Digital Commons Network^™

Complex Quantum Contagion: A Quantum-Like Approach For The Analysis Of Co-Evolutionary Dynamics Of Social Contagion, Ece Mutlu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Modeling the dynamics of social contagion processes has recently attracted a substantial amount of interest from researchers due to its wide applicability in network science, multi-agent systems, information science, and marketing. Unlike in biological spreading, the existence of a reinforcement effect in social contagion necessitates considering the complexity of individuals in the systems. Although many studies acknowledged the heterogeneity of the individuals in their adoption of information (or behavior), there are no studies that take into account the individuals' uncertainty during their decision-making despite its theoretical and experimental evidence in behavioral economics, decision science, cognitive science, or multi-agent systems. This …

A Contingent Approach To Studying Technical Programs In The Public Aerospace Industry, Laura Segarra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Bibliometric evaluation of the literature indicates that a unified theory of program management does not yet exist. The vastly different definitions and implementations of programs across organizations and industries indicate that program management as an organizational concept is not well understood. As researchers have tried to make sense of various perspectives and definitions, it becomes clear that different kinds of programs exist, and further attention to their context is needed. While relationships between structural and environmental variables have been extensively researched in organizational studies, studies in program management are scant, lack incorporation of environmental variables relevant to programs and projects, …

An Experimental Investigation Of Creativity In Relation To Extracurricular Activity And Gpa In Undergraduate Engineering Students, Maria Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Measuring creativity for engineering is paramount; previous research has shown that creativity diminishes as students advance through college. This study intends to find possible predictors for creativity in these students. These predictors include GPA, Hobbies, and Extracurriculars while using the Test of Creativity Thinking – Drawing Production (TCT-DP) as a benchmark for creativity. Participants were Junior and Senior year engineering students in Spring 2021. All eligible study participants were provided a TCT-DP and survey to complete. Individual creative ability was assessed from the resulting TCT-DP using a 13 categorical scoring matrix by independently trained evaluators using the scoring guidelines. The …

The Importance Of Emotional And Physical Safety In The Success And Development Of Public Spaces, Isabella Wilhelm

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Our day-to-day lives consist of formal and informal settlements in the built environment. As humans, we gravitate towards successful informal settlements (public spaces) to conduct activities such as socializing and recharging. Previous research has highlighted the importance of distinct factors in determining the success of public spaces. Still, research has failed to develop the foundation that makes all public places prosper. Through examining successful and unsuccessful public places through case studies, this research analyses the success and importance of our emotional and physical safety in public spaces through the presence or absence of sound, light, nature, boundaries, and order.

The Concept Of Grief: A Phenomenological Account With Continual Reference To Kierkegaard, Nathan Sweetman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

My thesis argues that Søren Kierkegaard provides a perspective on grief that validates emotional experience while offering the opportunity for transcendence beyond the immediacy of grief through the work of love in recollecting one who is dead. Conventional philosophical approaches offer an incomplete picture by focusing on grief either as exclusively emotional or exclusively moral. The alternative methodology of phenomenology serves to draw out common threads from the intensely subjective, inward experience of grief. Kierkegaard’s writings on the topics of grief, sorrow, and love for the dead reflect the complexity uncovered in the phenomenological analysis. Traditional interpretations of Kierkegaard’s call …

Negative Space: The Transference Of Trauma, Jeremy Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Is trauma tangible? My thesis will examine my experiences with trauma and the influence it has on my practice as a visual artist. I define trauma as the reaction to physical and emotional experiences of distress, abuse, and neglect, that invaded mind and body. My traumatic memories remain subconsciously hidden, an instinctive 'survival instinct' failsafe ingrained into my psyche, that files away many unbearable experiences, only to be evoked and experienced in the present by a trigger. For me, domestic space is often that trigger. Throughout the reflective analysis of my childhood traumas, I showcase the allegorical stories, signifiers and …

Online Engagement In Graduate Technical Communication Education, Tabatha Kless

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In this study, I conducted a content analysis to investigate engagement in online graduate technical communication programs. I wanted to evaluate this topic because online learning and engagement evolve, so it is fitting to evaluate how educational policies, learning methods, and technology have developed in technical communication education. The content analysis consisted of coding course material from three technical communication courses, mostly assignment descriptions, and instructions based on the language in the documents. I found strategies that develop skills 21st century technical communicators should have, such as discussions, service learning, and research papers.

