Digital Commons Network^™

A Loud, Fearless Voice: Louise Thompson Patterson, Triple Exploitation, And Intersectionality, Bethany Brooke Champlin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Louise Thompson Patterson, in her life as an activist, represented an extraordinary few who found the world she existed in lacking, and spent her life trying to change it, not only to better her own life, but to focus on the lives and problems of those who were seemingly disconnected from her. By following Louise Thompson Patterson’s political development, and examining her work as an activist of class, race, and gendered issues, her own development of the idea of “triple exploitation” or “triple oppression” is clear not only in her actions but in her writing. Through her experiences in the …

The Relationship Between Sports Related Head Injuries, Mental Health And Academic Performance In University Student-Athletes, Odyssey Keller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student athletes face many challenges when it comes to participating in team sports, one of the most notable being sport-related head injuries. Concussions are a growing concern since they have the potential to impact mental health and academic performance long-term. While many athletes report recovery within weeks, some continue to struggle with impairments in their psychological functioning and overall mental well-being that interferes with academic performance over time. Many of the standardized protocols in place for concussion management vary across institutions. This study aimed to address gaps in the existing literature by assessing concussion history, mental health and academic challenges …

"Am I A Man Or A Muppet": A Rhetorical Analysis Of Generative Ai’S Representation Of Gender, Jessica Boaz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how generative artificial intelligence constructs and performs gender roles through a rhetorical analysis of the fully AI-generated podcast Fairytale Forensics. Drawing on theories of constitutive rhetoric, stereotyping, and McLuhan’s approach to the medium, this thesis investigates how AI-generated hosts interpret classic fairy tales while simultaneously reproducing and negotiating gender norms through the lens of prosopopoeia, metonymy and synecdoche. These performances rely on normative gender stereotypes that align with broader societal expectations, thereby potentially reinforcing existing cultural assumptions about masculinity and femininity. Ultimately, it demonstrates that AI-generated discourse does not merely reflect human biases but actively participates in …

Scrolling For Connection: The Influence Of Loneliness, Self-Esteem, And Stress On Susceptibility To Conformity-Driven Online Purchasing And Gambling Behaviors In Generation Z, Emily M. Bauknight

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to examine the relationships among loneliness, self-esteem, conformity, and online purchasing and gambling behaviors in Generation Z college students. To do so, a cross-sectional design was implemented with a sample of 69 undergraduate and graduate students who completed self-report measures assessing self-esteem, loneliness, conformity, psychological distress, online shopping addiction, and online gambling severity. Data were analyzed using SPSS through multiple and simple linear regression analyses, moderated regression, and Pearson correlations. Results indicated that selfesteem and loneliness were not significant predictors of conformity, and conformity did not predict online shopping or gambling behaviors. Additionally, self-esteem, loneliness, and conformity …

Timing Of Parental Divorce And Spiritual Behavior In Young Adulthood: A Quantitative Study, Marcus A. North

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: While the literature on divorce and its impacts on children currently is quite robust, additional information can be contributed to specific factors that impact spiritual outcomes later in life. This research study sought to investigate the relationship between a child’s age at the time of their parents’ divorce and their subsequent spiritual behavior in young adulthood.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey was created, utilizing two previously validated instruments: Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES) and the Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS-15). The survey was administered online through Qualtrics software; participants were recruited through non-random purposive sampling, as well as participant snowballing.

Results: …

Attachment And Betrayal: Post-Infidelity Attachment Issues With A Focus On Gender, Taylor Forsythe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Infidelity represents a significant relational trauma that may disturb attachment processes such as trust, emotional intimacy, and closeness. There is a gap in the literature on how different infidelity exposures may relate to these attachment responses; more so, there is a dearth of information on the gender differences for attachment issues following any kind of infidelity. The purpose of this study aimed to examine differences in avoidant and anxious attachment across infidelity groups (no infidelity, non-sexual infidelity, sexual infidelity), and a further comparison of gender differences in those groups. Participants (N = 151) completed online surveys in a larger study …

