Digital Commons Network^™

Assessment Tools In Verbal Behavior Research: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Danielle Pisarek

Theses

Assessment tools are an essential component of applied behavior analysis (ABA), offering important information to assist in the design of intervention strategies for individuals with developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous research has studied the validity, consistency, and effectiveness of some of these tools, with studies such as Dixon et al. (2017), Padilla and Akers (2021), Stewart et al. (2010), and Usry et al. (2017) providing insights into their attributes, shortcomings, and relevance. However, publications focusing on the use of these tools within behavior analytical research are lacking. This systematic literature review (SLR) aimed to identify and analyze …

Evaluation Of An Instructional Sequence To Promote The Emergence Of Convergent Intraverbals In Children With Autism, Jesika Woodard

Theses

Skinner (1957) defined intraverbal as a type of verbal behavior in which the

response form has no point-to-point correspondence with its verbal stimulus and is

followed by generalized conditioned reinforcement. Verbal behavior can be influenced

by multiple controlling variables, with convergent and divergent control being two

distinct types of this influence. In convergent intraverbals, multiple components of

antecedent verbal stimuli control a specific verbal response of the speaker. An example of

an intraverbal response under convergent control may be "banana" when asked, "What is

a fruit that is yellow?" De Souza et al. (2019) evaluated the effects of teaching …

Applications Of Neural Networks In Parkinson’S Disease Diagnosis, Saladin Minhaaj

Theses

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex and debilitating neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment and management of PD. This thesis explores the application of neural networks in PD diagnosis, leveraging their ability to learn patterns from large datasets and make accurate predictions.

Thesis provides an overview of PD, including its symptoms, diagnosis, and current challenges in diagnosis. We then delve into the fundamentals of neural networks, including supervised learning, mathematical interpretations, and parametric models. This research focuses on the development of neural network models that can accurately diagnose PD …

For The Greater Good, Hannah Craft

Theses

The body of work included in my thesis exhibition explores how craft mediums can be used to create sculptural work motivated by narrative. Each piece presents a freeze-frame sculptural vignette in the instant before death occurs.

Understanding The Relationship Between Humble Leadership, Reflecting Dialogue, Psychological Safety And Job Satisfaction: A Study Of Japanese Correctional Officers, Yayoi Kimura

Theses

This study investigates the relationships between humble leadership, reflecting dialogue, psychological safety, and job satisfaction among correctional officers in Japanese correctional institutions. Correctional officers face high levels of stress due to their demanding roles in rehabilitating and managing inmates, yet the impact of organizational factors on their job satisfaction remains underexplored. As Japan undergoes significant changes in its penal system, understanding the factors that contribute to a supportive work environment is crucial. First, this study examines the relationship between psychological safety and job satisfaction among correctional officers. Second, it explores whether facilities that practice reflecting dialogue and humble leadership experience …

Balancing The Scales In The Fashion Industry, Theresa J. Fennell

Theses

The standards of beauty, particularly in the fashion industry, have long been a source of societal debate and controversy. Although beauty can be seen as “subjective,” over the years, certain standards have become institutionalized, creating exclusionary ideals that have dominated the fashion industry. Historically, these standards have favored slim body types, marginalizing larger, plus-size bodies. This bias is deeply entrenched in the industry, influencing everything from design to representation in advertising. However, the body positivity movement has emerged as a transformative force, advocating for the acceptance of diverse body types and pushing for greater inclusivity in fashion. Despite these advances, …

Using Machine Learning For Road Accident Severity Prediction And Optimal Rescue Pathways, Mohammad Yousuf Sulaiman Alhashmi

Theses

Road traffic accidents remain a critical challenge for urban planners, transportation authorities, and public safety stakeholders worldwide. Despite advancements in road infrastructure and traffic management, the frequency and severity of accidents continue to strain emergency response systems and compromise public safety. Accident hotspots, are particularly concerning, as they often exhibit recurring patterns of accidents due to factors such as poor road design, high traffic density, and adverse weather conditions. This thesis addresses the challenge of predicting accident severity and identifying accident-prone areas through a data-driven approach. Using a large dataset of over 7.7 million accident records containing geographical, environmental, and …

