Digital Commons Network^™

Advancing Rationality With Sustainability: An Analysis Of Agent-Based Simulation, Osman Goktug Tanrikulu

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

Today, falling trends of species and ecosystem in the world due to overconsumption and destruction of natural resources are at critical levels. It is vital for humanity to operate with sustainable and resilient modes of production and consumption. In this regard, this paper examines the basic premise of rationality and introduces sustainability as an advancement to the theoretical concept of rationality. Thus, a rational mindset and a sustainable mindset are compared under depletion of environmental resources. The understanding of rationality in the analysis is based on Garett Hardin’s (1968) ‘the tragedy of the commons’ model, in which actors are self-interested …

Symposium On Homelessness, Jan Roberson, Taylor Campi, Alexandre Pomar, Molly Harvis, Matthew Ulsh, Julia Taylor, Amanda Rapinchuk, Aaron Kaufman

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

On May 19, 2017, the Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs cohosted a symposium to address the pervasive issue of homelessness as it pertained to the city of Portland, Oregon and its greater metropolitan area. Included are the papers presented at the symposium.

African American Teacher Recruitment: A Case Study In Oregon, Deborah Miller Allen

Dissertations and Theses

The public school teacher population of the United States is predominantly White, while the demographics of P-12 student population continue to grow increasingly diverse. Across the nation, there has been a call for the recruitment and retention of culturally and linguistically diverse teachers. The state of Oregon passed the Oregon Educator Equity Act, originally called the Oregon Minority Teacher Act, in 1991, and with recent renewed attention, the preparation of more culturally and linguistically diverse teachers in the state has gained prominence. Refocused consideration to the lack of diversity in the teaching workforce is overdue, as evidenced by the low …

Youth Who Commit Sexual Offenses: Tensions Between Public Perception, Legislative Barriers, And Research Findings, Jesse Turner

University Honors Theses

The juvenile justice system was founded on the beliefs that youth were inherently different from adults, both in the crimes they committed and how they were treated within society, and thus deserved to be punished differently. The court's job was to act as a sort of parent and always in the best interest of the child. Within this empathetic system, there has always been a fundamental misunderstanding of youth who commit sexual offenses and today those misunderstandings are incredibly detrimental to adjudicated youth and society at large. We believe that these youth are dangerous predators, that they will continue to …

Middle School Teacher Beliefs About Classroom Diversity And Their Influence On Differentiated Instructional Practices, Marcus Fredrick-Lynn Wenzel

Dissertations and Theses

Diversity across U.S. classrooms is on the rise which is leading to renewed calls for teachers to meet individual learning needs. Studies indicate the failure to address individual learning needs can lead to higher rates of student disengagement, off-task behaviors, and diminished learning outcomes. Differentiated instruction is an approach to teaching that meets the growing diversity of individual learning needs by considering students' readiness, interest, and learning styles. Differentiated instructional approaches help teachers meet individual learning needs by allowing them to modify instruction as needed. However, despite the apparent benefits of differentiated instruction, teachers are hesitant to abandon other educational …

Rural Interprofessional Health Care Education: A Study Of Student Perspectives, Curt Carlton Stilp

Dissertations and Theses

As the cost for health care delivery increases, so does the demand for access to care. However, individuals in a rural community often do not have access to the care they need. Shortages of rural health care professionals are an ever-increasing problem. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 sought to increase health care access by focusing on team-based care delivery. Thus, the need to educate health care students in the fundamentals of team-based practice has led to an increased emphasis on Interprofessional Education (IPE). While past research focused on urban IPE, a literature gap exists for the effects of a …

Discrimination And Health: Sleep And Racism-Related Vigilance In Wave 5 Of Americans' Changing Lives Study, Jennifer Werekeitzen

University Honors Theses

The present study focuses on racial discrimination, sleep, and vigilance from Wave 5 of the Americans' Changing Lives study. From previous literature we know that stress and sleep are related; the more stress present, the more sleeping problems. It follows then that if anticipation of discrimination (vigilance) is the manifestation of stress related to racism, then vigilant individuals will have a harder time sleeping. Our hypothesis is that Black Americans’ vigilance levels will be negatively correlated with their sleep quality such that lower vigilance levels will indicate higher sleep quality. The results supported our hypothesis suggesting that Black Americans who …

Evolution Of An Introductory Electrical Engineering And Programming Course, Branimir Pejcinovic, Phillip Wong

