Digital Commons Network^™

Cultural Influences In Political Ideology: Conservatism And Vertical Individualism, Cyrus Sarrafpour

Master's Theses

After an extensive literature review on authoritarianism and right-wing ideology, Jost, Kruglanski, Glaser, and Sulloway (2003) developed a model of conservatism as motivated social cognition. The model asserts that feelings of uncertainty, fear, and threat stimulate existential, epistemic, and ideological social-cognitive motives, which in turn lead to political conservatism in the forms of resistance to change and endorsement of inequality. The model, however, generally bypassed the notion that situational factors, such as cultural values, might also be influential in the manifestation and shaping of conservative ideologies. This study included situational factors such as the role of a hierarchical cultural dimension …

The Impact Of Cargo Bikes On The Travel Patterns Of Women, Jana E. Schwartz

Master's Theses

There are a number of issues preventing the rollout of cargo bikes as a transportation mode in the United States. One concern that has been raised is whether cargo bikes can function as a gender equitable transportation solution in the United States, given documented gender gaps in national bike riding statistics and ongoing inequities in childcare in 2-parent heterosexual households. The research is aimed at reviewing the practicality, enjoyment, and outcome of cargo bike use as a gender equitable transportation solution. This research contributes to new knowledge in gender equitable transportation in 2 ways — a) gender-focused analysis of survey …

The Influence Of Exclusive Breastfeeding On Growth Trajectory From Birth To Year 5 In A Wic Cohort, Lindsey Arevalos

Master's Theses

OBJECTIVE. The impact of exclusively breastfeeding (EBF) on child body mass index (BMI) from birth through 60 months of age was investigated.

METHODS. 60,190 mothers and children attending Women, Infant and Children (WIC) clinics in the Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties of California provided data on breastfeeding duration, maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, and child weight-for-length (WL) was measured at 3 month intervals until 5 years of age. Missing time points were interpolated in determining child BMI/WL z-score trajectories plotted on the Center of Disease Control (CDC) infant and child growth curves. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to contrast …

An Ergonomics Analysis Of Redundancy Effect In Touch Screen Design For The Aged Population, Sarah Riesenberg

Master's Theses

Touch screen technology is rapidly increasing, and at the same time there is a shifting, aging population. As the percentage of the population over the age of 65 increases, adults of the age group are adopting smartphones and tablets more now than ever before. Although older adults are adopting touch screen devices, they face many challenges when interacting with said devices, such as not knowing how to navigate between pages, not knowing where to click for an action to occur, and the touch screen interface is often too sensitive or the buttons are not big enough. Furthermore, the challenges of …

Trust And Complacency In Cyber Security, Ashley Allison Cain

Master's Theses

Improved understanding of conditions that foster appropriate use of security tools by cyber security professionals is crucial for protecting companies from financial losses. Trust has been an important topic in the literature because of its role in allowing for cooperation among humans and automation and because of its relationship with appropriate use. The current study aimed to extend the finding that high trust leads to complacency in the domain of cyber security and to clarify a discrepancy in the literature about complacency’s operationalization by measuring information sampling behaviors directly. The sample consisted of 101 first year psychology students. The independent …

Perceived Organizational Support And Perceived Supervisor Support As Antecedents Of Work Engagement, Kelista Lea Burns

Master's Theses

Research has examined how providing employees with support through the organization and its supervisors is related to beneficial workplace outcomes. However, the use of nearly identical scales in measuring perceived organizational support (POS) and perceived supervisor support (PSS) might have led to consistent correlations and redundancies between the two constructs. To explore whether these scales are problematic in measuring POS and PSS, the purpose of this study was to develop and test new measures of POS and PSS designed to capture the unique characteristics of each construct. Additionally, organizations have become particularly interested in the benefits of work engagement; more …

The Effects Of Online Course Pedagogies On Learning And Cognitive Workload, Kallan Kay Christensen

Master's Theses

The use of recorded lecture video is a common online practice, although the implementation of this pedagogy varies and may have differential impacts on learning depending on the extent to which it increases cognitive workload. This study compared two different online statistics lecture formats: interactive and non-interactive. The interactive lecture video stopped approximately every minute and the participant had to answer a question regarding the material before moving on to the next section of the video. The non-interactive lecture video was the exact same video edited to remove all interactive breaks in the video. Cognitive workload was measured using the …

Evaluating The Predictive Validity Of The Global Competencies Inventory For Determining Global Leadership Outcomes, Emily Tuyet Le

Master's Theses

Due to trends in globalization, there has been an accelerated growth in the number of global organizations. This has caused the demand for global leaders to far exceed the number of qualified individuals, leading organizations to search for ways to identify individuals who will be successful global leaders. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of one of the few validated tools for measuring global leadership, the Global Competencies Inventory (GCI). The sample consisted of 433 undergraduate and graduate students at a large public university, who were measured across three major global leadership dimensions. Correlations were …

