Digital Commons Network^™

Gender And Task Alignment Influences The Credibility Of Feminine But Not Masculine Ai Conversational Assistants, Joana Videira, David Deandrea

Human-Machine Communication

The present study investigated how the perceived gender of AI conversational assistants and the tasks they perform combine to influence perceptions of AI competence, trustworthiness, and goodwill (i.e., credibility). Participants evaluated AI assistants that appeared female or male and varied in the task they performed (stereotypically feminine or masculine task). Findings did not support an overall preference for female AI assistants over male AI assistants. Rather, perceived AI gender interacted with gender stereotypes associated with the task performed to affect perceptions of AI credibility. Notably, AI perceived to be very feminine had the highest credibility when performing stereotypically feminine tasks …

University Of Central Florida Undergraduate Catalog, 2025-2026, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Cooperation, Collaboration, And Community In Horror And Suspense Games, Rachel Kerr, Monica Evans, Cameron Irby, Cheri Tang

ELO (un)supervised 2026

Cooperation has been a staple in video and analog games since their inception. From couch co-op to social deduction games, there are few games that cannot be enjoyed cooperatively in some way. Even games that are not inherently cooperative can be played collaboratively, from single-player games enjoyed by multiple people in the same room to PvP games where players opt for teamwork despite explicitly competitive mechanics. In horror and suspense games, cooperation tends to form strong communicative bonds between players. The four papers in this panel examine how communities form in and around horror and suspense games, and how those …

Governing Algorithmic Attention: Attention Safeguard Models And The Cognitive Attentional Standard As System Level Interventions In Human Computer Interaction, Behavioral Economics, And Artificial Intelligence, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

Algorithmic recommendation systems and interface designs shape attention by combining visually salient cues with uncertain reward timing and low friction interaction. These conditions can sustain anticipatory checking, extend time on task, and reduce natural disengagement points through patterns such as infinite scrolling and autoplay. This paper synthesizes research across neuroscience, human computer interaction, behavioral economics, and artificial intelligence to argue that attention capture is a predictable outcome of incentive driven design rather than an individual failure of self regulation. It advances the Attention Safeguard Models and the Cognitive Attentional Standard as system level interventions that regulate exposure conditions, pacing, and …

Supporting Lgbtq Youth Through A Cross-Cultural Lens Of Wellbeing, Correna Bartow

UN SDG Open Pedagogy Faculty Fellowship: Renewable Assignments

No abstract provided.

Arriving With The Five Senses: Resilient Whole Being In The Classroom, Mitra Emad

Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository

Using a simple sensory arrival exercise to welcome and orient students to the learning environment encourages a whole being wellbeing approach to learning. Moving through each of the five senses as a way to fully arrive “in class” promotes self-regulation and engagement. In online environments, this exercise gives students an opportunity to settle into a familiar space, as well as to engage with that familiarity in ways that “render the familiar strange,” enhancing curiosity and opening up engagement with the course materials and learning experiences that follow.

Listening To The Cemí: An Exploration Of Taíno Spirituality Culture Through Artifact Analysis And Digital Archives, Jordan G. Richardson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

My research explores the evolution and continuity of Taíno spirituality culture across five centuries through artifact analysis and digital archives. While Spanish imperialism in the 15th century devastated Taíno populations and traditional craft production, I find that Taíno spirituality was not eradicated but rather adapted its mode of expression. The shift in medium from primarily pre- and peri- physical cemí artifacts (carved from wood and stone) to contemporary digital representations (online archives, blog posts, YouTube videos) illustrates two things: a) strategic integration of Taíno technological use to preserve spiritual practices while reestablishing cultural connectivity through education, community, and resistance movements, …

Performing Brazilian Identity: The Cultural Politics Of Carmen Miranda, Nicole M. Pineiro Serrano

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This honors undergraduate thesis examines how Carmen Miranda’s performances shaped Brazilian national identity in both Brazilian cinema and Hollywood in the mid-twentieth century. Through film analysis, historical research, and cultural theory, the study examines Miranda’s public persona and the symbolic significance of the Baiana costume, with respect to Brazil’s Estado Novo regime, and Hollywood’s own depictions of Latin America. Overall, it argues that Miranda’s image functioned as a site of cultural negotiation, where Brazilian cultural expression met Hollywood’s exoticizing portrayals, but the encounter did not always stay as a fixed stereotype. The study also examines the tensions between authenticity, commodification, …

Resources And Coping Strategies In Adverse Work Situations: A Person-Centered Approach, Chad Yagey