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Our first year electrical engineering sequence includes two courses that involve programming and hardware interfacing. ECE 102 deals with engineering problem solving and MATLAB, while ECE 103 introduces C programming. We use MATLAB both as a problem solving tool and as an introduction to programming. Students utilize MATLAB to control a data acquisition device, which enables more realistic team-based projects that combine problem-solving, programming, and interfacing. As is widely recognized, these types of courses are important and difficult to teach. We identified areas that needed improvement in ECE 102: a) outdated lecture format, b) not enough timely feedback, c) insufficient …

An Item-Response Theory Approach To Safety Climate Measurement: The Liberty Mutual Safety Climate Short Scales, Yueng-Hsiang Huanga, Jin Lee, Zhuo Chen, Mackenna Laine Perry, Janelle H. Chung, Mo Wang

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Zohar and Luria’s (2005) safety climate (SC) scale, measuring organization- and group- level SC each with 16 items, is widely used in research and practice. To improve the utility of the SC scale, we shortened the original full-length SC scales. Item response theory (IRT) analysis was conducted using a sample of 29,179 frontline workers from various industries. Based on graded response models, we shortened the original scales in two ways: (1) selecting items with above-average discriminating ability (i.e. offering more than 6.25% of the original total scale information), resulting in 8-item organization-level and 11-item group-level SC scales; and (2) selecting …

Profiles Of School Readiness And Implications For Children's Development Of Academic, Social, And Engagement Skills, Elizabeth Jane Tremaine

Dissertations and Theses

Academic achievement gaps across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups are apparent as soon as children enter kindergarten: racial minorities, Hispanics, and poor children begin school at a distinct disadvantage compared to their White peers from middle- and high-income families (Chatterji, 2005; Fryer, Jr. & Levitt, 2004; Magnuson, Meyers, Ruhm, & Waldfogel, 2004; Magnuson & Waldfogel, 2005; Reardon, 2011). To understand these gaps at kindergarten entry, it is essential that researchers understand the skills with which children enter kindergarten.

Previous research on school readiness has been limited by variable-centered methods that separate components of school readiness (e.g., early academic skills, social …

Abstinence-Only Sex Education In The United States: How Abstinence Curricula Have Harmed America, Moira N. Lynch

University Honors Theses

Abstinence-only sex education has been a prominent form of reproductive health information for adolescents in the United States. Abstinence-only sex education programs often provide data that is incorrect or factually misleading, even though they are funded with federal dollars. Because of the dated and biased information presented in abstinence-only classrooms, gender stereotypes are reinforced to base women’s worth on their sexuality, traditional marriage is touted as the paramount societal norm, and groups such as LGBQT are marginalized. Facets of abstinence-only programs such as virginity pledges do not demonstrate success in preventing premarital sexual intercourse, but may lead to adverse outcomes …

The Power Of The Court: Racial Discrimination As Evidenced Through Supreme Court Decisions After 1954, Marry A. Karam

University Honors Theses

This thesis reviews the way in which Supreme Court cases address racial discrimination from 1954 to 2014 and the impact that these decisions have had on society and politics. The focus will be on four monumental decisions: Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), Loving v. Virginia (1967), Batson v. Kentucky (1986), and Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action (2014). It is evident through an analysis of the cases and similar literature, that the Supreme Court has been striving to address the issue of racial injustice in a manner that assists the fight for equal rights. Although the …

Adolescents In The Emergency Room: Assessing And Addressing Suicide Risk, Kahae C. Sellars

University Honors Theses

While research supports that teenagers are at an elevated risk for suicide, services to prevent and treat suicidality often do not meet the needs of this population. This is especially true when considering youth who engage in psychiatric emergency treatment, given that the most likely predictor of suicide is a past suicide attempt. This thesis will review theoretical foundations of suicidality and connect those theories to the current literature surrounding specific risk factors for suicide for adolescents. An understanding of these theories and risk factors will then be used to propose a model for potential improvements in emergency room suicide …

Is Ecotourism An Outdated Solution To Orangutan Conservation In Sabah, Malaysian Borneo?, Ellis E. Thompson

University Honors Theses

Since its inception, ecotourism has been presented as an ideal way to raise money and awareness for conservation while at the same time benefitting local communities. In the early 1960's, orangutan rehabilitation centers in Malaysia and Indonesia began to integrate tourism into their fundraising efforts in order to reintroduce ex-captive orangutans back into the wild and provide education on the conservation of the species. This early integration of tourism led to a widely popular industry that today is thriving. The present research provides a review of the history and current perspectives of traditional orangutan tourism and the more novel wild …

