Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Potential For Interaction In Parasocial Relationships, Aaron Bermond

Master's Theses

Previous research suggests that individuals can develop parasocial relationships, or strong emotional attachments to figures in the media. While these relationships typically only involve a one-way exchange of information (target to viewer), viewers still receive many positive benefits that are typical of friendships and other interpersonal bonds. The current literature on parasocial relationships provides detailed information on why they are formed, who forms them, and why they are useful, yet no research has investigated whether the potential for interaction between a media figure and a viewer moderates their psychological effects. We proposed that the most beneficial types of parasocial relationships …

Interprofessional Collaboration For Oral Health Education And Screening Of Children With Special Health Care Needs, Lamia Habib

Master's Theses

In 2016, National Survey of Children’s Health conducted by the U.S. Department (HRSA MCHB) identified 18.8% of children aged 0-17 years old with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN). Of these children, 83.4% are not receiving adequate healthcare. It has been well established that oral health is an integral part of the child’s general health. Medical primary care physicians may play an important role in improving oral health outcomes through oral screening, referral, oral health education and promotion. CSHCN may be at an increased risk for oral health problems throughout their life which may negatively impact their quality of life and …

Context Effects On Child Object Touch And Parent Referential Speech: Implications For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Amanda Mankovich

Master's Theses

Object play provides a critical setting for early learning (West & Iverson, 2017). Previous research has established a role for context (i.e., type of activity and parent input), in shaping child touch behaviors. Although several studies have investigated the development object play, many miss key characteristics of everyday environments. Using data from the Longitudinal Study of Early Language (Naigles & Fein, 2017), we investigated how play is affected by development, parent input, and engagement in various activities across both typically developing (TD) children and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We analyzed object prompts and independently coded moments toddlers touched …

Symptoms Of Autism Spectrum Disorder And Developmental Delay In Children With Low Mental Age, Rebecca P. Thomas

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

How To Solve The Future Of The Wine Industry: An Analysis Of The Wine Industries Packaging Options When Targeting The Millennial And Gen-Z Demographics, Spencer Held

Master's Theses

The United States wine industry is currently undergoing a consumer reset, in

which most wineries are evaluating their practices to discover how they can better

market and sell wine. According to Rob McMillan, EVP and founder of Silicon Valley

Bank’s Wine Division and the author of the State of the wine industry report, boomers

are no longer the target market for wine growth given most are retiring in the next

decade with wine consumption dwindling. In order for the wine industry to grow and

excel, the wineries must solve the problem of how to engage the likes of the young, …

An Investigation Of Stress-Related Factors And Injury Occurrence In Division Iii Ice Hockey Athletes 2020., Christian Kiesel

Master's Theses

Many variables can factor into a student athlete sustaining an injury, but one of the most interesting is stress. The Stress and Injury Model is excellent in explaining how exactly history of stressors, personality, and coping mechanisms play a pivotal role in the stress response. If these three factors cause a negative stress response, then that will lead to an athlete becoming more likely to become injured. This study used 40 ice hockey players from a Division III NCAA institution. Each participant completed the Inventory of College Students’ Recent Life Experiences (ICSRLE) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) every month …

Mindfulness For Stress Reduction: Qualitative Analysis Of Perceptions From College Students And Mindfulness Instructors, Beth Marie Merlo

Master's Theses

Although mindfulness interventions with college students have yield positive results, many students are not continuing to engage after the interventions. This may be because very little research has been done to investigate the health behavior beliefs of college students in regard to mindfulness for stress reduction. The purpose of this investigation was to identify the most influential components of the Integrated Behavioral Model (IBM) that potentially assist with predicting college student participation in mindfulness activities for stress reduction. Interviews, informed by the IBM, were conducted with 20 current college students and 5 current mindfulness instructors working with college students. The …

Analysis And Optimization Of Colorimetric Nanosensors For Rapid Detection Of Microbes In Water, Ruby A. Lang

Master's Theses

Access to safe water is a basic human right recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010 (WHO, 2020). However, a least 2.2 billion people globally still are without safely managed water services meaning they use a drinking water source that can be contaminated with faeces (WHO, 2020). With such a pressing global health issue, it is clear that improvement to water systems is important and required in the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, to improve water systems and prove they are safe water sources, water quality testing must occur. A solution to this issue is the …

The Influence Of The Sensory Environment On Avian Reproductive Success And Human Well-Being, Danielle Marie Ferraro