Stress, Coping, And Disease Awareness With Metabolic Disease Risk: A Longitudinal Cohort Study, Chelsea Anestal

Honors Undergraduate Theses

College students undergo stressors (e.g., potential financial strain, changes in workload or location), which may precipitate metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk associated with obesity and high blood pressure. Concerning rises in young adult obesity and type 2 diabetes, prompt study into MetS risk factor prevalence and awareness in youthful populations transitioning to new environments, such as college. This study assessed perceived stress, coping resources, and disease awareness differences in the first time on campus and final-year students associated with MetS risk factors (elevated body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure). We hypothesized lower stress perception, lower weight gain and blood …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Hospital Nurses' Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic Through The Lens Of The Demand-Control-Support Model, Alisha Garner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Positive social support, realistic job demand, and appropriate levels of control over their responsibilities can mitigate empathy fatigue and burnout among nurses, increase quality care for patients, and lay the foundation for teams to embrace challenges during crises. The COVID-19 pandemic stretched nurses in all these areas, leading many nurses to contemplate changing fields. Failure to address and embrace the difficulties that nurses face during such crises can result in loss of nurses and impact the entire healthcare industry.

The present study used one-to-one interviews to glean insider perspectives of changes in job demand, control, and support nurses experienced as …

Attachment, Identity Processing Style, And Emotion Regulation Among Emerging Adults, Kaitlyn M. Daleandro

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study explores the relationships among parent, peer, and romantic attachment, identity processing style, and emotion regulation. Previous studies have revealed potential associations among each of the aforementioned factors (e.g., between identity and attachment as well as between attachment and emotion regulation), but this is the first study to examine the three factors together, putting emphasis on romantic attachment. It was predicted that attachment will vary depending on the interaction between identity processing style and emotion regulation. College students (N= 390) in psychology courses participated in an anonymous online survey for course credit. Parent attachment was significantly predicted …

A Fall From Grace: The Rising Rate Of Attorneys With Substance Abuse Disorders, Chemical Dependencies And Addictions, Amy M. Yost

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis is a continuation of research and scholarly writing that the author completed for a published article that appeared in Volume 5 of the University of Central Florida Undergraduate Law Journal, Spring 2022. The rising rate of attorneys with a self-reported substance abuse disorder, chemical or alcohol dependency, as the data reveals, is the highest in our country’s history. Although the notion of attorney addictions and dependency issues may come as a surprise to those outside of the legal community, these issues are not breaking news. Rather, the data has been slowly emerging due to the increasing number of …

Characteristics Of Covid-19 Vaccine-Hesitant Ucf College Students And Potential Avenues For Increasing Vaccination Rates, Justin A. Barthel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an ongoing disaster that has devasted millions of lives. With the development of COVID-19 vaccines in late 2020, there was a potential for populations to gain artificial active immunity in order to prevent future outbreaks. However, despite successful clinical trials, millions of citizens have been hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccines (Khubchandani et al., 2021). Demographics of the most prominent US vaccine-hesitant populations consist of ethnic/racial minorities and Republicans groups (Khubchandani et al., 2021). Little information is known about COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in colleges and universities. Colleges provide an elevated risk for infection through their …

Terror Management Theory During Covid-19: Individual Differences In Death Anxiety Defenses, Nicole L. Harkrider

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The present study seeks to determine the relationship between Terror Management Theory (TMT) and various measures of existential anxiety, future consciousness, and future-oriented thinking. By using TMT as a theoretical construct, a scale was devised to measure participants’ protective behaviors relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three other scales were utilized, including Lalot’s Future Consciousness Scale (FCS), Strathman’s Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFCS), and Weems’ Existential Anxiety Questionnaire (EAQ). The scales were combined into one composite survey along with demographic questions. 315 participants were then administered the collection of scales via an only survey platform. Results indicated strong significant correlations …

Relationship Between Video Games And Recovery From Work: A Comparison Of Different Genres And Leisure Activities, Jessica A. Gass

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Work stress can have a negative impact for both individuals and organizations, warranting research on how to recover from it. This research analyzes how the relationship between video games and work recovery differs depending on the genre of the video game played. In addition, these relationships are compared against the relationships between the recovery experiences and other leisure activities. Participants were asked to provide information on how often they play video games and engage in other leisure activities. In addition, two different measures of the four components of work recovery (psychological detachment from work, relaxation, mastery experiences, and control) were …

Sacrificing Sisters: Nurses' Psychological Trauma From The First World War, 1914-1918, Kayla Campana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis examines psychological war trauma nurses experienced during the First World War. Psychological war trauma, or shell shock, as it was commonly known during the war, has largely been identified as a male affliction. In this thesis, I demonstrate that women too, suffered trauma and we can better understand nurses' trauma by applying some of the same analytical techniques that scholars have previously used to examine male combatant trauma. Moreover, I analyze the ways in which contemporary actors, including medical professionals and the public, imagined female trauma, specifically the way nurses' psychological trauma could be understood and articulated. Additionally, …

In The Attic Of A Barn, Hunter Pylant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