"We're Not The Exception. We're The Expectation.": Black Undergraduate Men Disrupting The Dominant Discourse Through Narratives Of Persistence And Belonging At A Predominantly White Institution, Michael M. Mack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black undergraduate men (BUM) at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) have often been portrayed through deficit-oriented narratives that emphasize barriers and premature departure while minimizing the voices of those who persist and cultivate belonging. The researcher addressed this problem by examining how BUM at a private PWI narrated their persistence and belonging, and how their narratives disrupted the dominant discourse about Black men in higher education. Literature regarding BUM at PWIs has too often centered obstacles and attrition while overlooking the voices, strategies, and experiences of BUM who persist. Therefore, Black men’s narratives were solicited to better understand what enabled persistence …

A Qualitative Study On Exploring The Underrepresentation Of Women Of Color In Fortune 500 Executive Leadership, Cherrese J. Belt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study the researcher examined the persistent underrepresentation of women of color in senior leadership roles within Fortune 500 companies. Despite the increasing number of highly qualified women of color, access to executive-level leadership opportunities remains disproportionately limited. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the barriers experienced by women of color in advancing to senior leadership positions and to identify strategies used to navigate these barriers. The researcher collected data through semistructured interviews with 10 women of color in management and senior leadership roles, each with over 15 years of professional experience in the United …

The Impact Of Traditional Machismo On Mental Health Outcomes: Depression And Suicide Risk Among Latino Immigrant And Non-Immigrant Men, Yesenia A, Romero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditional masculine norms have long been recognized as influential factors in men’s psychological well-being. Within Latino cultures, the construct of machismo represents a culturally specific form of masculinity characterized by ideals of masculinity and characterized by ideals of strength, dominance, and emotional restraint. While these norms may promote resilience and family responsibilities, rigid adherence to traditional machismo has also been associated with emotional suppression, reduced help-seeking behaviors, and increased psychological distress. The present study conducted a meta-analysis to examine the relationship between traditional machismo and mental health outcomes among Latino men, with particular attention to depressive symptoms as well as …

Voices Of A New Era: A Discursive Psychology Study Of Influencer-Follower Discourse On Tiktok, Andrea Guerrero Hernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study researched and investigated the discourse of five mega fashion influencers on TikTok, as well as the discourse of 15 followers engaging with fashion influencer content on the same platform. The theory used to guide this study was discursive psychology theory, which provided the groundwork for understanding how both influencers and followers position their identities, justify their actions and decisions, and construct their reality. The primary aim of this research is to deepen understanding of how influencer discourse shapes follower discourse, identifying recurring patterns, contradictions, and the ways in which tensions are negotiated. The findings reveal a range …

The Intersection Of Dark Triad Leadership And Organizational Commitment: Examining The Efficacy Of Educational Intervention Among K–12 Central Office Peer Leaders, Monica R. Shallenberger

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intersection of toxic leadership traits and workplace loyalty remains a critical area of study within educational administration. The purpose of this quantitative, quasiexperimental study was to examine whether a targeted educational intervention, an asynchronous online minicourse focused on the dark triad leadership traits of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, influenced the organizational commitment of U.S. K–12 central office peer leaders. This study addressed a gap in the literature regarding proactive strategies for peer leaders, defined as coworkers in leadership positions who are not in supervisory roles over the toxic leaders. I employed a one-group pretest and posttest design to measure …

Cultivating Diversity: Investigating Hispanic College Students’ Attitudes Toward Teaching Amid The U.S. Teacher Shortage Crisis, Daniela Andrea Hernandez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The underrepresentation of Hispanic teachers in U.S. public education remains a significant concern as Hispanic students comprise a growing proportion of the K–12 population. Despite this demographic shift, the educator’s workforce has not reflected the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students it serves. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore first- and second-year Hispanic college students’ perceptions of teaching as a profession and to examine how their educational and personal experiences influenced their career interests. The study was informed by social cognitive career theory and culturally relevant teaching theory to better understand how self-efficacy, outcome expectations, …