Master's Theses

Sensory pollutants such as anthropogenic noise and night lighting now expose much of the world to evolutionarily novel sound and night lighting conditions, which can have detrimental effects on humans and wildlife. In my first chapter, we exposed wild Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) nestlings to noise, light, and combination (i.e., noise and light) treatments. Nests exposed to noise and light together experienced less predation than control and light-exposed nests, and noise-exposed nests experienced less predation than control nests, yet overall nest success was only higher in noise-exposed nests compared to light-exposed nests. Although exposure to light decreased nestling body condition …

Assessing The Relationship Between Narcissism, Neuroticism, And Leadership Skills, Krista Marie Brooker

Master's Theses

Understanding personality traits that are related to leadership skills is important in order to hire effective leaders. Research has seldom examined the relationship between narcissism, neuroticism, and leadership skills. Therefore, the present study was conducted to examine the relationship between narcissism, neuroticism, and leadership skills (human skills and conceptual skills). It was hypothesized that narcissism would be positively related to human skills and conceptual skills. It was also hypothesized that neuroticism would be negatively related to human skills and conceptual skills. A total of 145 employees participated in the self-report survey. Results showed that there was no relationship between narcissism …

Disordered Eating In Gender Minority Adults: An Evaluation And Integration Of The Gender Minority Stress And Resilience Model And The Tripartite Influence Model, Laura Ann Muratore

Master's Theses

Gender minority individuals experience elevated rates of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in comparison to cisgender individuals; however, research assessing why this health disparity exists is limited. To address this gap, the present study investigated gender minority stress and resilience factors as proposed in the gender minority stress and resilience model (GMSR), sociocultural influence factors as proposed in the tripartite influence model of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating (TI), and an integration of these two theoretical frameworks in efforts to better explain disordered eating etiology for gender minority individuals. Results of regression analyses demonstrated that the integration of GMSR and …

Whiteness: An Ideology Of Violence And Power As Represented In Chesnutt's The Marrow Of Tradition, Schuyler's Black No More And Larsen's Passing, Keith Giles

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the representations of whiteness found in three pieces of literature. The thesis not only teases out the nuances of whiteness, but specifically analyzes the violence that whiteness inflicts upon the black body. To begin, I define what whiteness and whiteness ideology is in relation to race. After introducing the idea and functions of whiteness, I dive into the investigation by analyzing three major novels written by African American authors during the early twentieth century. While analyzing the instances of white violence in one of the three novels, the other two novels will …

The Moderating Role Of Emotional Intelligence On The Relationship Between Job Resources And Employee Engagement, Amanda Lipson

Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study was to examine the moderating role of emotional intelligence on the relationship between job resources (i.e., perceived supervisor support and autonomy) and employee engagement. Previous research has shown that these job resources are related to employee engagement. However, little attention has been paid to the possible moderators of this relationship. Therefore, this study aimed to bridge the gap in current literature by investigating how the relationship between job resources and engagement might change as a function of a personal resource (emotional intelligence). It was hypothesized that the positive relationship between job resources (perceived supervisor …

The Moderating Effects Of Gender And Occupation On Age Discrimination In Hiring, Rachel Su Windsor

Master's Theses

Over the years, ageism in the workplace has become an important topic. However, it remains unclear whether and how gender and occupation relate to age discrimination in hiring decisions. The current study addresses this issue by investigating job suitability ratings and selection decisions by comparing two hypothetical job applicants who differ in age (younger vs. older) and gender (male vs. female) for two occupations (software engineer vs. nurse) in two industries (high-tech and healthcare). This study employed a 2 x 2 x 2 incomplete mixed-factorial design, in which age was a within-subjects factor, and gender and occupation were between-subjects factors. …

The Relationship Between Perceived Overqualification And Job Attitudes And Behaviors: The Moderating Role Of Psychological Empowerment, Emily Colleen Meyer

Master's Theses

It has been shown that employees who perceive to be overqualified in their roles are more likely to display negative attitudes and behaviors; however, little attention has been paid to the possible moderators of this relationship. Therefore, the present study proposed that psychological empowerment would moderate the relationship between perceived overqualification and job attitudes (affective commitment and careerist attitudes) and behaviors (counterproductive work behaviors). It was hypothesized that the relationship between perceived overqualification and these job attitudes and behaviors would be weaker for employees with higher levels of psychological empowerment than for employees with lower levels of psychological empowerment. Results …