The Effects Of Discrete Emotions On Risky Decision Making, Hoeun Sim

Master's Theses

Contrary to the dominant view that generally equates feelings with poor thinking, converging evidence indicates that decisions – including those involving risk – are influenced by affective experiences. Research, however, is limited to studies on undifferentiated, global positive versus negative mood states; less is known about the influence of discrete emotions. The purpose of this research was to extend the affect-cognition literature by (a) examining the effects of discrete emotions varying along the dimensions of valence and arousal, and (b) identifying the systematic ways that discrete emotions underlie risky decision making. We used a set of emotion-laden IAPS images to …

Trust, Reciprocity, Fairness, And Mind Reading Under Stress, Charles Jia Yao Xie

Master's Theses

Some hypothesized that when stressed, females activate tend-and-befriend, a stress response that enhances social abilities. Yet, critics argued this stress response is not exclusive to females and others suggested that males and females have different stress responses associated with social skills. This study intended to address these criticisms by testing whether males exhibit prosocial responses to stress and if particular stress responses improved social skills. To do this, 70 healthy introductory psychology students from a large public university in northern California were recruited to participate. Using random assignment, half of these individuals were exposed to an acute stressor and another …

A Biomechanical Analysis Of Different Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgical Techniques, Spencer T. Warshauer

Master's Theses

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are one the most prevalent activity-related injuries among young athletes in the United States. ACL surgeries are typically done using patellar tendon graft and hamstring tendon graft. The goal of the study was to compare the aforementioned ACL surgery techniques. In addition to this, a secondary goal was to provide physical therapists and patients with real-time feedback about the progress of the recovery over time when performing a common physical therapy exercise regimen. Each subject visited the lab six times for twelve weeks and was asked to perform chair squats, three sit-to-stand exercises, and walk …

Testing Ostrom: An Analysis Of Water User Committees In Uganda, Emily Mcpartlon

Master's Theses

In 2009 Elinor Ostrom received the Nobel Prize for her analysis of economic governance of the commons. Specifically, by challenging the conventional wisdom at the time, demonstrating how communities can successfully manage the common resources without any regulation by central authorities or privatization. Ostrom proposed eight design principles that identify the underlying criterion of institutions that have successfully maintained CPRs over time. I examine whether Ostrom’s Eight Design Principles affect the long-run functionality of borehole wells in Uganda using quantitative methods. I find that the one of the principles, clearly defined boundaries, is significant in all four estimations, and remains …

Educational Opportunities For Adolescent Girls' Empowerment In Developing Countries, Mary J. Kober

Master's Theses

Adolescent girls’ in developing countries coming from impoverished backgrounds face the added challenge of societies that marginalize the value of education for girls. Complex economic, social and cultural barriers to access secondary education pose challenges and obstacles to their human rights to education, equality and dignity. This study provides an analysis of the relationship between education and empowerment by looking at five innovative non-governmental formal and non-formal educational programs in Guatemala, sub-Saharan Africa, and Bangladesh. The theoretical framework focuses on the empowerment process, transformative agency, intrinsic empowerment, and the conditions and competencies that support education and leadership. The purpose of …

Climate Variability Influences Women’S Attitudes Towards Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv), Jean Lee

Master's Theses

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 1 in 3 women worldwide has experienced violence against women. Our study examines the effects of climate conditions on women’s attitudes towards wife beating. The demographic health surveys (DHS) dataset includes over 550,000 women in 38 countries, asked a series of wife beating justification questions in the domestic violence module. Using a linear probability model, we find prior year growing degree days (GDD), prior and current year rainfall variability have statistically significant effects. Most interestingly, we find that a one standard deviation (SD) rise in prior year annual rainfall decreases the likelihood of justifying …

Does Infant Formula Availability Reduce Breastfeeding?, Ingvild Madsen Lampe

Master's Theses

Abstract: Several key studies highlight the importance of breastfeeding and there is a broad consensus that it plays a crucial role for a child's health and cognitive development. This is especially true for the poor in developing countries, where vulnerable infants' access to proper nutrition is vital. We investigate the effect of introducing infant formula into a market on changes in breastfeeding patterns. Using the Demographic Health Surveys and annual reports from the baby food industry between 1981 and 2002 in 11 tropical countries, we find evidence that import of infant formula significantly reduces breastfeeding duration. The effects are stronger …

Effect Of Non-Monetary Incentives On Women's Competitive Inclination: Experimental Evidence From Ancona, Italy, Kalkidan Shebi

Master's Theses

This study investigates how monetary incentives versus non-monetary incentives affect women’s decision to enter a competitive environment. This study was conducted in Ancona Italy, in a controlled laboratory experiment with a total of 60 participants; of which 29 were male and 31 were female. Participants were given mathematical addition problems to solve under alternative incentives. How they received these incentives differed based on their preference to enter or withdraw from the competition. The study also included components that assessed risk preferences and willingness to pay for the non-monetary incentive in the experiment. Results show no significant difference in performance scores …

Wh-Question Comprehension: A Grammatical Deficit In Children With Asd, Manya Jyotishi