Navigating The Shift: Supporting Health Sciences Faculty Transitioning From Industry To Asynchronous Online Education, Joshua D. Snyder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative exploratory study examined how new online instructors in the health sciences division of a North Texas community college experienced institutional onboarding and professional development as they transitioned from industry roles into asynchronous online teaching. As community colleges expand online instruction to meet the needs of nontraditional learners, many health sciences faculty enter academic roles with strong clinical expertise but limited preparation in online pedagogy. Guided by the community of inquiry framework and self-efficacy theory, this study explored instructors’ perceptions of their preparedness for asynchronous teaching; the instructional challenges they encountered, particularly related to student engagement; and the types …

Navigating Social Belonging: Live Experiences Of Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities In Inclusive Postsecondary Education Programs, Brian Keys

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs have expanded access to higher education for students with intellectual disabilities (ID), yet access alone does not ensure meaningful inclusion or a sense of belonging. This study examined how students with ID experience and make meaning of social belonging within inclusive college environments. Grounded in disability studies and belongingness theory, the study focused on how students perceive belonging, navigate social relationships, and experience campus spaces in relation to inclusion and exclusion.

An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) design was employed to explore the lived experiences of four young adults enrolled in a university-based IPSE program. Participants …

Computer Vision And Deep Learning-Based Decision Support System Using Eye Motion Tracking For Nystagmus Detection, Kowshik Balasubramanian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the design, implementation, and experimental validation of an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven system for detecting and quantifying nystagmus an involuntary, rhythmic oscillation of the eyes intended as a portable, low-cost complement to conventional Videonystagmography (VNG). The complete pipeline integrates six algorithmic stages: face landmark detection, contrast enhancement, background-aware pixel thresholding, grid-based vertical column filtering, connected-component cluster analysis, and centroid computation, operating in real time on standard smartphone video to extract a sub-pixel normalized iris position time-series without any specialized eye-tracking hardware or infrared illumination. The system supports diagnostic decision-making, highlighting its promise for incorporation into telemedicine settings. The …

Any One & Every One, Sarah V. Dumitrascu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With a predictable job, a rent-stabilized apartment, and stellar dental insurance, still, Ever E. Whan does not like her office job any more than she did on day one. Nothing about it suits her—not the work, the hours, the team, not the break-room coffee machine. She thinks of quitting every day, but something she can’t name, but feels overwhelmingly, keeps her there. While she fantasizes about her grand resignation, she isn’t moved to act until a tragedy occurs on the job.

Hoping to do just about anything else, Ever isn’t quite prepared for the offer she’s given: to work as …

Simulated Subjects, Real Responses: Surveying Decision Judgments Across Biological And Artificial Agents, Alara Karatuna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Silicon participants are large language model generated research participants who are embedded with demographic information, as well as personality measures. The use of silicon participants in the behavioral sciences field is underexplored. This current study generated silicon participants based on human data (N=514), where each silicon participant matches their human counterpart. Both samples were asked to respond to seven decision-making dilemmas that are written from scratch. The dilemmas differ in their severity and represent the ambiguity of social life. Responses of the silicon participants were generated using ChatGPT 4.0. This is the first study that embedded personality traits …

An Analysis Of Surface-Level Macro And Microplastics Along Western Central Leyte, Philippines, Graham B. Morrison-Plumley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With the pervasive use of plastics worldwide, their environmental effects can reach even the most remote ecosystems. This study examines both macro and microplastic pollution in the Greater Baybay region in western Leyte, Philippines. Samples from 10 separate sites within Baybay and its adjacent communities represent the unique environmental and geologic diversity of the central Visayan region of the Philippines. At each of the 10 sampling sites, 3 excavations were conducted, yielding 30 samples. Macroplastics were collected in the field, immediately around microplastic digs. Microplastic samples were analyzed in Florida Atlantic University’s Environmental Change Lab. It was determined that spatial …

