Digital Commons Network^™

Nutritional Adequacy Of Dietary Intake Among College Students Who Follow A Vegetarian Diet As Compared To Non-Vegetarian Students, Kayanna L. Pulliman

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Rattus Norvegicus As A Biological Detector Of Clandestine Remains And The Use Of Ultrasonic Vocalizations As A Locating Mechanism, Gabrielle M. Johnston

Master's Theses

In investigations, locating missing persons and clandestine remains are imperative. One way that first responder and police agencies can search for the remains is by using cadaver dogs as biological detectors. Cadaver dogs are typically used due to their olfactory sensitivity and ability to detect low concentrations of volatile organic compounds produced by biological remains. Cadaver dogs are typically chosen for their stamina, agility, and olfactory sensitivity. However, what is not taken into account often is the size of the animal and the expense of maintaining and training the animal. Cadaver dogs are typically large breeds that cannot fit in …

Trace Dna Detection Using Diamond Dye: A Recovery Technique To Yield More Dna, Leah Davis

Master's Theses

This study aspires to find a new screening approach to trace DNA recovery techniques to yield a higher quantity of trace DNA from larger items of evidence. It takes the path of visualizing trace DNA on items of evidence with potential DNA so analysts can swab a more localized area rather than attempting to recover trace DNA through the general swabbing technique currently used for trace DNA recovery. The first and second parts consisted of observing trace DNA interaction with Diamond Dye on porous and non-porous surfaces.

The third part involved applying the Diamond Dye solution by spraying it onto …

Effects Of Triptorelin On Global Deoxyribonucleic Acid Methylation In Skeletal Muscle In Male Adolescent Rats, Max Boland

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate how treatment with triptorelin, a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist, to block puberty in adolescent male rats affects their epigenetic regulation via global DNA methylation changes in skeletal muscle and to determine if physical activity has an effect on DNA methylation status during treatment. Twenty-four male, Sprague-Dewey rats were randomly assigned to different groups: 12 treated with 1 μg of triptorelin daily (PB group) while the other 12 received an equivalent volume of saline as a placebo (control, CON) for four weeks. In order to determine the interaction with physical activity, six PB …

A Cross Sectional Comparison Of The Mental Health, Sleep, And Anaerobic Power Of Cannabis Users, Cannabidiol Users, And Non Users, Taylor Tamanaha

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are differences among groups of individuals who regularly use cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD), or who are non-users with respect to mental health, sleep, and anaerobic power measures. A total of 24 participants (21 males and 3 females) were recruited and placed into groups based on their regular cannabis/CBD or non-cannabis/CBD use. The cannabis user group was using cannabis at least three times per week for the past 8 weeks (CA; n=8), the CBD user group was using CBD at least three times per week for the past 8 weeks (CB; n=8), …

An Update On The Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale: Current Evidence Of Reliability, Edward Worden

Master's Theses

The psychometric properties of the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS) are often reassessed not using the population for which it was developed. While the scale was initially created for US undergraduate students, research has focused on testing the reliability of the AMAS within other populations, often modifying and translating them for use with children or speakers of other languages. The “replication crisis” calls into question the reliability and reproducibility of findings from many disciplines, including the social sciences, so in order for researchers to have a high degree of confidence in their data and results, measurement tools must be periodically …

Arts-Integrated Teaching Of English Literature: Using Dance Making Methods To Enhance High School Student Comprehension Of Short Stories And Self-Confidence In Reading Skills, Ashley Carney

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefit of utilizing creative dance making methods in the study of literature at the high school level. The researcher developed the following essential questions to investigate how dance making impacts student performance on comprehension questions as well as what impact this has on student confidence and self-efficacy:

Q1 What effect does the use of dance making methods have on student comprehension of short stories?

Q2 What effect does increasing the amount of dance creation time have on student comprehension of short stories?

Q3 What effect does the choreographic process have on …

Introspective Accuracy For Social Cognition Across The Psychosis Spectrum: Influence Of Sleep Disturbance, Cassi Springfield

Master's Theses

People with schizophrenia-spectrum and bipolar disorders can have impairments in introspective accuracy (IA; ability to accurately estimate one’s own abilities). Research suggests that positive, negative, and depressive symptoms may be related to IA, but findings are mixed. Examining sleep disturbance as a determinant of IA may help explain these mixed findings. The current study aimed to explore the relationships between sleep disturbance, symptoms, and IA in participants across the psychosis spectrum. Participants completed diagnostic, symptom, and sleep disturbance assessments. Participants also completed social cognitive tasks, estimated their performance on the tasks (used to calculate IA), and indicated their confidence in …

A Meta-Analysis Of Implementation Planning: The Effects On Teachers’ Treatment Adherence And Quality When Implementing Behavioral Interventions, Taylor Ben

Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study was to systematically review the literature investigating the use of Implementation Planning (IP) as a consultation method to improve teacher’s treatment integrity when implementing behavioral interventions. IP consultation is hypothesized to improve treatment implementation adherence as well as the quality of implementation related to the chosen behavior intervention(s). A secondary hypothesis of this review was that cooccurring student behavior would improve as teachers’ level of treatment integrity improved. An initial literature search produced 48 articles from which four studies met the inclusion criteria. Thus, all included studies were single case designs, used IP as …

Disruption Of Play Behavior Influences Development Of Caution In Juvenile Ground Squirrels, William Ryan

Master's Theses

Play behavior is ubiquitous among young mammals and has a variety of important influences on early development. I evaluated possible influences of social play behavior on the development of temperament in juvenile Belding’s ground squirrels (Urocitellus beldingi), using the caution/boldness spectrum as a measure of temperament. I disrupted the play behavior of juvenile U. beldingi by walking toward juveniles at play until the play interactions stopped. I used undisrupted juveniles and juveniles whose non-play behavior was disrupted at regular intervals as controls. Caution was measured with behavioral tests during which a human intruder walked toward a squirrel and recorded the …

The Role Of Emotion Regulation And Alexithymia In The Relationship Between Sleep And Social Functioning, Lillian A. Hammer

Master's Theses

Poor sleep quality has been tied to worse social functioning outcomes, including greater loneliness, fewer social interactions, and lower social integration. While the relationship between sleep quality and social functioning has been investigated, other factors likely play a role in this complex relationship. Specifically, alexithymia and the use of different emotion regulation strategies may serve as moderators in the relationship between sleep and social functioning. Alexithymia and emotion regulation strategies are both related to sleep quality and social functioning. Yet, the impact of these emotional processes on the relationship between sleep and social functioning remains unexplored. Data for this study …

Gender Differences In Personality Dysfunction And Aggression In A Sample Of At-Risk Youth, Chloe O'Dell

Master's Theses

Youth with antisocial and borderline traits in adolescence have been found more likely to commit violence and experience negative outcomes later in life. There is evidence for gender differences in the manifestations of dysfunctional personality features (antisocial and borderline traits) and functions of aggression, but little research has sought to assess unique gender differences that may help unravel the sequelae of personality dysfunction in youth. Accordingly, this exploratory study examines gender differences in associations between antisocial features, borderline features, and proactive and reactive functions of aggression in a sample of at-risk youth. Four hundred and sixty-four adolescents (M_age = …

The Relations Between Rumination, Thought Control, And Suicidal Thinking, Morgan Buerke

Master's Theses

Despite the far-reaching impact of suicide on our communities, we need more research to understand how suicidal thoughts develop, and what leads to their maintenance. As suggested by the depression distress-amplification model (Capron et al., 2013), emotion-regulation strategies such as rumination may cause or worsen suicidal ideation by amplifying the distress associated with negative thoughts. In addition, ruminative thoughts are often described as difficult to control, which may lead people to think about suicide as an escape from these uncontrollable thoughts. The current study examined the relationship between certain forms of rumination (i.e., brooding, reflection, anger rumination, and suicidal rumination) …

Analysis And Usage Of Natural Language Features In Success Prediction Of Legislative Testimonies, Marine Cossoul

Master's Theses

Committee meetings are a fundamental part of the legislative process in which
constituents, lobbyists, and legislators alike can speak on proposed bills at the
local and state level. Oftentimes, unspoken “rules” or standards are at play in
political processes that can influence the trajectory of a bill, leaving constituents
without a political background at an inherent disadvantage when engaging with
the legislative process. The work done in this thesis aims to explore the extent to
which the language and phraseology of a general public testimony can influence a
vote, and examine how this information can be used to promote civic …

The Implications Of Sexual Assault Awareness On Sexual Overperception Bias, Zach Buckner

Master's Theses

Heterogeneity has recently emerged in research investigating men’s overperceptions of women’s sexual receptivity, namely that such overperceptions are less robust than previously considered. Various social movements (e.g., #MeToo) could be a modern-day contextual factor that has reduced men’s tendency toward overperception. In this study, participants viewed hypothetical information regarding sexual assault perpetration committed by men or women (or control information) before rating opposite-sex targets on perceived sexual interest in them and reporting individual differences in just and dangerous world. The results indicate that individuals who hold stronger beliefs in an unjust world are more sensitive to perceived threats from potential …

I Was Looking For God: A Study Of Wehrmacht Personnel And Their Personal Relationships With Religion, Christopher Bishop

Master's Theses

The Wehrmacht was Germany’s fighting force in the field during World War II. Its brutality and discriminatory practices rivaled that of the Nazi paramilitary and police units dispatched alongside them in newly conquered areas during this conflict. Coming from a society that was not at all unfamiliar with Christianity, some within the Wehrmacht related to Christianity in some form and attempted to use it to either justify actions or make sense of the world around them.

