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Nike's Corporate Social Advocacy (Csa) Practices As Related To Strategic Issues Management (Sim) And Threats To Organizational Legitimacy, Eve Heffron Jan 2019

Nike's Corporate Social Advocacy (Csa) Practices As Related To Strategic Issues Management (Sim) And Threats To Organizational Legitimacy, Eve Heffron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examined how corporate social advocacy (CSA) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts impacted perceptions of authenticity. Using an experimental survey, participants were randomly exposed to Nike's actions related to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement via mock-online news articles. Participants completed a survey that contained Likert-type scale items regarding attitudes (perceived corporate intent, perceived authenticity, brand trust, and brand credibility) and behavioral intentions (word of mouth intentions (WOM), and purchase intention (PI)). Results indicated that positive attitudes significantly increased when Nike implemented an action step after taking a public stance on a controversial social-political issue. Further, results revealed …


The Unacceptable Rise: An Investigation Of School Shootings In The United States, Tracy Gulliford Jan 2019

The Unacceptable Rise: An Investigation Of School Shootings In The United States, Tracy Gulliford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study examined teachers' understanding of risk factors and characteristics of potential perpetrators of school shootings, as well as the steps to take when they are identified in students. Participants completed a survey that contained Likert-type scale items regarding self efficacy and open-ended questions regarding school violence experiences. A mixed methods analysis revealed three primary conclusions. First, teachers have high levels of self-efficacy regarding the importance of and ability to deal effectively with troubled students. This conclusion suggests that teachers do internalize the relevance of this issue to them. Second, this study revealed a gap in terms of the …


The Role Of Risk Tolerance In Publics’ Health Risk Perception And Responses, Hyoyeun Jun, Yen-I Lee Jan 2019

The Role Of Risk Tolerance In Publics’ Health Risk Perception And Responses, Hyoyeun Jun, Yen-I Lee

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

To better understand how uncertainty influences publics’ risk perception and responses, this study introduced risk tolerance as a new concept to public relations literature and then investigated how publics react to health risks with different temporal distances: climate change and foodborne illness. Through an online survey, this study found out that uncertainty, induced by risk temporal distance, leads to varied risk tolerance, which subsequently influences where and how people seek and share risk information.


Priming The Pump: Does Providing Information Before A Crisis Communications Simulation Provide A Better Learning Experience?, Matt Tidwell Jan 2019

Priming The Pump: Does Providing Information Before A Crisis Communications Simulation Provide A Better Learning Experience?, Matt Tidwell

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

Many crisis communications educators use simulations as a means for students to test their learning in a controlled environment meant to simulate a real-life crisis using an (often hypothetical) organization. This project explores whether providing background and historical information about the organization days or weeks in advance of the simulation can enhance learning. Survey results of students exposed to this method as well as a traditional scenario approach (where all information is provided at once) showed that students preferred the advanced exposure method. The learning experience was judged to be superior overall. In addition, the recognition of understanding risks as …


Understanding Flu Vaccination Acceptance Among U.S. Adults: The Health Belief Model And Media Sources, Tong Xie, Connor Grady, Michael Cacciatore, Glen Nowak Jan 2019

Understanding Flu Vaccination Acceptance Among U.S. Adults: The Health Belief Model And Media Sources, Tong Xie, Connor Grady, Michael Cacciatore, Glen Nowak

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

Based on previous studies about the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the reinforcing relationship between media selectivity or preference and individual’s behavior, this study used a national representative adult sample to assess flu vaccination as the result of an appraisal of relevant health beliefs, trust towards the authoritative entities (e.g. CDC & FDA) and vaccine-related media information, in addition to one’s existing behavior pattern. Results showed that not-vaccinated individuals differ significantly in their vaccine-related health believes and the trust towards the authoritative information sources. This group acquired less recommendation from health care providers and more negative sentiments about flu vaccine …


Secondary Crisis Communication. A Question Of Actual Or Perceived Credibility?, Bengt Johansson Jan 2019

Secondary Crisis Communication. A Question Of Actual Or Perceived Credibility?, Bengt Johansson