Noise Pollution, Environmental Justice, And Urban Green Space Accessibility: A Case Study In San José, California, Lauryn Duoto

Master's Theses

Noise pollution is an environmental stressor associated with a number of poor health outcomes. Promisingly, recent studies have identified urban green spaces such as public parks and community gardens as-built environments that can minimize noise pollution in the urban context. The objective of this project was to identify low-income communities of color that lack urban green space accessibility within the city of San José, California, to determine if sound level could be an indicator of urban green space usage and to evaluate whether urban green space can mitigate noise. Neighborhood demographics based on census tract data, including ethnicity and socioeconomic …

The Influence Of Message And Audio Modalities In Augmented Reality Mobile Advertisements On Consumers' Purchase Intention, Jingyue Tao

Master's Theses

Evidence shows that augmented reality (AR) technology is an effective advertising approach to raise a brand’s awareness, so many big brands implement AR into their marketing strategy. However, the effectiveness of AR mobile advertisements on consumers’ purchase intentions remains unclear. To fill this dearth in the literature, this study examined how message and audio modalities of AR mobile advertisements influenced consumers’ purchase intentions by surveying 120 participants in an online experiment. Based on the uses and gratifications perspective, this experiment manipulated the message type (emotional/factual) and audio-verbal appeal (present/absent) of AR advertisements to investigate their impact on consumers’ attitudes towards …

The Mediating Role Of Work Engagement On The Relationship Between Perceived Supervisor Support And Turnover Intention, Addison Yeosock

Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study was to examine the mediating role of work engagement on the relationship between perceived supervisor support and turnover intention using the Jobs Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and the motivational processes of engagement as the theoretical framework. A total of 954 employees of a healthcare organization participated in an online survey. Results showed that work engagement partially mediated the relationship between perceived supervisor support and turnover intention. Perceived supervisor support was negatively related to turnover intention directly and indirectly through work engagement. Based on these findings, organizations should focus on strategies of increasing the job resource …

What Is The Impact Of Time Lag In Developmental Research? A Re-Analysis Of Meta-Analyses Using Lag As Moderator, Rachel Taylor

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Imperial Subjection And The Orientalist Gaze: Turning Asian Women’S Bodies Into Entertainment, Miriam Ahn

Master's Theses

This thesis analyzes the structural factors that provide meaning and space to performances where violence is served as entertainment. What are the structural conditions that turn gendered and racialized violent forms of display into enjoyment? By exploring the sex tourism in Thailand, particularly ping-pong shows, I will analyze aspects of international political economy and feminist studies to address forms of display based on the abjectness of the other. I argue that sex tourism in Thailand is not part of local culture but is upheld by imperial hegemonic perceptions of the colonized and gendered bodies. The perspectives of Orientalism, patriarchal systems, …

The Function Of The Hukou System In Post-Revolutionary China & Its Autonomous Regions, Joseph Kramer

Master's Theses

Over the course of more than two millennia the Hukou System has shifted in scope and purpose. In dynastic times it served as a mechanism of tax acquisition. In more recent years it has functioned as a method of census and land distribution. Today it holds a duplicitous function serving as both an economic and social control mechanism. The Hukou achieves this through controlling movement through a passport like system of internal registration. In simpler terms, think of the Hukou as an internal passport regulating movement while simultaneously holding all of your biometric data which is surveilled and controlled by …

From Influx To Integration: How Germany’S Grassroots Organizations Are Supporting Refugees, Kyra Jablonsky

Master's Theses

With the global trend of massive population displacement only expected to rise in the years to come, it will be more important than ever to understand how to successfully integrate large populations. Using Germany as a case study in the aftermath of the refugee crisis, this paper looks at the unique and important ways in which German grassroots organizations supporting refugees are contributing to successful integration, within that country’s larger aid ecosystem. Participants in this project, which was conducted in Berlin, Germany, included ten refugees, six grassroots organizations, one German volunteer, one social enterprise, one international non-governmental organization (NGO), a …

Estimating Predictors Of Mental Well-Being Through Analysis Of Children’S Drawings: The Case Of Syrian Refugees, Stephanie Smith

Master's Theses

There are currently over 65 million individuals that have been forcibly displaced globally. The cumulative trauma that comes from the refugee experience and exposure to violence has proven to have long-term negative psychological outcomes and thus negative impacts on human capital in the long run. Given that over 50% percent of the global refugee population are children, the ability to efficiently and accurately assess their mental well-being is of critical importance. Using data from over 2000 refugee children in Jordan, I use machine learning techniques to find key predictors of psychological distress, PTSD, and exposure to violence found in children’s …

