Digital Commons Network^™

Practitioner Ethics And Controversial Advertising: A Qualitative Study Of Moral Reasoning Across Product Categories, Teodora Florido Tavares De Souza

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Advertising professionals frequently face ethical challenges in their work, yet the ways they define, recognize, and address these dilemmas remain underexplored. This study examines how practitioners perceive and respond to ethical issues in their work, particularly when it comes to promoting products and services that raise significant public health concerns, such as alcohol, tobacco, and gambling. Drawing on Drumwright and Murphy’s (2004) concepts of Moral Myopia, Moral Muteness, and Moral Imagination, this research investigates how practitioners’ ethical awareness can be shaped by the nature of the product being advertised. Through interviews with industry professionals, the study examines how the ethical …

Growth Mindset And Practice Strategy In Expert Pianists, Yiling Li

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Growth mindset is often theorized to support persistence, strategic learning, and reflective regulation, yet little is known about whether growth mindset differentiates how expert pianists organize and evaluate their practice strategies. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine whether expert pianists’ growth mindset beliefs relate to multidimensional practice strategy effectiveness and usage and to metacognitive indicators of adaptive regulation, including strategy adaptability, self-monitoring effectiveness, confidence in strategy selection, and the illusion of fluency (feeling well prepared in practice yet underperforming in performance). Participants were 90 expert pianists (piano faculty members at North American universities classified as Research 1) who …

Exploring Graduate Nursing Students’ Learning Experiences, Perceived Cognitive Loads, And Attitudes Toward Immersive Virtual Reality (Ivr) In Clinical Training Environments, Pranam Parsanlal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Simulation-based education (SBE) is a widely used learning method in nursing education to develop clinical skills, while in recent years, immersive virtual reality (IVR) has become a sought-after SBE method. There is a significant need to understand how to support IVR integration. Previous research suggests exploring students’ perceptions and experiences toward IVR holistically and comprehensively to understand how to integrate IVR into nursing educational practices. This explanatory sequential mixed methods research study aimed to explore the learning experiences, perceived cognitive loads, and attitudes toward IVR of 11 graduate nursing students in an IVR clinical training environment. To explore perceptions, students …

Numerals And Other Means Of Expressing Plurality In Language And Thought: A Developmental Perspective Across Cultures., Giovanni Giuseppe G.G. Nicosia Prof.

Numeracy

Several ancient languages use linguistic structures to differentiate between singular, dual, and plural forms that are used when one, two, or many objects are referenced. (Some languages go further, adding a trial form to differentiate two from three.) In many modern languages, numerals are used to convey precise number. After reviewing a range of ways languages express number (including the interesting case of Pirahã which does not express precise number), the paper concludes with a proposed developmental path for the expression of quantity in languages.

Youmatter: A Nursing Workforce Study, Stacy L. Pryor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The sustainability and health of the nursing profession are immediate and pressing concerns. Despite decades of research, nurses continue to struggle with high levels of stress and burnout, raising concerns about patient safety and error risk. One in 10 patients is estimated to experience an adverse patient event, with half being preventable, underscoring the need to understand the factors that affect stress among nurses and the subsequent risk of adverse patient events. This dissertation has the following aims: 1) to evaluate whether cognitive failure risk that could lead to an adverse patient event was associated with subjective measures of stress, …

The Bidirectional Effects Of Engaging In Hazard Perception And Work-Related Phone Calls, Hannah V. Pannell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the bidirectional effects of conducting work-related phone negotiations during a driving task. With the prevalence of multitasking in today's fast-paced environments, understanding the effects of dual-task interference is critical for enhancing road safety and workplace efficiency. Experiment 1 established a foundational understanding that multitasking negatively affects both driving ability and negotiation outcomes. Experiment 2 employed an accomplice script to standardize negotiation quality, revealing that while dual-tasking again impaired driving performance, focused negotiators earned more points on the integrative items and overall. Analyses of negotiation behaviors further indicate differences in the use of distributive behaviors. Together, these experiments …

Development And Evaluation Of The Interdisciplinary Graduate-Level Experiential Global Aging Education Program In The United States: A Case Of The Gerontology In Japan Course, Takashi Yamashita, Flavius R W Lilly, Diane B. Martin, Mio Kamijo

Journal of Global Education and Research

The cultural competence of the workforce is increasingly important due to global population aging and the growing diversity of the older population. Experiential learning, particularly through study abroad programs, is a known strategy to enhance these competencies; yet such training remains uncommon in higher education, especially at the graduate level. While the United States is currently a relatively young country with 17% of its population aged 65 years and older, the percentage is projected to increase to more than 21% by the end of this decade. Recognizing the value of learning from a super-aged society, a two-week study abroad course …