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

An important aspect of crisis communication is secondary crisis communication, which focuses on how people communicate during a crisis. This study seeks to explore the mechanism of credibility in secondary crisis communication. Respondents in a large-scale experiment (N=2382) were exposed to a fictional news story about a terrorist attack and asked to what degree they would share the news story on social media. The design made it possible to test if the sharing of news stories was determined by its actual credibility (through the use of semiotic disclaimers in the news story), or by perceived credibility (the perceived credibility of …


Perceptions Of Risk Of Health Disparities Amid Previously Identified Political Corruption And Ageism In Slovakia, Marta N. Lukacovic, Deborah D. Sellnow-Richmond, Monika Durechova Jan 2019

Perceptions Of Risk Of Health Disparities Amid Previously Identified Political Corruption And Ageism In Slovakia, Marta N. Lukacovic, Deborah D. Sellnow-Richmond, Monika Durechova

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

This study examines the role of traditional versus new media’s impact on citizens’ perceptions of risk within elder care. We analyzed survey data from 112 Slovak citizens regarding their social network activity and perceptions of corruption, ageism, and health disparities in the Slovak elder care system. Previous research (Lukacovic, Sellnow-Richmond, & Durechova, under contract) identified three prominent sociopolitical issues present in the Slovak medical system among Slovak UGC discourse regarding Slovak healthcare inequity: corruption, threats to dignity, and discrimination. Here, we examined the extent to which social media users perceive the prevalence and subsequent risk of experiencing health disparities within …


Reputation Management Of Companies During Crises - A Case Study Of The Saudi Electricity Company, Ennas Alkedmn, Petya Eckler Jan 2019

Reputation Management Of Companies During Crises - A Case Study Of The Saudi Electricity Company, Ennas Alkedmn, Petya Eckler

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

No abstract provided.


A Pedagogical Reflection On Challenges Of Teaching Crisis Communication, Cory Young Jan 2019

A Pedagogical Reflection On Challenges Of Teaching Crisis Communication, Cory Young

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

No abstract provided.


This Isn't The Glue Factory: Tesco's Horse Meat Scandal - An Application Of Benoit's (1997) Image Repair Theory, Aaron Scott, Edward Meeker, Nikki Fung, Sofia Salazar Jan 2019

This Isn't The Glue Factory: Tesco's Horse Meat Scandal - An Application Of Benoit's (1997) Image Repair Theory, Aaron Scott, Edward Meeker, Nikki Fung, Sofia Salazar

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

No abstract provided.


Secondary Victimization Of Young Adult Female Sexual Assault Victims, Kristin M. Hunter Jan 2019

Secondary Victimization Of Young Adult Female Sexual Assault Victims, Kristin M. Hunter

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The response of community members and public institutions to the crimes of rape and sexual assault have been, historically, disappointing. Victims have felt forced into silence, ashamed to speak out about their experiences. More recently, with the rise of social media use and the #me-too movement, attention and interest has been garnered for this unique class of crimes and victims. It has been discovered that victims of sexual assault who report their assault to community members, police investigators, and health care workers are at risk of secondary victimization. This is a series of attitudes, behaviors, and practices that retraumatizes, shames, …


The Journey Of The Entrepreneur, Francesca Archbold Jan 2019

The Journey Of The Entrepreneur, Francesca Archbold

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This paper describes the process of being an entrepreneur who is a minority. The interviews and observations that were captured on camera can now be transformed into a documentary. This project was started to shed light on the struggle of being a an entrepreneur and to get a first-hand account of the high and lows of a business. It was found that everyone had similar reasons for starting the business although they had different products that were produced. In the end, this documentary will help others understand what it means to be a business owner, why entrepreneurship is important, and …


European Migration And The Far-Right: 2011-2017, Lauren Wilson Jan 2019

European Migration And The Far-Right: 2011-2017, Lauren Wilson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study investigates the relationship between the current migration crisis in Europe and the escalation of far-right voting which has been witnessed since it's beginning. In order to do so this study utilized correlation experiments and detailed case studies to explore the relationship between legislative vote shares and asylum applications for the years 2009-2017 in the EU member states of Hungary, Germany, France, Greece and the UK. Control variables of GDP, unemployment and terrorist attacks have also been utilized to measure alternative causes of far-right voting. Results of these experiments vary quite a bit from state to state - finding …