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The resilience process model highlights an approach to how people mobilize their resources to cope and positively adapt in the face of adversity. Leveraging Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and the Work Home Resources Model (WHRM), I aim to uncover the extent to which resilience capacity (resources) and resilience enactment (coping) influence outcomes of resilience, offering one of the first empirical tests of the resilience process model. Specifically, COR theory posits that the more psychological resources someone has, the more successful they are in coping. I challenge this notion by examining whether specific profiles of the combination of resources available …

“How Far Do These Roots Go Down”: An Exploration Of Latinx And Latina Fans On Representation In Disney's Encanto, Noemi Nunez

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

In this dissertation, I examine how Latinx and Latina audiences engaged with and interpreted Disney’s 2021 Encanto, an animated film celebrated for its representation of Colombian and broader Latinx culture. While scholarship on Latinx representation in media has expanded, less attention has been given to how Latinx audiences themselves respond to narratives that are meant to represent them, particularly within fan studies. Focusing on both a broader Latinx fan community and first-generation Latinas in the United States, this project explores how audiences negotiate representation and recognition using Encanto as a media text that centered a Latinx story. Drawing from …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Youtube-Based Dietary Messaging On Type 2 Diabetes For South Asians, Sukhmani K. Dhaliwal

Honors Undergraduate Theses

While South Asians experience a disproportionately high risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), culturally tailored dietary guidance remains limited within healthcare settings. As digital platforms increasingly serve as sources of health information, YouTube has grown as a prominent space for the publishing and consumption of dietary advice. This study examines how diet-related messaging about T2DM is communicated in YouTube videos directed at South Asian populations.

Using qualitative thematic analysis, 21 videos published between 2016 and 2025 by influencers with a wide reach were analyzed. Videos were selected based on relevance to South Asian audiences, focus on dietary management of …

Switching Languages, Switching Personalities: The Socio-Cognitive Implications Of Bilingualism, Hannah F. Stern

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The increasing prevalence of bilingualism worldwide highlights the importance of further research into its impact on socio-cognitive processes. This study examines variations in personality traits, anxiety levels, locus of control, and cognitive load during language switching, utilizing cultural and visual-linguistic priming techniques to explore real-time socio-cognitive shifts across language contexts. A 2×3 mixed-factorial design compared language groups (monolingual vs. bilingual) across three priming conditions (semantic, cultural, and control). 120 participants completed a series of subjective and objective measures, including the Big Five Personality Inventory, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, and Rotter’s I-E Scale in both languages, with controlled language-specific priming conditions …

Adapting Dramaturgical Pedagogy Into A Practical Framework For Young Dramaturgs, Kirby Lee

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Dramaturgy, while more established as practice in professional theatre, remains inconsistently applied and often underutilized in university theatre contexts. Despite its historical significance and continued evolution, some theatre companies and many academic institutions still struggle to clearly define or effectively integrate the dramaturg’s role. This thesis hopes to create a framework for novice dramaturgs by examining the origins and development of dramaturgy, analyzing its shifting functions in contemporary theatre, offering my own dramaturgical experiences through the lens of three quite different plays and finally, establishing basic principles of the discipline. Beyond its historical and professional contexts, this study investigates the …

Reflection In Still Waters: Generative Ai's Production Of Language, Jonathan D. Hawks

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Language is a conceptual process of meaning-making as well as a social construction as defined by Saussure, Bakhtin, and Lacan. Large Language Models (LLMs) engage with neither process and instead present language as a finished and consumable product which undermines its fundamental aspects. The difference between representing language through probability and its structural components instead of its more inherent qualities is not a pointless distinction. This paper utilizes Narcissus as a central metaphor to show how people misread the outputs of LLMs as language which imparts to those reflected words meaning on par with our own conceptualizations of reality. People …

Marine Ecosystem Services Disruption And Social Violence, Rafael Hurtado-Valdivieso

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Over the past century, human activities have profoundly altered ocean and coastal ecosystems, significantly impacting communities whose livelihoods depend on these environments. This dissertation explores how disruptions in marine ecosystem services contribute to the emergence of social violence in coastal communities, with a specific focus on the Colombian Caribbean. While prior research suggests a potential link between environmental degradation and conflict, empirical evidence remains limited and inconclusive. This study addresses that gap through a multi-method, interdisciplinary approach that integrates environmental science, political science, and computational modeling to examine the mechanisms linking ecosystem disruption to social violence.