While considerable scholarship exists on the Nazi Party’s relationship to Christianity as a convenient propaganda tool for both soldier and civilian alike, the historiography …

Our Pearls Matter: Pcos Through The Lens Of Women Of Color And White Women, Kimberley Sheri Miles

Master's Theses

The prevalence of PCOS is increasing and due to the associated health complications, it is important to understand how higher-risk populations (women of color) cope with said condition. Analyzing current symptom management and treatment could help develop more practical resources and treatment strategies to help improve healthcare expectations and quality of life.

Ten women aged 22-38 with PCOS participated in comprehensive individual interviews with goal-oriented, semi-structured questions. A 27-question survey was also completed. Sampling was continued until data saturation was reached. The data was analyzed using the grounded theory technique which codes emergent themes with keywords and phrases which ultimately …

Characterizing The Developmental Role Of Autism-Risk Gene Adnp In A Zebrafish Model For Autism, Vaishnavi Balaji

Master's Theses

Autism spectrum disorder is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social

skills, restricted/ repetitive behaviors, and developmental delay. The disease has a genetic component,

and mutations in the adnp gene have been found in 0.17% of non-inherited genetic cases of the disorder. The exact molecular mechanism by which adnp is involved in the development of autism is not known. This study aimed to use zebrafish to determine the phenotypic effects of adnp mutations using two adnp paralogs- adnpA and adnpB to understand the underlying mechanism. Novel zygotic adnp double heterozygous mutants (A+/- B+/-) were previously generated using …

Development Of Inattention And Executive Dysfunction In Youth With Spina Bifida: Condition Severity Variables As Predictors, Allison D. Payne

Master's Theses

Spina bifida (SB) is associated with neurologic impairments that increase individuals’ risk for neuropsychological deficits, particularly inattention and executive dysfunction. While extant literature has yet to examine the development of inattention in youth with SB, some research suggests that these youth may not experience the age-related improvements in executive dysfunction seen in the general population. SB is a heterogeneous condition; thus, it is important to consider variability in condition severity when examining outcomes over time in youth with SB. Lesion level and shunt status are commonly used as indicators of SB severity and have been significantly associated with variability in …

Assessing The Contributions Of Proximity To Effective Instruction Delivery, Kenneth Ross

Master's Theses

Effective instruction delivery (EID) is a component of the Compliance Training for Children (CTC) Model developed by D. Joe Olmi from the School Psychology program at the University of Southern Mississippi that is designed to increase childhood compliance to adult-delivered directives. EID has been observed to be an effective strategy for increasing compliance in children (Bellipanni et al., 2013; Derieux, 2021; Ford et al., 2001; Griffin, 2007; Wimberly, 2016). Additionally, the contributions of the individual components of EID, such as demanded eye contact (Everett et al., 2005; Faciane, 2004) and contingent praise (Everett et al., 2005), have been investigated over …

The Relationship Between Religiosity And Tobacco Use In A Mexican Spanish Speaking Sample In The United States, Lauren Hales

Master's Theses

To address disparities in minority mental health access and treatment, this study examined the relationship between tobacco use and religiosity, focusing on a Mexican Spanish speaking sample. Based on past research, it was hypothesized that religiosity would act as a protective factor against tobacco use characteristics. Participants were recruited through Amazon’s M*Turk survey platform. The sample included 144 adults aged 18+, currently residing in the US, who speak Mexican Spanish, have had an interaction with a medical provider in the last six months, and have used tobacco daily at some point in the last six months. Along with demographic information, …

Examining The Effect Of Positive Greetings At The Door On Student Academic Engagement And Disruptive Behavior, Abigail Lawson

Master's Theses

Positive Greetings at the Door (PGD) is a proactive classroom management strategy designed to assist students’ transitioning from a non-academic environment (e.g., physical education, lunch, hallway) to an academic environment (e.g., classroom instruction). PGD can prepare students to engage in academic behavior (e.g., sitting in seat, working on-tasks) and avoid engaging in nonacademic/disruptive behavior, thereby delaying the start of classroom instruction. Such disruptive behavior can lead to teacher frustration, which may contribute to a negative classroom environment. The current study used a concurrent multiple baseline design to assess the effects of PGD (Cook et al., 2018) on academically engaged behavior …

The U.S. Invasion Of The Dominican Republic: From Cooperation To Conquest, Andrew Defabio

Master's Theses

This paper explores the political and military relationship between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic from the Eisenhower administration to the Johnson administration’s invasion in 1965. The U.S. intervention in the Dominican Republic was a military operation that had been planned and prepared for by administrations prior and not simply a reactive decision to prevent a Communist takeover. Analysis of multiple administrations places the invasion of the Dominican Republic in a larger context of U.S. – Dominican relations. The U.S.’s desire to dominate military and political aspects of the Dominican Republic is consistent with U.S. Cold War Latin American policy.