Master's Theses

Wh-questions are problematic for children with ASD. Prior research has shown delays in comprehension of subject-wh and object-wh questions in children with ASD compared to TD peers. However, earlier comprehension studies may have been limited because their stimuli included unfamiliar verbs (e.g., hit, produced by a few children with ASD) and events featuring inanimate agents and patients (e.g., an apple and a flower). The current study addressed both of these issues by investigating whether familiar verbs and animate characters elicit robust comprehension of wh-questions with children with ASD. We also investigate whether early grammatical abilities predict later wh-question comprehension. One …

Differential Effects Of The Mao Inhibitors Deprenyl, Moclobemide And Pargyline On Effort-Related Choice Behavior, Hector M. Contreras-Mora

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Active And Observational Experience On Eeg Activity During Early Childhood, Lauren Bryant

Master's Theses

How we encode and understand others’ actions is a core problem in social learning. In recent decades, the human neural mirroring system (NMS) has been implicated as a potential neural mechanism of action understanding. To investigate the effects of experience on NMS activity, we manipulated 3– to 6-year-old children’s (N = 16) active and observational experience with two tools and then examined EEG mu (7-10 Hz) and central beta rhythm (17-21 Hz) desynchronization as measures of NMS activity during observation and execution of these actions. Children exhibited neural mirroring within both individualized and standard mu bands. Although mu and …

Reducing The Stem Gender Achievement Gap: Investigating Factors Influencing Female Students’ Major Choices, Shiyu Song

Master's Theses

Taking the first step to unveil female’s underrepresentation in STEM, this study adopts a mixed method design to explores possible factors that influence female college students’ choices to stay in or leave STEM. Undergraduates at University of Connecticut (N=386) completed an online questionnaire and female students who had either left (N=5) or were staying in STEM fields (N=7) were further selected to participate in the interview.

Results from the quantitative analysis showed that female students’ level of stigma consciousness is a significant predictor of their choice to stay in or leave STEM. Specifically, females who are more vulnerable to gender …

An Examination Of Time Loss, Injury Rates, And Factors Associated With Injury In Ncaa Division I Men’S Soccer, Andrea Fortuntati

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Phonetic Retuning In Accented Speech: Is There A Role Of Expectation?, Iliana Meza-Gonzalez

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Internalized Stigma Among Hiv-Positive Men On Antiretroviral Therapy In Urban India, Mitchell L. Irving

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Physicians’ Perceived Roles In And Barriers To Identifying, Evaluating, And Managing Intimate Partner Violence, Adam F. Pennarola

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Viewing Loneliness From An Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Perspective: Pilot Testing A New Loneliness Measure And Testing The Relation Of Loneliness To Adults' Remembrances Of Parental Acceptance And Rejection In Childhood, Alex D. Molaver

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Does The Shortened Environmental Symptoms Questionnaire Accurately Represent Physiological Adaptations Following A 10 Day Heat Acclimation Protocol And The Decay Thereafter?, Rachel Marie Vanscoy

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Increasing Sleep Duration In Collegiate Athletes: A Behavioral Intervention Involving Sleep Education, Self-Tracking, Goal Setting, And Self-Reinforcement, Leslie Greer

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a behavioral intervention on sleep duration in a group of Division I student athletes from a women's rowing team. This participant pool was specifically selected because they have early morning practice due to several scheduling constraints, which can make adequate sleep duration more difficult to obtain. Further, the participants in this pool were selected because they had the lowest previous nights sleep and perceived average sleep duration, and therefore in most need of this type of intervention. A multiple baseline design was used to determine if a functional relationship …

Assessing Factors Related To Clinicians’ Attitudes Towards Suicide Prevention, Amanda L. Johnson

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Weighted Body Armor On Close Combat Reaction Time And Core Muscle Activation 2016, Christopher Banta

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to measure the choice reaction time and myoelectric activity of the right and left rectus abdominus, and right and left external obliques required to initiate movement in response to a visual stimulus that signaled performance of four different closecombat movements (left or right cross and left or right dodge). Reaction time and myoelectric activity were then compared with performing the movements in response to the visual stimulus while wearing a weighted vest that simulated wearing tactical body armor. Myoelectric activity was measured as the average root mean square (RMS) of the surface electromyography (sEMG) …

Diagnoses By Gender: The Consequences Of Treatment Of The Mentally Ill In Virginia Woolf's The Waves And Mrs. Dalloway 2016, Erika Nichole Jackson

Master's Theses

“Insanity is purely a disease of the brain…The physician is now the responsible guardian of the lunatic, and must ever remain so.” Sir John Charles Bucknill (1897)

Mental illness has consistently been and continues to be a subject that is viewed as taboo by society, especially when it comes to diagnosing a patient. Instead of acknowledging a person’s actions, thoughts, and words, society continually disregards mental illness as something that is negative and to be feared. The fact that this area of medicine can be difficult and distressing makes it all the more important to continue research. It is true …