The research follows a …

'How To Mother': Televisual Reimaginings Of Black Matriarchy In The Real Housewives Of Potomac, Kalijah Rahming

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Since the initial launch of The Real Housewives of Orange County in 2006, Bravo’s The Real Housewives franchise has soared to previously unimaginable heights. With 11 American installments, 30 international adaptations, and 25 current spin-offs, it is clear that even viewers who are relatively unfamiliar with The Real Housewives franchise may find themselves inadvertently swept up in their world due to the popularization of their catchphrases and gifs on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. In addition to carefully shaping popular culture, members of this franchise have even altered the conditions of the entertainment industry’s practices for the …

Creating An Archive From Colonial Records: Representations Of The Caribbean In British Periodicals, 1750-1930, Natalie B. Herman

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The periodization of Caribbean literature is a highly contested topic. Much of this periodization problem relates to the question of what should be included in this category of Caribbean literature, a question that became particularly pertinent during the postcolonial era. Many studies of Caribbean literature have traced its supposed origins to the period of the early to mid-twentieth century when many Caribbean territories were well on their way to postcolonial independence while disregarding works produced during the colonial period as they were considered to favor colonialism. Through examining how Caribbean literature appeared in the pre-1950 period, research conducted for the …

Irish Environmental Humanities, Emily Reiff

James Joyce Literary Supplement

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Experience Of Heart Disease Among Burmese Immigrants In The United States, Khup S. It

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The ongoing political and military turmoil in Myanmar has resulted in a significant increase in the migration of Burmese individuals to the United States in recent years. This demographic shift has brought attention to the health challenges faced by Burmese immigrants, particularly with regard to heart disease (heart attack). The complexities of the U.S. healthcare system, compounded by legal and social barriers, place immigrants at greater risk for health disparities. This study examines the health challenges of Burmese immigrants in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a specific focus on their perceptions and experiences related to heart disease, as explored through illness narratives. …

The Sociological Engagement In John Coltrane's A Love Supreme: Examining The Impacts Of Race, Music, And Culture In Video-Based Learning Amongst College Students, Kinyel K. Ragland Sr.

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This project consists primarily of the interest in Video Based Learning (VBL) and understanding the impacts of a video based on the connections between John Coltrane’s song Acknowledgement on the Jazz suite A Love Supreme to the Civil Rights movement and systemic racism. Research confirms that VBL has an impact on student learning, yet this project finds that because of the content of the video, it fits into scholarship where there are gaps. The methodological approach, which was qualitative, found that students were overall enlightened, entertained, and were interested in learning more. Other findings include suggestions and recommendations for future …

Cultural Competence In Pre-Medical Education: Examining Preparedness For Cross-Cultural Care, Fiza N. Khan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

As the U.S. population continues to grow more diverse, there is an urgent need for future healthcare providers to develop strong cultural competence. This study investigates undergraduate pre-medical students’ knowledge, attitudes, and comfort levels toward caring for diverse patient populations, including immigrants, refugees, and individuals from varied cultural backgrounds. The goal was to assess how well students are prepared to provide culturally responsive care before entering medical school. Recognizing that the foundation for medical training begins at the undergraduate level, this study aims to identify specific gaps in readiness that may hinder equitable patient care in the future.

A modified …

Cognitive Impairment And Depression In Hispanic And Non-Hispanic White Low-Income Older Adults A Cross-Sectional Study, Cecil Latta

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hispanic older adults represent a growing population in the United States and may be disproportionately affected by cognitive impairment and depression. We theorize that cognitive impairment would be more prevalent in the older Hispanic community and would affect the levels of depression in both Hispanic and non-Hispanic Whites older adults. This cross-sectional study examined the association between cognitive impairment and depression in 157 older adults, including Hispanic (n = 91, 57.96%, age: M = 76.4, SD = 6.8) and non-Hispanic White (n = 66, 42.04%, age: M = 76.2, SD = 6.5). We used the Memory Impairment Screen to assess …

Ableism Under The Veil Of Ignorance: Does Rawls Render Justice To The Disabled?, Marina T. Habib

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis focuses on Rawls’ neglect of disabled people in A Theory of Justice. Rawls claims that disabled people are too complicated for this theory and thus depriving them of their equality. This thesis looks at how other scholars have approached Rawls’ claim. This is meant for advanced undergraduates and new graduate students in political science, political theory/philosophy, and philosophy, who are likely being first introduced to Rawls or have never heard of him before. These students are the future of our society, and they will make a change in the future. This thesis serves to educate them on Rawls’ …