Bullying And Discrimination Experiences Of Bhutanese College Students: Prevalence, Impacts, And Responses, Kezang Sherab, John Howard

Journal of Global Education and Research

Prior studies as well as media reports have identified bullying and discrimination amongst Bhutanese school and college students as a cause of concern, especially so for a nation with Gross National Happiness as its goal. Bullying and discrimination are associated with negative outcomes and can impact overall well-being. This quantitative study examined bullying and discrimination amongst college students (n = 16) in Bhutan through a self-administered online survey to a representative sample of 2043 (male = 40.8%; female = 55.8%). There was a non-significant decline from the 2016 survey in the reported prevalence of being bullied (from 45.2% to …

Artificial Intelligence Capabilities, Generational Involvement, And Competitive Performance: Case Of Tunisian Family Businesses, Rim Gafsi

Journal of Global Business Insights

Anchored in Dynamic Capabilities Theory, this study examines the effect of Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities on the competitive performance of family firms and the moderating role of generational involvement. Using survey data from 120 Tunisian family firms adopting AI between 2021 and 2024 and applying confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling, the findings show that AI capabilities significantly enhance firm performance, while generational involvement has no moderating effect. This challenges the assumption that intergenerational transitions inherently drive innovation and provides novel evidence from Tunisia that performance gains stem primarily from the strategic integration of AI rather than generational dynamics. …

Does Abusive Supervision Undermine Creativity? A Buffering Role Of Absorptive Capacity, Sayma H. Shetu, Md. Sanaul Islam, Abdul G. Khan, Md. Shahed Mahmud

Journal of Global Business Insights

This study investigates the underlying processes of this relationship by examining knowledge hiding as a mediator and absorptive capacity as a moderator, within the context of the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. 385 garment sector employees in Bangladesh were surveyed using a three-wave questionnaire, and the results were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The study's findings demonstrate that abusive supervision negatively impacts employee creativity, in part by increasing knowledge hiding. Furthermore, higher absorptive capacity mitigates these adverse effects, reducing knowledge-hiding tendencies and enhancing creative performance. Theoretically, this study advances COR theory by identifying knowledge hiding as a …

Tourists’ Perceptions Of Autonomous Vehicles: A Qualitative Approach, Nese Yilmaz, Eda Ozgul-Katlav, Ozan Atsiz

Journal of Global Business Insights

This study examines travelers’ perceptions and attitudes toward autonomous vehicles (AVs) in tourism destinations. Adopting a qualitative approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 travelers and analyzed using content analysis. Drawing on a cognitive–affective perspective, the findings reveal that travelers’ evaluations of AVs are shaped by both perceived advantages and disadvantages, which are closely linked to their perceptions and emotional responses. The results further indicate that cognitive (perceptions) and affective (feelings) responses are associated with behavioral intentions, including destination choice and willingness to pay for AV services. While many participants expressed positive expectations regarding convenience and novelty, concerns …

Effects Of Peer-Assisted Reading To Enhance Reading Proficiency For Learners With Mild Hearing Impairment Included In A South African Mainstream Classroom, Gaone Molapisi, Nareadi Phasha

Journal of Global Education and Research

This paper reports on the findings of a case study investigating the effects of peer-assisted reading in relation to learners identified with mild hearing impairment included in South African general education settings. These learners are often confronted with considerable challenges in developing proficient reading skills, which are crucial for curriculum access. In this study, peers with no hearing loss assisted learners with hearing impairment in reading activities to enhance their reading proficiency. The study involved two female educators and 15 learners in Grade 8 presenting with hearing impairment. The study employed a case study design, with data gathered through direct …

Globalizing The Engineering Job Market: Optimizing Engineering Career Expos To Serve International Students, Hailey A. Hesseltine

Journal of Global Education and Research

As the United States hosts approximately one million international students annually, it becomes imperative that on-campus resources are tailored to meet the needs of this diverse student population. One on-campus resource that is crucial to student success is career services, especially considering the aspirations of many international students to secure employment post-graduation. To address this, this study aimed to understand the satisfaction levels of international engineering students with an engineering career expo in Hawaiʻi. Utilizing a combination of surveys and interviews using a neo-racism framework, international students shared their experiences from the career expo through discussion and assessment. Information given …

Impact Of Femalized Kinesthetic Learning Model On African American Middle School Girls’ Career Interest, Mercy F. Fash, Andrea Ofori-Boadu

Journal of Global Education and Research

Engaging African American middle school girls in out-of-school-time (OST) Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) programs can boost interest in male-dominated AEC careers. This study adopts Lent’s Social Cognitive Career Theory to evaluate the impact of an OST feminized AEC kinesthetic learning model (fAEC-KLM) on the career interests of this demographic. Through a qualitative research approach, fourteen (14) African American middle school girls from Guilford County, NC, completed pre- and post-interviews on how fAEC-KLM interactions influenced their AEC career interests. Inductive thematic analysis was carried out on transcribed interviews. Results show that effective components, such as lectures on AEC, bridge construction …