I create wooden and metal sculptures that are abstractions of old memories that examine, celebrate, and embody my rural culture, upbringing, and heritage. I aim to honor my family's memory and keep their passion for craft alive through working with the tools that have been passed down from them. When I find myself struggling in life I always look to my personal history to find answers. I am reminded of my family's rural and military backgrounds and of the tradespeople from my family: carpenters, blacksmiths, farmers, and soldiers. Through their chosen trades and tools, generations from my family were able …

Workers, Mothers, And Françaises: The French Communist Party And Women In The Interwar Period (1920 - 1939), Elizabeth Klements

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

A survey of the first two decades of the French Communist Party's propaganda reveals a wide range of female imagery, from the androgynous, Soviet-style militant of the 1920s to the fashionable, feminine figure of the 1930s. Earlier scholars noting this discrepancy argued that the Party first adopted the Soviet "new woman," based on the Marxist principle of absolute gender equality but rejected it just over a decade later in order to broaden their appeal to the French masses. These studies, however, were restricted by the limited access to the French Communist Party's interwar-era archives. Using recently-digitized Party meeting records, reports, …

Eden Enflamed: An Examination Of The Self Through Fantastical Figures, Forrest Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis is an exploration of the reciprocal relationship between my identity and my work as an artist. As someone who identifies as queer and from a young age felt unloved and unwelcome, my work provides space for validation and empowerment. I utilize elements of fantasy and symbolism to explore the ever-expanding possibilities of allegory and queer figuration. Through my usage of portraiture and personal symbolism as well as my reinterpretations of Christian religious motifs, Greek mythology, and Mannerist art, I transform existing narratives to depict a multitude of characters that my work allows me to embody. In opening myself …

The Direct And Indirect Effects Of Strategic Displacement On Territorial Control In Conventional Civil War, Jennifer Hudson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Which strategies contribute towards a belligerent's ability to shift territorial control in its favor more quickly than others? This dissertation advances a theory of territorial control dynamics in conventional civil war that places the civilian population at the center of the analysis. Existing scholarship explaining territorial control in conventional civil war has emphasized the role of relative military capabilities, direct military confrontations aimed at territorial conquest, and the existence of established zones of control, with civilians generally residing in areas clearly dominated by one party or another, not in contested areas. As such, theory holds that this makes the civilian …

Executive Function Coaching: Support For Postsecondary Student Success, Kiera Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The advantages of postsecondary education are numerous and serve as a gateway to increased opportunity. Benefits include improved employment opportunities, lifetime earnings, job satisfaction, access to healthcare and preventative care, and overall better quality of life. In addition, valuable life skills development, including; building new social skills and relationships, developing critical thinking, personal development, how to overcome challenges, time management and organization, and deeper knowledge and understanding of the world. Enrollment rates in postsecondary education are predicted to continue to rise for students with and without disabilities. Students are often underprepared for the transition to college and the levels of …

Note To Survivors: An Analysis Of Suicide Discourse On Suicide Noted And The Figured World Of Suicide, Breahannah Hilaire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this discourse analytic study was to explore and examine suicide attempt survivors' suicidal discourse. Although there is robust knowledge and quantitative research regarding suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, qualitative research on this population could help to expand what is known about and what can help to prevent future suicide attempts. Often, the research on suicidal ideation and attempts have focused on prevention, intervention, and behavioral risk factors. Prior research concentrates on suicide risk and protective factors, yet little is written about the basis and origin of suicidal ideation and behavior among adolescents. Further, few of these studies …

Investigating Group Differences Of Mental Health Service Use (Tele-Mental Health, Face-To-Face Counseling, And No Counseling) On Psychological Openness, Levels Of Computer Self-Efficacy, And Coping Behavior In Young Adults During Covid-19, Lea Herbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Given the severity and prevalence of mental health concerns among young adults, universities and community clinics have been increasingly invested in improving counseling utilization. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the development of online therapies. Although the availability of online therapies has increased, the process outcomes of actual service users remain unclear. The Theory of Planned Behavior was used to guide the examination of young adults' use of mental health services, and explore group differences in psychological openness, coping, and computer efficacy based on counseling modality. A total of 248 college-aged participants with three help seeking behaviors (tele-mental health …

Leadership Emergence: Is There A Dark Side To Leadership Claiming Behavior?, Haroon Pervez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This study is framed in DeRue & Ashford's (2010) theory of Leadership Identity Construction which states that leadership emergence is a mutual-influence process that exists between individuals claiming leadership and the other members of the group granting leadership. Although this theory and subsequent research details how and in what ways leadership claiming behaviors can be made to emerge as a leader, the literature is relatively silent on how (or if) too much or too little claiming behaviors will affect follower's granting of leadership, and if a "sweet-spot" of leadership claiming behaviors exists where followers are most likely to grant leadership. …