Llm For Clinical Named Entity Recognition: A Study On Rag With Pubmed And Umls, Apoorv Tripathi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The first step of biomedical NLP is recognizing clinical named entities, which consist of identifying and categorizing a variety of clinical entities such as diseases, symptoms, genetics, diagnostic tests, procedures, etc. from a body of unstructured clinical text. This study presents a PubMed and UMLS based Retrieval Augmented Generation framework which improves the performance of the Large Language Models to identify clinical entities by providing context. In particular, the framework consists of a two-stage pipeline, where candidate tokens are identified from initial LLM-based classification and refined with retrieved context from either PubMed or UMLS. The proposed framework is assessed across …

The Effects Of Oleuropein In Olive Leaf Extract Alone Or Combined With Calcitriol On The Viability And Migration Of Human Endometrial Cells In Vitro, Katelyn Devereaux

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women worldwide and is commonly associated with pelvic pain, infertility, and reduced quality of life. Current management strategies, including hormonal therapies and surgical intervention, often provide only temporary relief and are associated with recurrence and adverse effects. These limitations highlight the need for alternative, non-hormonal therapeutic approaches that target underlying inflammatory and cellular mechanisms of disease progression.

This study evaluated the effects of oleuropein, contained within an olive leaf extract, and calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, on cellular viability and migration in immortalized human endometriotic epithelial (12Z) …

Weight Concerns And Body Image Dissatisfaction Elicit Maternal Psychological Control Through Escalating Appearance Anxiety Behaviors, Madeleine Guillont

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examines bidirectional associations between adolescent body-related concerns and maternal psychological control, and the behavioral mechanism through which these associations operate. Participants were 723 sixth- through ninth-grade students (350 girls, 373 boys; ages 11–15) attending all public middle and secondary schools in a mid-sized Lithuanian community. Self-report surveys were collected at three time points across the course of a school year. Results from full longitudinal mediation models indicated that higher body image dissatisfaction and weight concerns at the beginning of the school year predicted increases in maternal psychological control at the end of the school year, through increases …

The Faces Behind “La Calle Principal”: The Economic Role Of Tourism In Shaping Local Livelihoods In Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Gabriella Alba

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the socioeconomic influences of a region is a complex endeavor, as many variables contribute to the fluctuations of an economic system, many of which intersect at the political and, in this case, ecological level. Specifically, this research aims to analyze tourism as one of those key factors to answer this question: How does tourism impact the socioeconomic livelihood of locals from La Isla de Santa Cruz, Galapagos? The Galapagos is a series of islands off the coast of Ecuador known for its rich ecological history as a site of scientific discovery. This has led to the archipelago’s extreme protection …

Contesting Protection: Digital Moral Discourses On Child Marriage In Bangladesh, Mashaekh Hassan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how child marriage is represented and morally negotiated on the official Facebook page of UNICEF Bangladesh. Drawing on transnational and Third World feminist critiques of development, it uses feminist content and discourse analysis to analyze twenty-five campaign posts and 2,677 comments (May–July 2025) to trace patterns of representation and moral reasoning. The analysis identifies three dominant representational patterns: child marriage as a rural girls’ issue, rural girls as constrained and victimized, and education as a universal solution, collectively producing a homogenized image of vulnerable girlhood. Two clusters of moral discourse emerge: pro–child marriage (privileging religious morality, critiquing …

Patient-Level Breast Cancer Classification From Multi-View Mammography With Side-Specific Evidence For Interpretability, Bushra Intakhab

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related death among women. Early detection through screening mammography is therefore very important. However, mammogram interpretation can be difficult because abnormalities may be subtle and spread across different views. The increasing workload of radiologists can also affect timely analysis. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely explored to support mammography interpretation by improving speed and consistency. However, many existing AI methods focus on patch-level or image-level analysis rather than the full patient exam. This limits their ability to capture the complete clinical picture, since important information is distributed across multiple views. In …

Determinants Of Self-Employed Retirement Preparation: The Mediating Effects Of Financial Capability, Financial Literacy, And Financial Self-Efficacy, Ricardo Russi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A substantial number of older Americans lack confidence in their retirement preparation, and many approach retirement without a formal plan. Additionally, despite the economic significance of self-employment, little research has examined whether self-employed individuals differ from wage workers in retirement preparation and the conditions of underlying such differences. Guided by capability theory, this dissertation investigates the relationship between self-employment and retirement preparation, with particular attention to the mediating roles of financial capability, financial literacy, and financial self-efficacy.