The Relationship Between Perceived Overqualification And Organizational Citizenship Behavior And Affective Organizational Commitment: The Moderating Role Of Perceived Organizational Support, Mariem Laaraj

Master's Theses

The present research aimed to investigate the moderating effect of perceived organizational support (POS) on the relationship between perceived overqualification, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and affective organizational commitment. A sample of 110 employees from a variety of occupational backgrounds in the United States participated in the study by completing an online survey. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that POS did not act as a moderator of the relationship between perceived overqualification and OCB and affective organizational commitment. However, perceived overqualification was found to be significantly and negatively related to affective organizational commitment. Results also showed that POS was …

The Inverse Association Between Prebiotic Consumption And Depression Status In American Adult Females, But Not The Greater Population Or In Males: Nhanes 2015-2018, Cassandra L. Boyd

Master's Theses

It is unknown if a relationship exists between prebiotic intake and depression status. Using 2015-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cycles data, adult American estimated mean daily prebiotic intake across demographic groups, gender, and depression status were reported. Additionally, the 10 highest prebiotic content Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies foods were identified. Adults (≥ 18 years) with adequate sleep and at least one day of dietary recall data were included. Participants with excessive alcohol intake, BMI ≤ 18, BMI ≥ 30, or current depression medication use were excluded. The confounding variables were inadequate sleep, unemployment, and age. …

Examining The Role Of Echo-Chambers Within Online Incel Communities Using Sentiment Analysis And Group Based Trajectory Modeling, Francesca Florine Fanucchi

Master's Theses

Technological advancements within the last decade have created new opportunities for social movements to meet and communicate online with like-minded individuals. Under this notion, these online communities generate an echo-chamber of information, to which certain individuals only surround themselves with people sharing similar values and opinions. As a result, online platforms (e.g., forums, blogs, websites) form as safe spaces for members to express their views seen as unacceptable offline. Research examining the role of echo-chambers in facilitating extremist rhetoric within online incel communities is limited, despite real-world acts of violence perpetrated by self-proclaimed incels. Therefore, the objective of this thesis …

Thinking Styles, Conspiracist Belief, And The Mediating Role Of The Dunning-Kruger Effect In Modeling Belief Change, Lucas C. Cusano

Master's Theses

Why can a person believe something for which there is no evidence and yet also fail to believe something for which there is overwhelming evidence? This study develops a structural model of belief change using the latent constructs of thinking styles and conspiracist belief while accounting for the Dunning-Kruger effect (i.e., overconfidence in one’s knowledge the less one knows about a topic) as a mediator. A combined two-hundred and twenty-six participants from both Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and the introductory psychology SONA subject pool were given two knowledge measures on topics of genetic modification and vaccination before and after reading refutational …

The Moderating Effects Of Sleep Quantity And Quality On The Relationship Between Job Stressors And Job Satisfaction, Olga A. Baryshnikova

Master's Theses

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study was the first to investigate the moderating effects of sleep quantity and sleep quality on the relationships between role overload, role ambiguity, role conflict, and interpersonal conflict with job satisfaction. In doing so, it addressed a gap in the literature on organizations and provided a new direction for future research in this sphere. Leveraging the Job Demands-Resources model as a theoretical foundation, this study looked at sleep quantity and quality as personal resources capable of counteracting the negative impacts of the aforementioned job stressors on job satisfaction. Underscoring their known detrimental …

No Kidding: The Moderating Role Of Childcare Responsibility On The Relationship Between Perceived Work-Life Balance Policy Culture And Job Outcomes, Ziwei Gao

Master's Theses

The societal assumption that everyone will or should have children at some point is deeply ingrained in many cultures. This often results in a lack of recognition and understanding of the experiences of childfree individuals, particularly within professional settings. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the moderating effect of childcare responsibility on the relationship between perceived work-life balance policy culture and job outcomes. A sample of 161 participants completed an online survey measuring perceived work-life balance policy culture, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions. Results showed that employees with high levels of perceived work-life balance policy culture reported …

Partnering With International Peers To Promote Young Children’S Social And Emotional Learning: Students’ Experiences During An International Service Learning Program, Danica D. Mavroudis

Master's Theses

International Service Learning (ISL) has been used increasingly across fields of study in higher education to enhance student’s learning outside the classroom. ISL programs often encourage students to reflect on their experience to promote experiential and transformative learning. Previous research on ISL has found benefits to students’ professional and personal development. While the process may be helpful to participating students, there may be a lack of lasting benefit to the host community. There also is a gap in the literature of how mental wellness services could be delivered using ISL. In hopes to extend program benefits and provide mental wellness …