Digital Commons Network^™

Digital Biomarkers Of Usability, Steven Ford

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Usability, the extent to which a product can be used with satisfaction and efficiency, is critical for its success, yet traditional assessment methods are often subjective or resource-intensive. This dissertation adapts the concept of digital biomarkers—objective, quantifiable data typically used to inform health outcomes—to summative usability assessment. By examining passively collected mouse and eye movement data, this research pinpoints reliable digital biomarkers that forecast subjective usability ratings, effectively assessing the 'health' of digital systems. Three studies were conducted to demonstrate that metrics based on eye and mouse-cursor movements can accurately predict standard usability survey scores across a wide array of …

Examination Of Driving Experience, Hazard Perception & Distracted Driving: Going Beyond Individual Factors By Using A Social-Ecological Framework, Alejandro A. Arca

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This research included two studies that examined the roles of nomophobia, driving experience, distraction presence, and hazard presence on driving behavior. In Study 1, a hazard perception task was used to assess participants’ hazard perception accuracy rate and reaction time. Results showed that novice drivers displayed significantly higher levels of nomophobia and lower self-efficacy scores, divided attention, and working memory scores compared to their experienced counterparts. Furthermore, the results also showed that novice drivers reported faster reaction times to hazards, which may be associated with poor impulse control as previously reported in the literature. Study 2 was conducted to further …

Firefighter Syndrome: Improving The Identification And Classification Of Firefighters In Need, Michael A. Schlenk

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Firefighters (FFs) exhibit a multitude of behavioral and physical health concerns as well as fluctuating social support due to their occupation. Despite the fire service enacting preventative approaches to health and wellness, FFs still report increased prevalences of health concerns at the end of their career. Firefighter syndrome was created to identify FFs in need of medical care (e.g., behavioral and physical health services, Frueh et al., 2022b). The purpose of this study is to validate the construct of FF Syndrome by using statistical classification techniques to investigate whether there is a latent group of firefighters that have the symptoms …

The Role Of Substance Use And Objectification On Bisexual Women’S Sexual Violence Experiences, Rachel Cooper

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Bisexual women experience the highest rates of sexual violence victimization, across all tactics, compared to all other gender and sexual orientation groups. Bisexual women’s higher rates of substance use puts them at greater risk for substance-facilitated sexual violence, however this does not account for higher rates of sexual violence that happen through other tactics. Objectification theory states that people learn to view women as sexual objects, whose value derives from their bodies’ sexual utility and this view increases the likelihood of sexual violence. Bisexual women experience an additional form of objectification in the form of bisexual stigma which is characterized …

Exploring Fake News Detection: Unpacking Polarization, Ambiguity, And Associated Neural Mechanisms, Shayna R. Soares

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

A pertinent next step in investigating fake news, is exploring the inherent ambiguity of news headlines through the lens of uncertain decision-making theories. Few studies have done so while investigating the established neural correlates associated with uncertainty in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). A set of three studies was conducted examining the underlying neural mechanisms associated with ambiguity of news headlines, individuals’ polarization, and their decision behavior. Study 1 validated news headlines in terms of ambiguity (1-7 scale). Experiment 1 investigated choice behavior in an uncertain decision task with ambiguous news headlines, while recording activation in the prefrontal cortex using fNIRS. …

Leading The Newsroom: Exploring The Development Of Management And Leadership Skills In College Journalism Students, Guilherme Hiray Leal

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The purpose of this study is to examine the management and leadership skills that are developed in college journalism and how that experience and training prepares students for the challenges of reporting for, managing, and leading in today’s journalism businesses. I explored leadership (e.g. influence in the newsroom culture) of young journalists in student media, such as what skills are being emphasized by their advisers. This study utilizes gatekeeping theory to connect its main points with leadership-related characteristics. Findings show that the support and training students in student media receive are more directly related to management as opposed to leadership. …

Applying The 5d Model Of Country Image For International Public Relations: Analyzing Cultural Perceptions Of Qatar’S International Events "Expo 2023", Taleb Al-Adbah