Using data from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS) (N = 9,499 working-age adults), the study employs Bayesian structural equation modeling to …

Becoming Laser-Focused On Sustainability Leadership In Higher Education Institutions, Ray F. Coleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored leadership responses to integrating sustainability into higher education institutions (HEIs). Specifically, it compared statistical differences between self-perceptions of leadership and student, staff, and faculty perceptions regarding leadership effectiveness for sustainability in two Florida based HEIs: one holding a sustainability certification and one without such certification. In response to a shortage of survey instruments regarding this topic, I produced a new instrument to assess perceptions of leadership sustainability, made statistical comparisons between these two institutions to inform others of those perceptions, and synthesized several leadership components into a proposed change process identified as the Attitude Based Cognitive Dissonance …

A Computer Vision Approach To Analyzing Taxane Effects On Prostate Cancer Cells, Diana Elizabeth Dancea

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Actin is a family of proteins that help create the structure of the cytoskeleton, which gives shape to the cell. In many chemotherapy treatments, researchers target actin because it controls the cell division process. Therefore, if they are able to understand the actin fibers, that may help in formulating methods to stop or slow down cancer cells from reproducing. Another important protein is PAK6, which regulates actin. In our research, a collaborative effort with Prof. Michael Lu’s lab at Florida Atlantic University, we use machine learning techniques to analyze cells which had their PAK6 protein knocked out, and compare them …

Poor Peer Relations During Early Adolescence Amplify Bidirectional Pathways Between Body Dissatisfaction And Alcohol Misuse, Molly Selover

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study focuses on the growth of body dissatisfaction and alcohol misuse, and factors that amplify their interplay. Participants were 221 sixth- and seventh-grade students (118 girls, 103 boys; ages 10–13) attending a public school in Florida. Self-reports and peer nominations were collected at three time points across the course of a school year. Results from parallel process growth models indicated that higher self-reported body dissatisfaction at the beginning of the school year predicted increases in self-reported alcohol misuse across the academic year. Conversely, higher initial alcohol misuse predicted increases in body dissatisfaction. Follow-up analyses revealed that loneliness, low …

Efficient Intrusion Detection For Iomt: Integrating Machine Learning, Feature Selection, And Fuzzy Logic, Ghaida Mansour Balhareth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The internet of medical things (IoMT) has transformed healthcare by enabling real-time patient monitoring, remote diagnoses, and effective data exchange among connected medical devices and clinical systems. The increasing reliance on interconnected medical equipment has also intensified cybersecurity risks, as resource-constrained devices and wireless communication channels are vulnerable to attacks such as man-in-the-middle, spoofing, data injection, and ransomware. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) play a critical role in mitigating these threats; however, traditional IDS approaches often struggle with high-dimensional IoMT data, class imbalance, and uncertainty in traffic patterns, which can increase false alarms and reduce reliability in safety-critical environments. This dissertation …

The Road To Senior Leadership: Senior-Level Administrative Women Leaders In Division I Intercollegiate Athletic Departments, Susan E. Richard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative narrative study examined the career pathways and lived leadership experiences of women serving in senior-level administrative roles within Division I intercollegiate athletics, a traditionally male-dominated industry. Guided by a crucible leadership framework, the study explored how formative experiences shaped participants’ leadership development, professional advancement, and persistence. Nine women who currently or previously served as senior-level administrative leaders participated in the study. Data were collected using an adapted version of Seidman’s three-interview series, supplemented by document analysis and a demographic survey to support triangulation. Interviews were organized into three phases to chronologically capture participants’ career trajectories.

The findings are …