Digital Commons Network^™

Using Geographic Information Systems To Examine Unmet Healthcare Needs Among Transgender And Non-Binary Young Adults In Florida, Nino Franklin

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study explored healthcare utilization among the Transgender and Gender Non-Binary (TGNB) population of Florida using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to visualize and analyze the spatial distribution of unmet healthcare needs. The aim was to provide a clear comparison of unmet healthcare needs across various regions, highlight areas with the highest and lowest levels of unmet needs, and understand the demographic factors influencing these disparities. Utilizing survey data from the NIH-funded U=CARE study, which involved TGNB participants aged 18-26 from diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, the data were cleaned, geocoded, and analyzed within ArcGIS. Geocoded survey responses were linked to …

An Intersectional Examination Of Adverse Childhood Experiences And Educational Outcomes In Children In The U.S., Josalie C. Condon

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Background: Research has found that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been shown to lead to a myriad of issues including struggling in school. The more ACEs a child experiences, the worse their outcome tends to be, including school outcomes. However, critics of ACE research have argued that not all ACEs weigh the same and intersectionality needs to be considered. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the relationship between ACEs and school outcome issues. These school outcome variables are analyzed, first with a binary ACE variable, then with ACE scale variable, to test whether more ACEs lead to worse outcomes. And, …

Grief, Identity Transformation, And Resilience In Emerging Adulthood Following Profound Loss, Isabella S. Marcon

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Loss and grief are unfortunate forces of the human experience, highly variable in the experience of intensity and duration, not limited solely to death. Grief is the process that follows loss, and can be a transformative journey towards personal growth, healing, and reshaping one’s self-concept (Corless et al., 2014).

Individuals who have experienced the loss of a significant figure and have grappled with grief and bereavement during their childhood, adolescence, or emerging adulthood have yet to be thoroughly studied. The repercussions of navigating grief and bereavement during these formative years encompass intrapersonal relationships, coping mechanisms, resilience, and overall psychological well-being …

The Influence Of Foster Parent Characteristics On The Relational Permanence Of Foster Youth, Yogita Venkata

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Research suggests that lack of permanency is associated with an increased risk of aggression, mental instability, and delinquent behavior in children (Leve et al., 2012). A crucial component of permanency involves establishing stable connections, including relational permanence with peers and adults, which are believed to enhance the well-being of foster youth (Wekerle et al., 2009). Further, the literature suggests a relationship between a parent’s adverse traumatic experiences, their attachments to their own parents, and their ability to regulate their foster child’s relational permanence to supportive adults and peers. Foster parents who have experienced trauma are often insecurely attached to their …

An Exploration Of Mhealth Applications Usage Among Older Adults: A Mixed Methods Study, Francine N. Sutton

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This study examines the technology and appointment scheduling habits of older adults over the age of 55 through an exploratory sequential three phase mixed methods study. Phase One of this study examined features of ten existing mHealth applications through a qualitative content analysis, then a mHealth wireframe was developed from the app to replicate in addition to a redesigned version. Phase Two of the study was a thirty-four questions survey with 40 participants that inquired about their background with appointment scheduling, prior experience with technology, and demographics. After that, the mHealth applications were revised into two mHealth application prototypes. Lastly, …

Anticipating Combustion: Suffering's Potential For Finding Meaning, Perseverance, And Transcendence, Alexander Alvarez

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Arising from the complications of an underprivileged and impoverished background this thesis focuses on exposing the grotesque consequences of conflicting ideologies through personal and societal suffering while in search of universal connections to showcase the need for compassion and understanding. My artistic practice is utilized as an entry point to have difficult discussions, a tool for teaching themes of injustice, inequality, and mistreatment. The traumatizing experience of poverty or corruption has the potential to be transmuted into something beneficial. I utilize discarded, low valued, unwanted, and damaged materials in my artmaking to symbolize transfiguration, an advanced state of former self. …

Lucas' Gift: Exploring The Importance Of Self-Care, Kevaun L. Gayle

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Lucas' Gift is a traditionally animated short film focusing on themes of selflessness and self-care. In an alternate world where magic exists, lives a young boy from a small community experiencing a drought. After being gifted a magical plant growing necklace from the Good Witch, Lucas works diligently to feed his community. After working himself to exhaustion, he learns the importance of self-care. The artistic direction is influenced by works such as Steven Universe and Craig of the Creek.