Generative Modeling Of Human Behavior: Social Interaction And Networked Coordination In Shared Facilities, Saumya Gupta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Urbanization is bringing together various modes of transport, and with that, there are challenges to maintaining the safety of all road users, especially vulnerable road users (VRUs). Therefore, there is a need for street designs that encourages cooperation and resource sharing among road users. Shared space is a street design approach that softens the demarcation of vehicles and pedestrian traffic by reducing traffic rules, traffic signals, road markings, and regulations. Understanding the interactions and trajectory formations of various VRUs will facilitate the design of safer shared spaces. It will also lead to many applications, such as implementing reliable ad hoc …

Development And Validation Of A Counterproductive Work Behavior Situational Judgment Test With An Open-Ended Response Format: A Computerized Scoring Approach, Saba Tavoosi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Due to the many detrimental effects of counterproductive work behavior (CWB), it is important to measure the construct accurately. Despite this, there are some limitations inherent to current CWB measures that are somewhat problematic, including that they contain items that do not apply to all jobs while missing items that are important for other jobs (Bowling & Gruys, 2010). The current study tackles these issues by drawing on the benefits associated with open-ended response situational judgment tests (SJTs), such as them having the potential for more insight from respondents (Finch et al., 2018), to develop an open-ended response CWB SJT. …

The Impacts Of A Food Pantry On College Students, Courtney Howell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The issue of food insecurity on college campuses has been explored in great depth in the last decade; however, there is much less research on the impacts of interventions such as food pantries. Some scholars suggest that food pantries alone are not enough to make an impact on food insecurity, asserting that, "not a single study has examined the effectiveness of food pantries at decreasing food insecurity on postsecondary education institutions" (Bruening, Argo, Payne-Sturges, and Laska 2017: 1788). This study aimed to gain insight into the student experience of using a food pantry and the impact that it has on …

Numerical Study And Optimization Of Post-Tensioning Energy Dissipating Connections With Inerters, Hector Blanco Gavillan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Posttensioned connections for steel moment resisting frames (MRF) can reduce residual deformations through self-centering capabilities. Devices are added to improve the connections energy dissipating capability and includes energy dissipating (ED) bars, friction dampers, and steel angles located at the top and bottom of the beam-to-column connections. The Post-Tensioned Energy dissipating (PTED) connection reduces inelastic deformation to the beams and columns, is installed with minimum welding, displays self-centering thus reducing residual deformations, and allows for easy replacement of the ED devices. An inerter is a two-terminal mechanical device that generates a force proportional to the relative acceleration between its nodes. The …

Examining The I In Team: The Relationship Between Narcissism And Team Decision-Making, Krisztina Szabo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The study investigated the relationship between team-level narcissism, team processes, decision-making constructs, and outcomes. Specifically, the study aimed to examine the impact of team-level narcissism on information sharing and the mediating role of relationship conflict. The study also investigated the direct and indirect impact of team-level narcissism on team-level decision making constructs (i.e., staff validity, hierarchical sensitivity, and team informity) proposed by Hollenbeck et al. (1995). Lastly, it examined whether the core team-level decision-making constructs explained significant variance in team decision-making accuracy. The sample included 62 teams from SONA and Prolific samples. Evidence was found for the negative impact of …

Hitting A Little Too Close To Home: Reflexivity, Liminality, And Identification In Horror Across Film, Theatre, And Games, Alyssa Barrack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Reflexive art makes explicit the inherent connection between artistic process, intertextual context, and an audience to create an intentional dialogue with its audience by tapping into the duality inherent in spectatorship - awareness of both the creation process and the final product, and participation in one or both through viewership. In this study I analyze several pieces across three mediums––film (Funny Games (2007), The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)), theatre (Ubu Roi (1896)), and video games (The Stanley Parable (2013), Bioshock (2007))––and consider audience reviews to determine how audiences are affected by reflexivity in each. Through the lens of the horror genre …

The Emotions, Emotional Labor, And Identities Of Korean Teachers Of English, Emily Puckett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Despite being an emotionally charged profession, there is a paucity of research on the roles of emotions and emotional labor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (Khong & Saito, 2014; Kocabas¸-Gedik & Hart, 2021; Schutz & Lee, 2014; Zembylas & Schutz, 2009). Furthermore, these concepts and their link to identity formation in nonnative English-speaking teachers (NNEST) have rarely been investigated in local contexts (Song, 2018; Zhang & Zhu, 2008). In order to help fill this gap in literature, this exploratory qualitative study was conducted in Korea with three NNESTs of English employed in private after-school academies. Semi-structured interviews …