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Studying country image in public relations has become essential to developing practices for countries engaging with international audiences. Hosting international events highlights the need for international public relations, where the country must adapt its culture and create culturally sensitive strategies to communicate effectively with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds (Edwards, 2018). In this dissertation, Expo 2023 was employed as an international event to analyze Qatar’s country image among foreign and Qatari audiences. The dissertation aimed to understand the differences between their perspectives on Qatar and determine whether cultural tendencies impacted the country’s image. Additionally, the relationship between intercultural competency and …

Assessing The Accuracy Of Emotion Classification Of Whisper V3: Comparing Performance On Speech Emotion Datasets For Both English And Arabic, Oumaima Khalfi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis investigates the application of Whisper V3 which is a state-of-the-art, multilingual automatic speech recognition model to Arabic Speech Emotion Recognition (SER). Building on the foundational work of Muhammad Firdho, who adapted Whisper architectures for emotion classification tasks, this study extends his approach to the context of Arabic, a language characterized by rich dialectal diversity, complex morphology, and unique prosodic features.Although Whisper V3 was primarily designed for Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), its latent representations appear to capture paralinguistic cues that can be leveraged for emotion classification. Muhammad Firdho laid the basis for this study by showing the ability of …

The Persistence Of An Idiot: A Film Student's Journey Through The Feature Film Format, Austin R. Lemaster

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The Sweet Idiot is a microbudget comedy feature written, produced and directed by Austin LeMaster. The film aims to make a case for reinstating novelty and singularity to the cinema-going experience. The film uses basic filmmaking tools, putting special emphasis on human performances in order to capture the unique resulting theatricality and ritualistic spirit that warrants attending a feature film. This thesis document serves as a record of the processes, hindrances, and ultimately the prevalence that resulted in the final product.

Robust Evaluation Framework On Adversarial Purification, Yuan Du

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation proposes novel Energy-Based Model (EBM) learning strategies and adversarial robustness evaluation framework that addresses critical gaps in iterative purification defenses. First, we introduce strategies to learn EBMs by controlling MCMC sampling trajectory lengths for distinct applications: (i) short-run sampling for state-of-the-art unconditional image generation on CIFAR-10 and ImageNet; (ii) mid-run sampling for classifier-agnostic adversarial purification; and (iii) long-run sampling for principled density modeling. Using three novel MCMC initialization techniques within standard Maximum Likelihood objectives, we enable significant performance gains without architectural modifications. Second, we address evaluation deficiencies in existing iterative stochastic defenses by developing the \textit{Memory Efficient Full-gradient …

Nursing Simulation For Pediatric Communication: An Integrative Literature Review, Jayla R. Call

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The aim of this thesis is to explore literature focused on enhancing nursing students' communication skills with pediatric patients through simulation. Effective communication is key to building rapport and trust, which are essential for improving patient outcomes. However, nursing students may experience anxiety when interacting with pediatric patients due to limited training in communication techniques. Simulation offers a valuable opportunity for students to practice and refine their skills in a risk-free environment, allowing them to build confidence and competence. An integrative literature review was conducted, utilizing three databases and PRISMA guidelines (Page et al., 2021) to gather relevant studies for …

The Impact Of Socioeconomic Status On Substance Use Amongst The Hispanic Maternal Population, Emily C. Olivo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Aim: To explore and synthesize existing research that focuses on the relationship between socioeconomic status and the use of substances amongst the maternal Hispanic population. By examining research and these factors, interventions can be identified to lower reported substance use rates amongst Hispanic mothers of childbearing ages.

Background: Minorities such as Hispanic women deal with a myriad of struggles, especially during motherhood. Socioeconomic status and substance use can contribute to a large part of the struggles faced by this population. Hispanic and Latina will be used interchangeably throughout this review of literature.