Campbell & The Cryptid: Mindfulness And Mediality, Elaina Buffkin

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Campbell & The Cryptid is a short film that intertwines the bittersweet intensity of imagination with the nostalgic medium of hand drawn two-dimensional animation. Campbell is an eleven-year-old girl who loves adventure and spending time with her brother. But when he moves away, she carries on her explorations on her own. This leads her to discover a strange friend in the woods. The experience helps her understand that the unknown is not always as bad as imagined. Influences on the artistic direction include irreverent media such as Calvin & Hobbes, as well as more speculative works such as Over …

From The Slime And Mud: Rumination As Fuel For Artistic Process, Olivia Van Natta

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This thesis examines my work to harness ruminative thinking as a driving force for my art practice. With a combination of drawing and painting in watercolor pencil, I activate and engage with rumination through the act of sublimation as defined in clinical psychology. Repetition of process and hand-rendered detail serve as outward channels for my obsessive cyclical thoughts. Based on my experience living with the physical effects of a hyperactive mind, I depict botanical life symbolically in an effort to communicate impressions of the bodily sensations associated with rumination, such as palpable tension, anxiety, or dread. In my research, I …

Prohibition In Sanford: Local Lives Questioning A National Narrative Presented Through Data, Discourse Analysis And Digital Mapping, Lindsey K. Yeazell

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

This thesis uses a microhistorical methodology to examine the social impact and lived experience of Prohibition in Sanford, Florida, and the surrounding area – an historically "dry" community. Historiographical claims from state, regional, and national studies are tested through data sampling of Sanford Municipal Court Records; close readings of more than 200 Sanford Herald articles; and an oral history with a local museum curator based on family tradition.

This is an evidence-driven thesis. A thirty-percent sampling of 23,000 Sanford Municipal Court Records covering the Prohibition era (1920-1933) enables detailed analysis of alcohol-related arrest and enforcement patterns based on race, gender, …

Ai Hacks For Educators, Kevin Yee, Laurie Uttich, Eric Main, Elizabeth Giltner

UCF Created OER Works

No abstract provided.

Development Of An Objective Battery For Ptsd, Kathryn O'Dell

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is marked by avoidance, arousal, re-experiencing, and negative mood and cognition. To date, these symptoms are assessed using self-report measures (e.g., the PCL-5) and clinician administered assessments (e.g., the CAPS-5). While these are the present gold-standard assessments for PTSD, they still are prone to bias on behalf of both the administrator and the patient. Presently, there is evidence that individuals with PTSD perform differently than individuals without PTSD on certain cognitive tasks that measure attention bias and avoidance behaviors. As such, creating a battery of these tasks may be a viable route for objectively measuring PTSD. …

The Ethics Of Brain-Machine Interfaces, Devon J. Lynn

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Brain Machine Interfaces (BMI) are a rapidly developing technology that raise unique ethical issues that demand review. They have demonstrated impressive restorative potential, particularly for individuals living with epilepsy, and those who are locked in. Although BMIs have the potential to provide significant benefit to millions of users, further advancement of the technology should proceed cautiously, according to the guidelines outlined in this paper. Failure to adhere to ethical guidelines could lead to severe privacy concerns, and would violate moral principles of beneficence, virtue ethics, care ethics, and utilitarianism. Despite the moral risks, BMIs hold promise for reshaping future healthcare …

Differences In Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Breast Cancer Survivors By Hispanic Origin In A Cross-Sectional Study, Meera Lakshmanan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among American women. Research has examined the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among breast cancer survivors of various races/ethnicities, reporting that Hispanic women have lower levels of HRQOL compared to non-Hispanic whites. Hispanics are not a homogenous population, and subpopulations may have different lifestyles, socioeconomic status, and cultural/personal/social ideals that could affect their HRQOL after treatment of breast cancer. The objective of this study was to examine the differences in HRQOL by Hispanic origin among breast cancer survivors in Central Florida.

Patient data was obtained from the Florida Cancer Data …

Renewing Voter Confidence In Election Outcomes: A Qualitative Examination Of Election Processes And Security Measures, Hannah Barnes

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This paper explores the topic of voter confidence in U.S. election outcomes and seeks to identify the factors that influence that confidence. Given the increasing interest in questions surrounding election integrity and election security, it is important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the current election structure in America. By analyzing components of the election process such as voter registration, voting machines and other election technology, along with existing voting laws and proposed legislation, I highlight key areas where voter confidence is strongly impacted. Through this research I determined that by improving voter education and awareness of functions within …

Madness As Epistemic Advantage: The Relevance Of Standpoint Epistemology To The Evolution Of Mental Health Care, Aven E. Kazmier