Evaluating Protective Behavior Strategy Intentions Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Dakota Sanchez Jan 2019

Evaluating Protective Behavior Strategy Intentions Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Dakota Sanchez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

OBJECTIVE: Amongst college students there exists a concerning trend towards problem drinking owed to the cultures on campus that support problem drinking habits. Several interventions are currently used to encourage students to drink wisely with the goal of decreasing this problem drinking and the consequences of these behaviors. The current study analyzes the intention to use Protective Behavior Strategies through the model suggested in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). METHOD: College student participants (N = 171) completed a web-based survey examining alcohol-related behaviors, intentions, and perceptions at the time of the survey and over the next four weeks. RESULTS …


Role Of Spatial Ability In Musical Instrument Choice: Implications For Music Education, Tevis L. Tucker Jan 2019

Role Of Spatial Ability In Musical Instrument Choice: Implications For Music Education, Tevis L. Tucker

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to explore the relationship between spatial ability and the wide range of musical instruments musicians play. Existing literature has established a link between musicianship and improved spatial ability, but researchers have yet to look at how the spatial makeup of different musical instruments may, in turn, reveal unique levels of spatial proficiency from one instrumentalist to the next. This study was formatted as an online survey that included a music experience scale, a demographics scale, and two measures of spatial ability: the Card Rotations Test (CRT) and the Paper Folding Test (PFT). Participants who …


Fabrication Of Polyelectrolyte Nanoparticles Through Hydrophobic Interaction, Ruginn Porce Catarata Jan 2019

Fabrication Of Polyelectrolyte Nanoparticles Through Hydrophobic Interaction, Ruginn Porce Catarata

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anticancer drugs like gemcitabine (GEM) are used to treat cancers such as, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the use of free gemcitabine yields challenges including cytotoxicity to healthy cells and poor circulation time. By encapsulating GEM in nanoparticles these challenges can be overcome. In this study poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)-GEM nanoparticles are fabricated by coupling GEM onto PAA. The particle formation is driven by the hydrophobic interaction of GEM, which collects in the core of the nanoparticle, forming a PAA shell. The nanoparticles were optimized by studying the PAA/GEM ratio and pH during fabrication. Characteristics of the nanoparticles including size, morphology …


Application And Comparison Of Active Learning Implementation Methods In Biochemistry Education, Dylan Thibaut Jan 2019

Application And Comparison Of Active Learning Implementation Methods In Biochemistry Education, Dylan Thibaut

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Biochemistry has continued to be one of the most complex and important subjects in science education. The purpose of this research is to investigate active learning implementation methods in a Biochemistry I context to determine the most effective means of preparing current science undergraduates. Two Biochemistry I classes over two semesters were analyzed in this study, with class A using a variable active learning schedule and class B using a consistent active learning schedule. Four aspects were analyzed to determine active learning validity: perception of different active learning properties, standardized final exam grades, class grade, and teaching implementation. The consistent …


Impact Of Work-Life Balance On Health-Related Quality Of Life Among College Students, Emily Vernet Jan 2019

Impact Of Work-Life Balance On Health-Related Quality Of Life Among College Students, Emily Vernet

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Work-life balance involves the management of work and social responsibilities. Specifically, it describes the ability to meet the demands of multiple roles involving academics, social, personal, and professional life. Literature has shown that there is an increasing number of students who are working while taking classes at a university. Previous research has described how young adults balance working and going to school and how work hours influence student's mental, physical, and health behaviors. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between a student's ability to balance work demands, student and life responsibilities, and health outcomes. Using a …


Unraveling Pdi And Its Interaction With Ab Toxins, Jessica Guyette Jan 2019

Unraveling Pdi And Its Interaction With Ab Toxins, Jessica Guyette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is an essential endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein that acts as both an oxidoreductase and chaperone. It exhibits substantial flexibility and undergoes cycles of unfolding and refolding in its interaction with cholera toxin (Ctx), which is a unique property of PDI. This unfolding allows PDI to disassemble the Ctx holotoxin, which is required for Ctx activity. Here, we investigated the unfolding and refolding property of PDI and how this affects its interaction with bacterial toxins. PDI showed remarkable redox-linked conformational resilience that allows it to refold after being thermally stressed. Deletion constructs of PDI showed that both …