Does Ict Use As A Strategic Response To Globalization Matter For Sme Performance In Nigeria? Mediating Roles Of Entrepreneurial Orientation, Strategic Agility, And Organizational Resilience, Uzoma H. Ononye

Journal of Global Business Insights

This study examined the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) use on small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) performance with a focus on the mediating roles of entrepreneurial orientation, strategic agility, and organizational resilience. Cross-sectional data were collected from 298 SMEs in Lagos, Nigeria, using a questionnaire based on previously validated measurement scales. Partial least squares modelling was applied to test the hypothesized five-factor model. The results demonstrate that ICT use, in response to globalization, exerts a significant and positive effect on SME performance. However, this effect is fully mediated by entrepreneurial orientation, strategic agility, and organizational resilience. The analysis …

Advances In Culture, Tourism, And Hospitality Research: Volume 1, Cihan Cobanoglu, Hanqin Qiu, Jiaying Lyu, James H. W. Shen

University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

This is the first volume of the Advances in Culture, Tourism, and Hospitality Research Book Series.

Bridging The Intention-Implementation Divide In Generative Ai Adoption: An Integrated Model Of Psychological, Behavioral And Social Drivers, Mohamed Walid Mohamed Lotfy Abdallah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the gap between professionals’ intentions to use Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and their actual adoption behavior in workplace settings. Although Generative AI offers substantial potential to improve efficiency and performance, concerns about control, misuse and organizational risk have led to inconsistencies between intended and enacted use. Motivated by this misalignment, the study investigates the psychological, behavioral and social mechanisms that shape the intention-implementation divide. Drawing on an integrated framework combining the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Technology Acceptance Model, alongside personality traits, the research conceptualizes adoption as a phase-specific process involving evaluative, motivational and volitional components. …

Sensi-Train: Context-Aware Sensitive Content Detection Using Transformers And Large Language Models, Nazeefa Muzammil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The detection of sensitive content has become a critical task in natural language processing due to the widespread use of online platforms and the social harm caused by it. Even though current methods have advanced significantly, many of them mainly rely on surface-level text and neglect to take into consideration contextual and cultural elements that are crucial for correctly assessing sensitivity of any content to a particular individual. Due to this, implicit offense, sarcasm, and culturally grounded expressions frequently cause problems for such systems. To enable culturally grounded sensitive content detection, this thesis presents Sensi-Train, a context-rich dataset and modeling …

Inside The System, Outside The Circle: A Parent-Educator’S Journey Of Navigating Through Systemic Oppression While Advocating For Her Son With A Learning Disability, Sanora L. White

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This autoethnographic study examines how I, as a Black parent-educator, navigated racialized and ableist educational systems while advocating for my child with a learning disability. Grounded in Disability Studies in Education, DisCrit, Critical Pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning, and Black Feminist Thought, the study explores how systemic inequities shape parent–teacher collaboration and how advocacy functions as relational care and resistance. The guiding research question asked how I experienced and navigated collaboration within racialized and ableist special education systems. Data sources included reflective journals, IEP documents, personal narratives, and dialogic conversations with critical friends. Using composite narratives and thematic analysis, the …

The Role Of Fkbp51 In The Regulation Of Reproductive Aging And Prenatal Stress-Impaired Ovarian Function And Development, Monica C. Moore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

FK506-binding protein 51 (FKBP51) is an immunophilin that acts as a co-chaperone with heat shock protein 90 that negatively regulates transcriptional activity of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and progesterone receptor (PR), and FKBP51 levels are increased by stress conditions. Our previous studies demonstrate that Fkbp5 gene depletion was protective against maternal re-strained stress-induced preterm birth (PTB), fetal growth restriction (FGR), and maternal stress-induced age-related decline in live births. We hypothesize that FKBP51 contributes to impaired ovarian development and folliculogenesis induced by prenatal stress (PNS). Timed-pregnant Fkbp5+/+ (wild-type) and Fkbp5−/− (knockout) mice were randomly assigned to either the undis-turbed (nonstress) or PNS …

Crow's Nest, February 23, 2026, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The February 23, 2026 issue of Crow's Nest.

Navigating (M)Otherhood: Perception, Practice, & Policy Of Adolescent Pregnancy In The North Coast Of Perú, Mahir Rahman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“It’s a vicious circle”, the obstetricians of Huanchaco repeated time and time again after discussing a recently pregnant 13-year-old girl who had just moved to the North Coast of Perú. Adolescent pregnancy is an extremely stigmatized topic in global maternal and child health discourse. Pregnant adolescents are subject to educational policy, clinical protocol, and community practice. While global scholarship emphasizes adolescent pregnancy prevention, limited scholarship focuses on the conditions in which adolescent pregnancy is perceived, discussed, and managed. More importantly, these perspectives are even less documented amongst the North Coast of Perú.

