso. This study examines the effect of experiencing incivility on engaging in surface acting, or simulating emotions that are not actually felt; how …

Effects Of Fan Cooling At Room Temperature On Indoor 20-Km Cycling Time Trial Performance, Matthew Bloom

Dissertations and Theses

Aim: The primary purpose of this study was to examine effects of a fan-induced airflow at standard room temperature (20-23°C) on 20-km cycling time trial performance. A secondary purpose was to investigate two fan speeds and whether a difference in performance existed with increased fan speed in intermediate duration indoor cycling tests.

Methods: Seven trained cyclists completed three 20-km cycling time trials under three conditions in a randomized crossover design. The 3 conditions were: 1) control (no fan), 2) low speed fan, and 3) high speed fan.

Results: A tendency for modest decreases in time to completion (TTC) were noted …

Research & Strategic Partnerships: Quarterly Review, Volume 5, Issue 1, Portland State University. Research & Strategic Partnerships

Portland State Research Magazine

This issue of the Research Review highlights some of the research PSU faculty and students are exploring:

• How microplastics and chemicals used in forest management regimes affect species living in the state’s estuarine and nearshore environments;
• Whether we can store thermal energy generated during the summer months in saline aquifers deep below the region for use during the winter;
• How community partnerships at Southeast Portland’s Earl Boyles Elementary School can improve school readiness and achievement;
• How much food Oregonians waste and why;
• Historical patterns of housing discrimination in the city, and
• How to launch a nanosatellite that will support STEM …

Are Private Universities Exempt From Student Concerns About Textbook Costs? A Survey Of Students At American University, Lindsay Renee Murphy, David Rose

Office of Academic Innovation Publications

A survey conducted in the fall of 2015 at American University in Washington, DC shows that rising textbook prices similarly affect students at an expensive private university as those at community colleges and state schools. Research on high textbook costs that has demonstrated corollary unwanted behavior changes in students, including not purchasing the book, resorting to illegal online downloads, and poor study habits, were confirmed at American University as well. Solutions that have been proposed to this problem of prohibitive textbook prices, including Open Educational Resources (OER), could have an equally profound impact at American University, and potentially similar private …