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to examine the potential epistemic advantage possessed by those with lived experience of mental illness. The frequent lack of conceptual alignment between the perspectives of individuals with lived experience and the biomedical model of mental illness has often resulted in epistemic injustice—lived experiential knowledge tends to be devalued and excluded from larger discussions about mental health. I propose that by occupying a marginalized social location and critically engaging with one’s social position, psychopathologized individuals may achieve a standpoint that allows a deeper comprehension of the systems of power that affect the mental health care …

Attitudes And Perceptions Of Mental Health In The Vietnamese Community: A Comprehensive Analysis, Mai Ly Nguyen-Luu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis explores the complex and multifaceted landscape of attitudes and perceptions toward mental health within the Vietnamese community. Mental health issues remain a significant global concern, and understanding how these issues are perceived and addressed within specific cultural contexts is vital for effective mental health promotion and intervention. In the case of the Vietnamese community, the interplay of cultural values, stigmatization, and access to mental healthcare services makes this study particularly relevant.

The research investigates the cultural factors that shape attitudes and perceptions toward mental health in the Vietnamese community, including traditional beliefs, familial roles, and the influence of …

The New Antisemitism, Edgar G. Soto

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Following the Second World War, antisemitism appeared to be on a decline. Presently, however, there is an uptick in antisemitic hate crimes, worldwide. Modern-day Islamic antisemitism in particular is in large part recycled European Christian antisemitism adapted for Islamic audiences and intensified by the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict. This iteration of anti-Jewish bigotry is not the same as the “old,” but neither is it different. As will be explained, antisemitism has, throughout history, amounted to an anomaly in Islamic culture and in what may be called “normative” Islam.

Indeed, Muslims and Jews lived together amicably for centuries. In fact, within dar-al-Islam, …

The Association Between Patient Race/Ethnicity/Culture, Physician-Patient Communication, And Patient Outcomes: A Systematic Review, Maazen Khan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Research shows that health disparities exist among patients of varying races, ethnicities, and cultures in the United States. Numerous studies have suggested that these disparities may be partly associated with physician-patient communication. The larger project that this thesis is a part of is a mixed-methods analysis of physician-patient communication across patient race, ethnicity, and culture. This thesis specifically excluded qualitative studies and focused on how such communication can affect health outcomes. Sixty-nine studies were identified and appraised for quality. Of these, only four associated physician-patient communication with the health outcomes of patients. These studies had inconsistent results, highlighting the gap …

Concepts And Measures Of Human Intelligence And Anthropology: A Systematic Review Of Academic Literature From 1930s To 2010s, Leilani Maldonado

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis explores the evolution of intelligence research and its contextualization within historical biases. Using a meta-analysis approach, the study examines word frequencies in academic literature spanning from the 1930s to the 2010s to identify shifting trends in intelligence discourse. Eleven search terms related to intelligence were analyzed to interpret changes in academic focus over time. The findings reveal significant shifts influenced by historical events, societal movements, and advancements in technology and methodology. From the prominence of IQ measures during World War II to the rise of cognitive science in the 1960s and the emergence of emotional intelligence in the …

Rewriting Reality: The Sociological Context Of Gaslighting, Kristen L. Engasser Jr.

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In 2007, Robin Stern published The gaslight effect: How to spot and survive the hidden manipulation others use to control your life, highlighting gaslighting as a form of psychological abuse that makes victims question the validity of their perceptions. Since then, gaslighting has primarily been tackled from a psychological perspective. Some sociologists, however, theorize that gaslighting is not simply a psychological issue but a sociological one as well. They argue that gaslighting may take place unintentionally when a perpetrator acts on their biases towards members of other social groups, a concept known as epistemic gaslighting. As a form of …

Guns Can't Kill Ghosts, Krista B. Ruffo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis explores the grieving process of a child, 6-year-old Maple, in a fictional way. As Maple attempts to carry on with daily life, such as attending first grade, after the death of her father, she experiences supernatural visions that cause her to consider what life and, consequently, death is. She also contends with her mother’s unwillingness to tell Maple why her father is dead, since her mother believes that keeping Maple shielded from the full truth is the best course of action. Maple struggles with sleeping issues, reoccurring dreams of her father, depression, lack of interest in formerly exciting …

Florida’S Most Recent Anti-Transgender Political Policies And Their Effects On Transgender Adults, Jaron A. Sanchez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