Method: A comprehensive electronic review of 3 databases …

An Examination Of Preservice Teacher Knowledge Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) In The Elementary Classroom, Breana K. E. Webb

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examines the knowledge of preservice teachers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and how well prepared they might be when supporting students in elementary classrooms. ADHD is a diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder in children and has been increasingly diagnosed over the past several years. Teachers play a crucial role in providing effective instruction to each and every student in the classroom. Managing classroom instruction with diverse learning capabilities and behaviors requires teachers to understand the characteristics of ADHD, as well as instructional adaptations and behavioral interventions, among preservice teachers. Findings indicate that while most preservice teachers recognize the basic …

Organization And Activation Of Caffeine Expectancies, Catherine S. Forsyth

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Caffeine is the most consumed and widely used psychoactive substance in the world. Whether someone uses caffeine or not, expectations about use can be influential to some degree. Expectancies exist everywhere and are extremely influential in all aspects of life. Regarding drug use, expectancies can affect behavior, outcomes, and one’s experience with the drug. Caffeine is no exception, caffeine expectancies have been seen to play a role in several actions such as the development, maintenance, and reinforcement of caffeine use. This study examined latent use profiles of caffeine and relationships between the profiles and the activation of caffeine expectancies. Multidimensional …

Remedios Varo: Peregrinaciones, Julia Condes

Honors Undergraduate Theses

At the time of her death, the artist Remedios Varo (1908–1963) left behind over 500 works of art, the majority of which were created in her adopted country of Mexico. Known for her meticulously crafted fantastical paintings, Varo underwent exile and displacement due to first the Spanish Civil War, and later World War II, which led her to relocate to Mexico, where she would create prolifically for the remainder of her life. This paper will examine the effect of those experiences on the artist and the work she produced, attesting to Varo’s ability to translate complex emotions regarding the human …

Community Redevelopment Agencies' (Cras) Perceptions Of The Legal, Ethical, Economic, And Financial Impacts On Florida's Redevelopment Since The Passage Of Florida House Bill 9 In 2019, Laurel L. Richmond

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This qualitative study explores the legal, ethical, economic, and financial impacts on Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) following the passage of Florida House Bill (HB) 9 in 2019 by interviewing administrators and attorneys of the oldest Florida CRAs. CRAs are dependent special districts, funded by tax increment financing (TIF), and created to address areas deemed slum, blighted, or facing a shortage of affordable housing. HB 9 intended to address transparency and accountability issues and restore CRA operations and spending back to the original purpose, as authorized by Florida Statute 169.

The findings are timely and novel, given it has been five …

Assessing The Relationship Between Perceived Psychological And Physical Pain In Adults With Orthopedic Pain, Daniel C. Karimi Dehkordi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Suicide remains a public health concern in the U.S., particularly among individuals experiencing chronic pain and psychological distress. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between perceived physical and psychological pain in 41 adults with chronic orthopedic conditions. The relationship between other risk and protective factors and perceived levels of pain distress was also examined. Results showed a significant positive correlation between psychological distress and physical pain (r(39) = 0.388, p < .05) and psychological distress and depressive/anxiety symptoms (r (39) = 0.477, p < .01). Psychological distress was moderately associated with feelings of hopelessness (r (39) = 0.403, p < .01), however, the relationship between physical pain and hopelessness was weak and nonsignificant (r (39) = -0.06, p = .71). Contrary to expectations, emotional support did not buffer the effects of psychological distress (r (39) = 0.07, p = 0.66). Mediational analysis confirmed that emotional support did not influence the relationship between physical pain and psychological distress (Beta (β) = -0.969, p = 0.572; Sobel Z = 0.5598, p = 0.575). Age was not correlated with psychological distress (r (39) = -0.24, p = 0.13) or mental health symptoms (r (39) = -0.05, p = .77). While there was no significant difference across sex, males reported higher mental health symptomatology and psychological distress scores than female counterparts. These findings underscore the direct impact of physical pain on psychological distress and challenge assumptions about the protective role of social support. The study highlights the need for integrated, multidisciplinary interventions targeting both physical and psychological pain to mitigate suicide risk among individuals with chronic orthopedic conditions. Future research should iii explore alternative support mechanisms and resilience-building strategies to address the complex interplay of pain, distress, and suicidality.