This thesis serves as an ethnographic exploration of …

The Role Of Campus Symbols In College Student Belonging: A Photo-Elicitation And Photovoice Qualitative Study, Abigail W. Bradley-Tyler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examines the impact of campus symbols on the sense of belonging among second-year students at a public, four-year institution in Florida. This topic is relevant as there is a lack of research about positive or neutral campus symbols. Using sense of belonging and symbolic interactionism as theoretical frameworks, this study investigates how students interpret and emotionally connect with university symbols, including campus mascots, monuments, personnel, and campus traditions and rituals. Using photo-elicitation and photovoice interviews, participants engaged with photographs of official university symbols and captured images representing their campus experience. Using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis, the …

Emotion Differentiation As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Affect And Alcohol Use Among College Students: An Ecological Momentary Assessment, Gaelle El Helou

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use remains prevalent among young adults and particularly college students. Research shows a link between affective states and alcohol consumption, although recent findings appear to be unequivocal on the effect of negative and positive emotions on college drinking. While emotion differentiation (ED) has been associated with alcohol use, previous research has focused mostly on clinical treatment adult populations and / or negative emotions, focusing less on the role that positive emotions play in drinking, particularly among college students. The current study explored the moderating role of negative and positive emotion differentiation (NED / PED) in the association between negative …

Improving Quantitative Support Across An Institution Using An Ecosystem Framework, Laura Muller, Melissa Eblen-Zayas

Numeracy

In our keynote address at the 2025 National Numeracy Network Annual Meeting, we introduced the framework we developed for considering four domains of an institution’s quantitative skills/reasoning support ecosystem that includes bridge programs with a quantitative component, approaches to assessing readiness, curricular on-ramps, and supplementary support. We believe this ecosystem framework has the potential to help campus leaders coordinate institutional efforts around student success in areas connected to students’ quantitative preparation. This keynote highlighted the idea that coordination of stakeholders and their engagement with domains of the ecosystem fall along a spectrum. We provide approaches for using this framework to …

Eye Of The Beholder: Exploring Correlates Of Subjective Cognition In Older Adults With And Without Insomnia, Amy N. Costa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is unclear how subjective cognition is related to current objective cognitive functioning in older adults, but subjective cognitive complaints are a risk factor for future cognitive decline. A lack of awareness of even subtle changes in objective cognitive performance could lead to missed opportunities for early intervention. Given past work and known associations between sleep, cardiac autonomic functioning, and cognition (both subjective and objective), it is plausible to hypothesize these factors may influence subjective cognition. Understanding how and when the subjective and objective cognition relationship diverges may inform clinicians on how to best assess cognitive functioning and factors (i.e., …

Understanding The Effect Of Affective Context On Conflict Monitoring Through Erp And Behavioral Indices Of Cognitive Control, Amanda Holbrook

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding cognitive control in response to conflict requires examining how control-related processes are modulated by affect. This study tested the negative-affective signaling hypothesis, which posits that negative affect elicited by conflict enhances cognitive control. Undergraduate participants (n=73) completed an affective-flanker task in which affective images preceded flanker stimuli. Cognitive control was indexed by the error-related negativity (ERN), conflict N2, response times (RTs), and accuracy, and late positive potential (LPP) to images indexed motivated attention. Across hypotheses, adding event-related potential (ERP) coupling terms did not improve the predictive accuracy of multilevel models, providing no evidence for the predicted trial-to-trial affect-control coupling. …

Crow's Nest, February 9, 2026, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The February 9, 2026 issue of Crow's Nest.

A Review Of Deborah Weiss's Women And Madness In The Early Romantic Novel: Injured Minds, Ruined Lives, Jennifer L. Nault Ms

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

A review of Women and Madness in the Early Romantic Novel by Jennifer Nault.

Teaching Phillis Wheatley Peters’S Morals On Words And Actions In American Literature To 1860, Don Holmes

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

This article argues that teaching Phillis Wheatley-Peters (c. 1753-1784) as a moral authority during the American Revolution provides a robust historical framework for fostering an empowering humanism in students. When Phillis Wheatley Peters wrote to Indigenous Mohegan Minister Samson Occom (1723-1792) in 1774, she expressed satisfaction with his reasons for recognizing the conditions faced by enslaved Africans in North America. Her didactic perspective aimed to enlighten her readers about the limitations of the human condition: “This I desire not for their Hurt, but to convince them of the strange Absurdity of their Conduct whose Words and Actions are so diametrically …