The Queer Innocence Of James Baldwin In Giovanni's Room, Grace C. Carroll

University Honors Theses

I am investigating a "queer innocence" which I read through Baldwin's novel Giovanni's Room. The queerness of it comes from its refusal to remain tied to childhood, to the past. I will be examining the factors which traditionally are figured oppositionally to innocence: shame, guilt, knowledge and desire. By representing a loss of innocence as "perpetually recurring," Baldwin frames innocence itself as repetitive. It is not something which is simply lost, it can be found again. If the novel is suggesting that innocence is not just to be lost, but to be found and experienced again, then how do …

Skin In The Game: Voter Preference On The Subject Of Bi-Racial Candidate Skin-Tone, Daniel A. Vandehey

University Honors Theses

In Caruso et al. (2009), the researchers determine that if a participant liked a bi-racial (one black parent and one white parent) male candidate the participant was more inclined to prefer a photograph of him in which he appears to have a lighter complexion. Caruso et al. explain the results through the lens of a shade-based account of implicit association. This approach does not explore other possible explanations, which presented an opportunity. Therefore, this study extends the research conducted in Caruso et al. (2009) in an attempt to test for the presence or absence of inclusion motivation as a mediating …

Oregon Wasted Food Study: Measurement, Motivations And Opportunities To Waste Less Food, Laura Moreno, Christa Mcdermott, Doc Billings

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality partnered with Portland State University’s Community Environmental Services to conduct a five-part study on wasted food generation in the State of Oregon. The main research objectives for this study are:

• Understand the informational, psychological, socio-economic, and structural drivers that contribute to the generation of preventable wasted food;
• Collect reliable data on wasted edible food, including loss reasons and reporting biases; and
• Provide the state, cities, counties, and consumer-facing businesses, such as grocery retailers and restaurants, with basic methods of establishing their own wasted food baselines and assessing shifts in waste prevention behaviors or levels …

Does Participation In High Risk Behaviors Create More Intimate Adolescent Friendships?, Hayden Babby

University Honors Theses

This study seeks to understand adolescent participation in high risk behaviors and if participation in these behaviors leads to more intimate adolescent friendships. Homophily, the tendency to seek associations with others who are similar to ourselves, and the fear of rejection are both possible causes for the relationship between these variables. Due to a research gap between these two, this study utilizes previous research to construct a survey that can be used to measure and quantify high risk behaviors and friendships.

Hookup Culture In Gay Men: An Application Of Minority Stress Model, Just World Belief, And Attachment Style On Interpersonal Relationship Choices, Kyle M. Lufkin

University Honors Theses

This paper focuses on applying three inter-/intrapersonal theories to the gay male hookup culture. Through the application of attachment theory, the minority stress model, and the just world belief (including the self-fulfilling prophecy), this literary analysis takes key components from each theory to examine the interplay between them and the effects that they have on gay men socially, behaviorally, and emotionally, and whether or not these effects contribute to engagement in the hookup culture and their contribution to other relationship patterns. It is hoped that this application and analysis will lead to further research in this area to help …

Distance Learning In Physics: An Investigation Of Possible Benefits To Female Students In An Online Laboratory Environment, Caitlin Marie J. Kepple

University Honors Theses

As the online class format becomes more popular, many see this as an opportunity to study how those who are typically underrepresented in the classroom may benefit from an online setting. In particular, the field of physics is well known for having a major gender disparity even at the undergraduate level. Recent literature suggests that female students may actually prefer online classes in physics, although studies have not found online classes to demonstrate any particular performance increase when comparing to those who take the class on-campus. This study uses data from introductory physics laboratories at Portland State University during the …

How To Address Music Performance Anxiety (Mpa): An Explorative Study, Jing Kappes

University Honors Theses

This thesis is an explorative study of different treatment methods for Music Performance Anxiety (MPA). Five treatments were chosen: Centering, Self-talk and Confidence, Focus and Concentration, Visualization, and Exposure. Treatments were applied to specific pieces in preparation for recital. The goal was to find what treatments may be useful in combating MPA.

Reducing Stigma Associated With Schizophrenia, James Reling

University Honors Theses

I examine stigma associated with schizophrenia and how psychiatric diagnosis, mental health professionals, the criminal justice system, and society ostracize and contribute to the suffering of approximately three million Americans. I doubt schizophrenia’s conceptualization as a progressively deteriorating biological disease and present the social conditions that accumulate stress for the individual and lead to psychotic episodes. I argue that schizophrenia cannot be understood as a “thing," but as a complex system of numerous variables contributing to a system of disorder resulting from prejudiced attitudes, discriminatory social-structural conditions, and unjust treatment of human beings needing extra resources to thrive. Ultimately, I …

How Online Social Media Persona Affects Personal Identity And Self, Marlon Jovi S. Valencia