"Our Roots:": Latinx Parents' Language Ideologies Concerning Bilingualism, Akanne S. Torres Beltran Jan 2019

"Our Roots:": Latinx Parents' Language Ideologies Concerning Bilingualism, Akanne S. Torres Beltran

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Language is a fundamental component of one's identity, as well as a means of surviving in a globalizing world. This study draws upon sixteen narratives of first-generation Mexican and Puerto Rican parents in Central Florida to answer the research question: What are the language ideologies of Mexican and Puerto Rican immigrant parents towards the English Language acquisition and Spanish Language retention of their children? The information was gathered through semi-structured interviews and it aimed to learn how and if they value English and Spanish bilingualism and whether it was desired for their children. On the one hand, they are aware …


Grating Coupler For Surface Waves Based On Electrical Displacement Currents, Jonathan R. Brescia Jan 2019

Grating Coupler For Surface Waves Based On Electrical Displacement Currents, Jonathan R. Brescia

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Bound electromagnetic surface waves can be excited by free-space waves on a corrugated conduction surface. These electromagnetic surface waves, called surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), are coupled to a plasma of free charges, which travel together with the wave. We investigated the effect of separating metal corrugations from the smooth metal ground plane with a thin dielectric layer and show that SPPs can be excited via displacement currents. However, the SPP excitation resonances broaden and disappear as the dielectric thickness approaches 1% of the wavelength.


The Florida 2004 Minimum Wage Amendment And Variance In County Support, Brittany Wilson Jan 2019

The Florida 2004 Minimum Wage Amendment And Variance In County Support, Brittany Wilson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Several interest groups seek to put a $15 per hour minimum wage amendment on the Florida ballot in 2020. Floridians voted successfully to increase the minimum wage back in 2004. While the measure passed by over 50% in every county, there were substantial differences. What explains variance in support for the 2004 Minimum Wage Amendment among Florida counties? Hypotheses were drawn from previous literature and theory and multiple regression models find several statistically significant results. The percentage of Hispanic residents and the percentage of residents with a high school education or less had a positive relationship with support for increasing …


Experiences Of Young Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Latinx People In Healthcare, Caleb Hernandez Jan 2019

Experiences Of Young Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Latinx People In Healthcare, Caleb Hernandez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Latinx lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) queer community members have unique health needs compared to non-Latinx heterosexual patients, including sexual and mental health issues, and challenges in ability to access healthcare. But research is unclear whether LGB Latinx patients may also face double stigma related to their sexual orientation and race. This study examined this issue in experiences of queer and Latinx adults with healthcare providers. I conducted semistructured in-depth interviews with 13 LGB Latinx adults between November 2018 and February 2019. Interviews were audio-recorded, and transcribed. Transcripts were coded, and data analyzed for themes using the Grounded Theory approach. …


Development Of Luminescent Tools For Use In The Study Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Krista A. Moore Jan 2019

Development Of Luminescent Tools For Use In The Study Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Krista A. Moore

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis, is a growing problem worldwide due to the emergence of multi-drug resistant and extensively-drug resistant strains of the bacteria. A key to combatting the spread of these strains lies in the understanding of gene expression occurring in Mtb. This study focuses on the development and optimization of a luciferase-based bioluminescent transcriptional reporter that can be used to monitor gene expression in Mtb. The luminescent signal emitted from the reporter can be measured and correlated with the level of transcription of certain genes. This study focuses specifically on a gene called whiB7 which …


"I'M A Strong Independent Black Woman": The Cost Of Strong Black Woman Schema Endorsement, Stephanie Castelin Jan 2019