Healing Lgbtq+ Juvenile Youth Of Color Through Indigenous Practices, Jennifer Alvarez

Master's Theses

My goal for this study was to explore the experiences of queer youth of color who have been in the juvenile justice system in relation to their mental health/wellness. Through semistructured interviews, the seven participants of this study have shared their testimonio of coming out, being involved in the juvenile justice system and having to engage with mental health services, I explore how queer individuals are mistreated and are placed on temporary methods of healing from their trauma. Utilizing the frameworks of Testimonios, Critical Race Theory and Critical Pedagogy, I bring forward the experiences that queer youth of color in …

Narratives Of Black Identifying Newcomer Youth, Saniyyah Lateef

Master's Theses

This study seeks to explore and understand the unique and individual experiences of Black identifying newcomer youth in the United States. Current research related to the experience of newcomers is limited in regards to Black identifying newcomers. Through narrative inquiry methodology, this study seeks to share the experiences of Black identifying newcomer youth. It does this while recognizing the omnipresence of racism in the United States, and acknowledging the influence of life prior experience on identity development. The intent of this study is to help educators and community members better understand the integration and assimilation processes of Black identifying newcomers. …

Sports Narratives And The Examination Of Athlete Activists In The Field Of Sports, Sharon Singh

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Building on the scholarship of Schmidt, Frederick, Pegoraro, and Spencer (2018), the purpose of this study was to explore the narratives related to Colin Kaepernick’s and Megan Rapinoe’s athlete activism. This research was generated by conducting a thematic inductive analysis of 927 Twitter comments collected from the Twitter feeds of Kaepernick and Rapinoe during the time period of August 14th, 2016 to October 18th, 2016. The purpose of this analysis was to understand (a) how an athlete's right to protest can result in a Anti-American narrative (b) the language that characterized the public sentiment toward Kaepernick and Rapinoe (c) …

The Role Of High-Fructose Corn Syrup Imports In Child And Women Obesity, Anna Subirana Bofill

Master's Theses

High Fructose Corn Syrup is believed to be responsible for the increase of the obesity epidemic that is affecting both developed and developing countries, yet to date there are no rigorous analyses that quantify this effect. To estimate the impact of consumption of HFCS on obesity, I have paired country-specific data on imports of HFCS from the United Nations International Trade Statistics Database (UN Comtrade) with women and child health data from around 70 countries from 1985 to 2018. The results show that conditional on space and time fixed effects, imports of HFCS with a high concentration of fructose have …

The Effect Of Sex Of Firstborn Children On Attitudes Towards Intimate Partner Violence, Shuvam Rizal

Master's Theses

What are the different ways in which one’s life is influenced by the sex of their children? Is there an effect on how they view Intimate Partner Violence? If so, is there a difference in how the male parent is affected by the sex of his child than the female parent? Bodies of conflicting Social Sciences literature suggest having a daughter makes one both more and less likely to engage in Intimate Partner Violence. In this paper, I approach this question through the use of a Linear Probability Fixed-Effects model on Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) datasets, using data from the …

Deservingness In Welfare Programs: Connecting Unconditional Cash Transfers And Homelessness, Josh Steinberger

Master's Theses

To combat conditions of poverty, government and non-profit institutions facilitate welfare programs that target conditions such as health, food, education, or income. Programs that offer income assistance in the form of cash transfers communicate political and cultural attitudes about who is deserving of aid, and who is not deserving. The more spending freedoms cash transfer programs offer their beneficiaries, the more strictly they target populations that are considered worthy of assistance. A review of cash transfer programs reveals that people experiencing homelessness are culturally viewed as the most undeserving of government assistance. Unhoused people are routinely excluded from welfare programs …

Estimating Treatment Effect Heterogeneity In A Comprehensive Microenterprise Intervention, Mary Gathungu

Master's Theses

Do cash transfer programs have heterogeneous treatment effects within the treatment group? Why do some households in these interventions seem to benefit more than others? What is the overall treatment effect of the Microenterprise Intervention? I address these questions through the study of a comprehensive microenterprise intervention program carried out in Kenya, Africa by a non-profit organization called the Village Enterprise Organization and I obtain economic outcome data from a randomized control trial that gives out conditional cash transfer that is conditional on business formation. The Microenterprise Intervention combines cash grants and mentorship and training to achieve long term economic …