University Honors Theses

Through empirical means and introspection, this paper deals with the question: What does it take for a person to persist from moment to moment, for the same person to exist at different moments? The argument being made is that our online social media persona is one and the same with our personal identity. This paper touches on theories of continuity of body / substance and continuity of consciousness and how they are related to social networking sites. This paper offers discourse on the empirical means taken, discussing the various means of social media / social networking sites, particularly YouTube, in …

Sexual Assault Prevention On College Campuses And The Need To Include Lgbtq Students, Noor Ayesh

University Honors Theses

By looking at three prevention models: Male Peer Support, Bystander Intervention and Feminist Self-Defense and Resistance Training, this thesis should provide a framework for Universities to include all students who have experienced sexual violence. This thesis has a focus on inducing the LGBTQ community who has experienced sexual violence, and work towards decreasing the sexual assault rates on college campus. Furthermore, providing a safe and supportive environment for everyone to obtain higher education, by providing recommendations for how to make models more inclusive, in meeting needs of LGBTQ community on college campuses.

The Relationship Of Neighborhood Factors, Parental Behaviors And Peer Relations And Their Effects On Delinquency, Eric Naramore

University Honors Theses

In this work, we tried to gain a further understanding of the relationship between neighborhood factors, parenting behaviors, and peer relations and how these interactions influence the behavior of youth. We wanted to see if these influences affect the likelihood of delinquency in adolescents. We based our work on previous research conducted in the study of “Relations Between Neighborhood Factors, Parenting Behaviors, Peer Deviance, and Delinquency Among Serious Juvenile Offenders” by He Len Chung and Laurence Steinburg. We collected our data for our research from the National Longitudinal Survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

We found that there was …

Learning Assessment Of Accuracy Of Learning Between Musicians And Nonmusicians, Emily M. Drapela

University Honors Theses

The relationship between music and brain physiological changes have been explored extensively. Research has identified how music has played a positive role in recovery from traumatic brain injury, learning different languages, and refining skills. However, there has been a lack of research regarding the relationship between music and the accuracy of learning. In this study, we have performed an assessment of learning comparing five college-age musicians and five college-age nonmusicians. We did not find a significant difference between groups, perhaps due to the small sample size, the lack of specificity in type of instrumentation, or specific musical experience characteristics. Results …

To Love A Highly Sensitive Person: A Theoretical Study On Romantic Relationships And Sensitivity, Rose Sherman

University Honors Theses

The Highly Sensitive Person was a term first established by Dr. Elaine Aron in the 1990's that distinguished the experience of individuals with Sensory Processing Sensitivity, a neurological but neutral, psychological trait. The current population of Highly Sensitive People (HSP) makes up 15 to 20 percent of the population and interacts within 36 percent of romantic relationships. In this body of theoretical research, I outline the ways in which Highly Sensitive qualities affect committed, romantic, monogamous relationships by firstly determining the borders of what defines an HSP, then what makes a "successful" romantic relationship and the constraints of such a …

Elucidating Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Review Of Diagnostic Research, Jason K. Koch

University Honors Theses

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by a level of cognitive impairment that is lower than normal for a person's age, but higher functioning than a demented person. In the majority of cases people with mild cognitive impairment revert back to normal cognitive functioning. However MCI often evolves into other more serious etiologies such as but not limited to: Alzheimer’s, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. Much effort has been made in determining the prognosis of a person with mild cognitive impairment. While treatment options are still in their exploratory stages (much of the work in this area has …

Rape Myth Acceptance Among Adolescent Males – How To Integrate Components Of Preventative Sexual Assault Programs Into Sex Education, Alexandra M. Munford

University Honors Theses

Rape and sexual assault have become two of the most prevalent forms of violent crime in the United States. Among all cases of sexual assault and rape, college-aged females are by far the most victimized group. Interventions within the field have focused on college male’s adherence to rape myths with the belief that changing these attitudes may decrease the prevalence of sexually violent behavior. Because of this, college campuses have become the primary target of intervention with preventative sexual assault programs (PSAPs) as a common method of delivering this education. However, the delivery of these interventions has the potential to …

Contemporary Attitudes Towards The Senpai-Kōhai Relationship, Michiko Yoshinaga

University Honors Theses

The importance of the senpai-kōhai 'senior-junior' relationship is of utmost importance to the working of Japanese society starting from a young age. Children become conscious of the relationship most earnestly in junior high school and quickly become socialized to adhere to rules regarding appropriate behavior and language use and duties. My research attempts to shed light on contemporary attitudes towards the senpai-kōhai relationship by addressing the overarching question "what are contemporary attitudes toward the senpai-kōhai relationship?" I also address the subtopics of importance of the relationship, evidence of ambivalence, consciousness, and how the relationship is perceived to …