"I'M A Strong Independent Black Woman": The Cost Of Strong Black Woman Schema Endorsement, Stephanie Castelin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The Strong Black Woman Schema (SBWS) is a cultural expectation placed on black women to unfailingly display signs of strength and caretaker qualities, while suppressing their emotions. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between the SBWS and psychological distress, suicidal behaviors, and resilience. Researchers expected to find a positive relationship between the SBWS and psychological distress, a positive relationship between the SBWS and resilience, and an undefined relationship between the SBWS and suicidal behaviors. The study also examined the potential moderating effects of the SBWS and resilience on the existing psychological distress-suicidal behaviors relationship. Lastly, the study examined …


The Nexus Between Cognitive Flexibility And Prejudicial Attitudes In Younger And Older Adults, Yerika Germosen Jan 2019

The Nexus Between Cognitive Flexibility And Prejudicial Attitudes In Younger And Older Adults, Yerika Germosen

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The mutability of prejudicial attitudes can be elucidated by taking into account the declines in cognition that tend to emerge as we age. This study aimed to assess whether there is a relationship between prejudice towards different ethnic groups and cognitive flexibility throughout adulthood. Ninety-five older adults and 118 younger adults were asked to complete an electronic survey encompassing measures of cognitive flexibility, social desirability, personality, optimism, empathy, ethnic attachment and prejudice. It was hypothesized that older adults would report lower levels of cognitive flexibility and higher levels of ethnic attachment in comparison to younger adults, which would in turn …


Sex Education Or Self Education? Lgbt+ Experiences With Exclusionary Curricula, Karli Reeves Jan 2019

Sex Education Or Self Education? Lgbt+ Experiences With Exclusionary Curricula, Karli Reeves

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Though much research exists on LGBT+ exclusion from school-based sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education, the strategies used by LGBT+ individuals during their search for knowledge regarding the subject are not as widely documented. Using the ethnographic research method of semi-structured interviews, this research explores the experiences of young LGBT+ adults with formal sexual and reproductive health education and examines the self-education methods employed by this population in the context of exclusionary and cisheteronormative curricula. This project also functions to contribute to existing literature in the field of anthropology and other social sciences regarding the subject of SRH education, particularly …


The Effects Of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 On Cx3cl1 Shedding And Axon Retraction, Lauren A. Dobrie Jan 2019

The Effects Of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 On Cx3cl1 Shedding And Axon Retraction, Lauren A. Dobrie

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often leads to irreversible damage, and permanent paralysis inferior to the injury is common (Leibinger et al., 2013). Injury to the spinal cord occurs in two phases. In the first phase, components of the spinal cord are subject to mechanical trauma causing direct damage. In the second phase, damage spreads from the area of injury through molecular processes. Several studies have linked M1 "pro-inflammatory" macrophages to exacerbation of damage by inducing dieback of dystrophic axons, but not healthy axons, through direct cellular contact. Several studies have identified the presence of macrophage subtypes at specific time. A …


Relationship Between Forensic Exposure And Forensic Knowledge, Giovanna M. Alves Jan 2019

Relationship Between Forensic Exposure And Forensic Knowledge, Giovanna M. Alves

Honors Undergraduate Theses

It has been shown that popular crime television series can have an impact in the behavior and perception of viewers. Forensic evidence, or evidence that is gathered through scientific methods, is often central to the plot of these shows. Exposure to forensic evidence in these shows has impacted the legal system by changing perceptions and opinions towards evidence presented in courtrooms, a consequence termed the CSI effect. A subset of the CSI effect named the Police Chief's Effect refers to the ability of criminals to learn about forensic evidence from these shows. Although understudied, the Police Chief's effect has the …


Understanding The Healthcare Experiences Of Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (Daca) Recipients, Jacob A. Kluesener Jan 2019

Understanding The Healthcare Experiences Of Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (Daca) Recipients, Jacob A. Kluesener

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: There is limited research on the healthcare experience of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients both before and after enrollment in the program. DACA is a program designed to defer deportation to children and young adults in the United States for up to 2 years. The goal of this qualitative study is to explore the lived experiences of DACA students with regards to access to healthcare and perceptions of treatment. Method: This study is qualitative and uses a phenomenological approach. DACA Recipients (N = 5) were recruited from the UCF student population and 1:1 interviews were conducted. Interviews …