Intelligent Tutoring Systems In The Age Of Llm-Based Agentic Frameworks - Adapting Small On-Device Language Models For Fact-Checking And Student Compliance Detection, Evan Vahid Naderi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

As large language models (LLMs) demonstrate increasingly sophisticated language understanding capabilities, they offer transformative potential for educational technology, particularly in developing more responsive intelligent tutoring systems (ITS). To develop these systems, a synthesis that balances theoretical frameworks with practical, cutting-edge, and deployable technology would be useful. This thesis aims to advance the field of ITSs theoretically by viewing the modern advancements in natural language processing within the context of the foundational frameworks important to the fields of self-regulated learning, ITSs, and cognitive agents. Then, building on prior research on the ITS MetaTutor \citep{Azevedo2022}, this research focuses on how functions of …

Physical Activity And Hypertension Outcomes Around Menopause In Adult Women—A Secondary Analysis Of The All Of Us Research Program, Meriam F. Naguib

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hypertension significantly impacts menopausal women due to a decrease in estrogen levels. That is due to estrogen level changes, causing many metabolic alterations, one of which is increased vascular resistance, leading to hypertension. Advanced treatments are made available to help alleviate the condition; however, lifestyle modifications—especially physical activity—show a critical role in hypertension control. This thesis explored the effect of physical activity as a non-pharmacological, lifestyle intervention on hypertension in women by menopausal status (pre-, peri-, and post-menopausal). This study used a secondary analysis with a retrospective design. Physical activity was defined using the American Heart Association's (AHA) guidelines (i.e., …

The Stigmatization Of Autism – Why It’S Still Present And How It Affects Women And Individuals Assigned Female At Birth (Afab), Emma Drauer

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to explain some key factors (the theory of mind notion and the narrow perception of autism) that contribute to the stigmatization of autism and the impact this has on autistic women. Autistic women are heavily underrepresented, especially in the scholarly discourse, so this thesis collected first person accounts of autistic experiences through a survey and interviews. This data revealed important information such as the benefits of a diagnosis, how stigma can prevent this and have consequences, and the struggles autistic women face. Unmasking these struggles can help make the general public aware of their …

The Intersection Of Autism Spectrum Disorder And Mental Health: A Focus On College Students, Sudeepta Matha

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Rising prevalence rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), changes in diagnostic criteria, and increased public awareness have all contributed to the growing population of college students with ASD. However, many individuals - commonly referred to as the “lost generation” - go undiagnosed, due to experiencing negative interactions with mental health professionals. As a result, these individuals are not given the proper support and interventions required for a successful transition into adulthood, and often face heightened social isolation, academic problems, mental health challenges compared to their neurotypical peers. A combination of these factors can lead to increased suicidal ideation (SI) and …

Anxiety And Adaptive Functioning In Young Adults: The Moderating Role Of Psychological Flexibility, Makenzie L. Kennedy, Jeffrey E. Cassisi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Anxiety is highly prevalent among emerging adults and is associated with impairments in academic, social, and daily functioning. While previous research has documented strong associations between anxiety and adaptive functioning, the present study uniquely tested psychological flexibility as a potential moderator that may foster resilience and adaptive coping.

Undergraduate students (N = 522) from the University of Central Florida completed measures of anxiety (PROMIS-A, GAD-7, STAI-S), adaptive functioning (WHODAS 2.0), and psychological flexibility (COMPACT-23). Confirmatory factor analyses supported distinct but correlated latent constructs of anxiety and adaptive functioning. Due to poor subscale intercorrelations, the COMPACT-23 total score was modeled as …

Generation Z’S Perception Of Skin Cancer And How It Relates To Climate Change, Piercen Bogolea

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, and climate change has been identified as a significant contributor. Preventative action early on can help reduce occurrence, but it is unknown if Generation Z is aware of this and is taking the necessary action now to protect themselves. This research aims to gauge the perception of Generation Z on the severity of skin cancer, the relationship between climate change and skin cancer, and the prevalence of preventative measures being taken. A survey was distributed to students aged 18 to 27 enrolled at the University of Central Florida through mixed sampling. The …

Genomic Epidemiology Of Staphylococcus Aureus Sequence-Type 97, Eva Armao

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a gram-positive bacterial pathogen that colonizes human nasal passages, mucous membranes, or the skin of carriers, with colonization commonly found in 20-30% of healthy people. S. aureus has the potential for two types of infection within human hosts: methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA). These infections can be further classified based on their route of infection, either known as community-associated (CA), healthcare-associated (HA), or healthcare-associated community-onset (HACO). Upon further investigation of infected populations, specific genetic subtypes of S. aureus, known as sequence types (ST), have been identified globally, with some exhibiting increased virulence among …