During May of 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed multiple bills into law, which included House Bill 1521, Senate Bill 1580, and Senate Bill 254. Critics have regarded these bills to directly discriminate against transgender individuals and negatively impact their quality of life. The main research question this project seeks to answer is what impact these bills have, if any, on transgender individuals who live in the state of Florida. This includes experiences that negatively impact quality of life outcomes and mental health disparities. An online survey of a small sample of the population that self identifies as transgender, that …

Are You Looking At Me? The Relationship Between Social Media And Personality Disorders, Madison G. Goran

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis investigates the relationship between social media and Cluster B Personality Disorders: Borderline Personality Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder, and Histrionic Personality Disorder. This research builds upon previous findings by examining specific negative social media motivations and behaviors, such as excessive use and negative motivations, in relation to Cluster B Personality Disorders. Participants completed the McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD; Zanarini et al., 2005), The Short Dark Triad (Jones &Paulhus, 2014), Antisocial Process Screening Device (Frick & Hare, 2002), Self-Test Histrionic Personality Disorder (Olivardia, 2022), and Motivations for Social Media Use Scale (MSMU; Rodgers …

Sexual Assault Disclosure: The Role Of Survivor And Disclosure Recipient Race & Ethnicity, Nola J.A. Browne

Honors Undergraduate Theses

To date, most research on sexual assault disclosure has utilized samples composed predominately of White women (Fedina et al., 2018). As a result, there is a need for research that examines sexual assault disclosure within racially and ethnically diverse samples. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine whether survivors’ race/ethnicity is related to whether they disclose their sexual assault to others of the same and different races and ethnicities. The study recruited undergraduate college students from the UCF Psychology Department Sona System to complete an online survey that assessed history of sexual assault and disclosure of sexual assault …

Subjectivity In Circulation: Jean Baudrillard And The Image As Objective Reality, Jacob Crawley

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to examine Jean Baudrillard’s theory of the image in both historical and philosophical terms and propose that his understanding of the image as disconnected from any sort of objective reality is an important starting point for further discussion of the photographic image. This thesis seeks to answer the question – how does Baudrillard’s theory of the photographic image shape our contemporary understanding of images, and what are the implications of his removal of the referent to reality within photographic images on mass culture, society, and the current state of image creation? This paper seeks …

The Impact Of Homelessness On Identity In Lgbtq+ Youth Of Color, Isabeau Tyndall Ms.

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study explores the impact of homelessness on the identity formation of LGBTQ+ youth of color. This group of people is overrepresented within the unhoused community, and unfortunately, under-studied, especially within the qualitative data sector. A literature review found primary themes of identity formation, intersectionality, and discrimination and stigma. In addition to exploring the impact of housing instability on the identity formation of LGBTQ+ youth of color, this study emphasizes the significance of intersectionality in understanding their experiences. By noting the overlap of multiple marginalized identities such as race, sexual orientation, and gender identity, this research illuminates the unique challenges …

On The Rocks: The Association Between Dating And Alcohol Consumption Among Young Adults, Hannah Ettele

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Alcohol consumption is becoming an increasing concern among young adults. In 2018, approximately one-third of young adults in the United States reported binge drinking within the past month (Patrick et al., 2020). This peak in binge drinking during young adulthood raises concerns about physical and mental health. There are also societal implications of alcohol consumption, such as drunk driving, that are particularly evident among this age group (Stewart, 2023). As proposed by the Social Learning Theory (SLT) of alcohol use, there are many factors that motivate young adults to drink (Britton, 2004). Some engage in alcohol consumption to cope with …

Exploring The Relationship Between Trust Learning And Social Media Privacy, Alyssa R. Hayes

Honors Undergraduate Theses

With the rise of social media, many social media users have concerns about their privacy and what they share online. Users must reveal certain pieces of information about themselves to benefit from the convenience of social media and the internet, such as allowing a website to access a specific location to find stores nearby. The problem arises when this data, particularly personal data, is misused. This dilemma of choosing which information to share is incredibly important as social media and the internet evolve. Taking control of one’s privacy may assist in determining which information to share and may reduce stress …

The Effects Of Resistance Training On Older Adults: Increasing Healthspan And Lowering Disability Rates, Michael M. Samuel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study analyzed the research on older adults and resistance training exercise and assessed effects on health span and lowering disability rates. A targeted search of the literature was employed using the following key words: sarcopenia, resistance training, hypertrophy, quality of life, disability, activities of daily living, strength training, falls, and functional strength. These were used to find articles that were relevant to the research. Articles were excluded if they focused on young athletes as they did not meet my research age group. Articles that focused on nutrition were also excluded as they pulled the focus away from the impact …