Examining The Association Between Perceived Stigma And Mental Health Help-Seeking Behavior Among Racial/Ethnic Minority Students In Health Professions Education, Camila A. Agurto

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Racial and ethnic minority (REM) students in health professions programs in the U.S. have considerable mental health issues. Still, they are less likely to access mental health services when compared to their White peers. The stigma they face, such as —public stigma, self-stigma, or intersectional stigma, may serve as a barrier to help-seeking. Although there is increasing recognition of the barriers to mental health care experienced by these students, there is no systematic understanding of how perceived stigma associated with mental health issues affects mental health help-seeking by REM students enrolled in health professions education. This systematic literature review aims …

Cultural Barriers To Mental Health Support: Exploring Stigma In Childhood Trauma Survivors In Aruba, Ralitsa I.C. Hart

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study explored whether negative attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help among people in Aruba who reported experiencing childhood trauma were predicted by perceived social stigma and the intensity of the trauma. An online survey measuring childhood trauma, attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help, and perceived stigma was administered to 162 participants using a cross-sectional correlational design. To determine the predictive relationship among these variables, a multiple regression analysis was performed. Results showed that perceived stigma significantly predicted more negative attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help, while the severity of childhood trauma did not. Among the trauma subscales, emotional abuse …

Trust In Ephemeral Content In Social Media Platforms: A Mixed-Method Approach Examining Online Users’ Privacy Concerns In The Case Of Snapchat, Ream Al-Ghamdi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study investigated privacy management practices on ephemeral social media platforms, with a particular focus on Snapchat, Yik Yak, and Instagram Reels. It utilized a mixed-method approach, integrating an analysis of privacy policy terms with empirical data obtained through a quantitative survey of 346 US university students, including Saudi students studying in the United States and their American counterparts, as well as qualitative insights from in-depth interviews. Privacy policies were systematically evaluated across critical dimensions, including first-party data collection, third-party data sharing, user privacy controls, data retention practices, and compliance with international regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and Saudi Arabia's …

Survivors Speak: Social Media's Influence On The Troubled Teen Industry, Jessica Hoffman

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study focused on a three-year span of Twitter/X public tweets and discussions shared on the topic, The Troubled Teen Industry (TTI). Using the social listening tool Sprinklr, 7,743 public tweets were gathered on the matter and dissected to understand the influence the online conversation had on real-world changes in the industry. Narrowing down the initial 7,743 tweets to 2,447 applicable messages, this research analyzed the conversation surrounding the Troubled Teen Industry from the point of view of industry survivors and the role Paris Hilton and other influencers had on bringing the conversation to the digital space. The tweets meeting …

Analysis Of Queerness And Race In Black Lightning And Dctv Femslash, Rachel Marks

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

In this dissertation, I research issues of queer representation and race in the CW network’s DC television (DCTV) shows’ fandom by investigating femslash ships, or the fan pairing of female characters. To do this, I compare the femslash ship of the characters Anissa Pierce and Grace Choi (ThunderGrace), a canon multiracial couple from the CW television show Black Lightning, to three other DCTV femslash pairings: the characters Sara Lance and Ava Sharpe (Avalance), a canon white couple from the television show DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, the characters Alex Danvers and Kelly Olsen (Dansen), a canon multiracial couple from …

Netflix And The Platformization Of Film And Television Content Discovery, Jacob Boccio

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation investigates the Netflix streaming platform to better understand the platformization of film and television cultural production and content discovery. Building on platform studies and scholarship on platformization, this work contributes to the growing body of literature that critically examines the implications of digital platforms in reshaping cultural and creative industries. Using this framework, the dissertation explores how the evolution of content discovery mechanisms on Netflix affects the cultural production of the film and television industries. Chapter 1 frames Netflix as a platform within the platformization framework. Chapter 2 examines Netflix employees, who serve as gatekeepers by curating and …

Ghosts Moving From The Margins: Comparing Representations Of Migrants In Contemporary Italian Media, Madeline Grohowski

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis examines how two different cultural mediums produced by a prominent Italian director and a popular Italian musical artist engage with themes of immigration and diaspora and their impacts on Italian national identity. The works that I have selected represent a mix of well-known and emergent figures in Italian cultural life and its related discourses around immigration and identity from the last 20 years of Italian history. Focusing on director Emanuele Crialese’s film Terraferma (2011) and rapper and singer Ghali’s songs “Mamma” (2017) and “Bayna” (2022), I analyze how each work frames migration as a metaphorical haunting that engages …