The Yeasty Rise Of Conservatism By Fermenting Sourdough, Sydney M. Mcrae

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Baking has become increasingly popular in the last five years, particularly baking sourdough bread. This is evident through the rise of social media influencers focusing on trad-wife, family, and sourdough content. Trad wife is the term used to describe a a woman who lives a lifestyle that endorses gender roles, child-rearing, and taking care of the family. There is significant crossover between American social conservative ideals and a trad-wife. The emblem for a tradwife has become baking sourdough since the coronavirus pandemic. Previous research has linked the correlation between American social conservatism and the increasingly popular trad-wife phenomenon. Existing literature …

Multi-Criteria Gis Suitability Analysis For Sustainable Agricultural Tourism Site Selection In Peru, Jessica J. Mccord

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Agricultural tourism offers a mechanism to strengthen rural economies while preserving traditional practices and unique cultural identities. In the Peruvian Andes, rural communities confront increasing challenges in the face of a changing climate and reliance on industrialized agriculture. Rural communities attempt to strike a delicate balance between economic development and heritage preservation. This research utilizes a Geographic Information System (GIS)- based analysis to identify areas best positioned for the development of agritourism initiatives. The suitability analysis integrates both local and global sustainability priorities by incorporating a set of defined criteria that together identify areas that are the most appropriate for …

Identification Of Fiducial Points In Seismocardiographic Cycles Using Manual And Automated Annotation Methods, Jasmine-Vy T. Truong

Honors Undergraduate Theses

There is currently a need for complementary methods for non-invasive cardiac monitoring. Seismocardiography (SCG), the measurement of cardiac-induced vibrations at the chest surface, has shown potential clinical utility. Improving the reliability of detecting fiducial points of electrocardiography (ECG) and SCG, which collectively capture the electro-mechanical cardiac activities, could expand ECG/SCG utility as a low-cost, accessible tool for clinical assessment. This study identifies commonly accepted criteria for fiducial point detection in SCG and ECG through an extensive literature review and signal processing techniques. The previous criteria were evaluated to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Based on the findings, an improved set …

Uv- Altered Macrophages: Impact Of Uv Radiation On Phagocytic Receptor Expression In M2 Macrophages And Implications For Tissue Repair And Immunosuppression, Hala Hafez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Ultraviolet radiation is an environmental stressor known to suppress immune function in the skin, but its effect on the immunoregulatory M2 phenotype macrophages is poorly studied. This study aims to investigate the impact of UV exposure on key markers of the M2 macrophage, which are critical for tissue repair and immunosuppression. THP-1 monocytes were differentiated and polarized into the M2 phenotype using Phorbol-12 myristate (PMA) and Cytokines IL-4 and IL-10. Once differentiation was confirmed, the macrophages were exposed to varying durations of UV radiation. Real Time Quantitative PCR was used to analyze expression changes in phagocytic receptors (CD206, CD163, Arg-1), …

Flame Boundary Effects Of Hydrogen-Air Premixing, Alecson L. De Lima Junior

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The objective of this research was to investigate the reaction of hydrogen and heated air premixing when injected into a combusting ethylene-air crossflow, and to study the flame stabilization location with varying premixing levels. The main parameter of this investigation was the flame stabilization diagnosed through chemiluminescence, based on recorded equivalence ratio, temperature, and flame boundaries, and maintaining a constant air temperature, hydrogen and air mass flow, and momentum flux ratios. Testing was conducted at different ratios of hydrogen and air premixing achieved through alternating the distance between the point where hydrogen and air are mixed and the combusting crossflow. …

The Effect Of Social Hierarchy And Captivity On Behavior In Cercopithecus Petaurista, Haley Bombard

Undergraduate Scholarship and Creative Works

The social hierarchy within three Cercopithecus petaurista individuals was studied to determine how the influence of captivity affects behavior. The three individuals were monitored from August-November, and the data retained was focused on aggression and allogrooming behaviors. The group consisted of one dominant male and two females in the Central Florida Zoo, and behavioral observations were recorded at 10-minute intervals. Results showed that the dominant male infrequently engaged in allogrooming behavior but more often received it from the less dominant females. The hierarchy and social status of the females was shown and influenced by the allogrooming given and received between …