Temporal Analysis And Prediction Of Air Quality Based On Environmental Data, Mizbah Syed

Theses

Air pollution is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of the modern era, significantly impacting public health, ecosystems, and economic stability. Pollutants such as PM2.5, PM10, and NO₂—largely driven by urbanization, industrialization, and vehicular emissions—have exacerbated global health issues, including respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, and premature mortality. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution contributes to over 7 million deaths annually, with economic losses amounting to billions of dollars. Beyond its health and financial toll, air pollution worsens climate change, underscoring the urgent need for accurate air quality index (AQI) prediction to enable timely interventions and evidence-based policymaking. …

Beauty In The Mundane, Madeline Caniglia

Theses

This project focuses on challenging what compositions are considered valuable as art. The primary focus is on the relationship between light and shadow and how it contributes to the revelation of finding beauty in the mundane. This project involves studying old masters like Caravaggio and Edward Hopper while employing their techniques and methods in my artworks. Through a series of oil paintings, I depicted everyday objects and scenes to demonstrate how classical techniques, paired with contemporary subjects, help bridge historical and artistic practices with modern art.

Breaking The Grid: Metamorphosis And Materiality In Meret Oppenheim’S An Evening In The Year 1910, Jacklyn Meyer

Theses

This paper analyzes Meret Oppenheim’s painting An Evening in the Year 1910 from 1972 and its exploration of the theme of metamorphosis and materiality. Looking at certain biographical information about the artist’s crisis period and time spent with the Surrealist group is crucial in understanding what can be discerned from viewing this work. Other works with the theme of metamorphosis within her oeuvre are studied as they provide further context for Oppenheim’s artistic philosophy and her penchant for revisiting themes repeatedly. Other works with the theme of metamorphosis are studied as they provide further context for Oppenheim’s artistic philosophy and …

A Funerary Rite: A Visual Ethnography Of Climate Change, Threatened And Endangered Coral Species, And The Impact Of Coral Reef Death On Coastal Communities, Jason Uhl

Theses

This directed project includes research on a selection of the 24 coral species currently listed as threatened or endangered, these being at high risk of extinction. Climate change of the Anthropocene era and associated human-induced pollution impacts have resulted in most of the Earth’s coral reefs experiencing increased coral bleaching and coral death events. Our planet’s coral reefs are the main habitat to 25% of the world’s fish population. These coral habitats have also supported innumerous coastal communities in cultural, economic, social, and spiritual respects for millennia. This directed project includes the creation of an exhibition of 22 lidded ceramic …

Postermania: The French Advertising Poster Of The Fin-De-Siècle: An Art History Course, Erin Quirk

Theses

This project presents a comprehensive exploration of illustrated advertising posters at the fin de siècle highlighting their multifaceted role as artistic works, commercial media, and cultural artifacts. Designed as a three part course for a museum education department, the study integrates art history, visual culture, and social history to analyze the impact of these posters on the modernizing city of Paris. Focusing on artists like Jules Chéret, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Alphonse Mucha, the project traces the aesthetic evolution of the poster that blurred the lines between fine art and mass culture. The course examines the broader socio-historical context, exploring …

Optimizing Small Business Success Through An Online Fashion Consulting Infographic Guide, Nicole Campbell

Theses

The project aims to challenge traditional thinking within the fashion industry, paving the way for the creation of a thriving consulting business. In addition, it will underscore the significance of developing a strong online profile for fashion consultants, symbolizing the birth of the Consult the Soul brand. Through this initiative, the project aspires to revolutionize the realm of fashion consulting by fusing unique tactics with ethical standards. By encouraging a fresh perspective and emphasizing the importance of embracing digital platforms, the project sets out to redefine the standards of success within the industry. Ultimately, this venture seeks to establish a …

The Intersection Of Interactive Narrative And Flow State Immersion: An Exploration Of Trauma, Resilience, And Post-Traumatic Growth, Tiffani Barner

Theses

This work investigates the benefits of interactive narratives in conjunction with flow state immersion for individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A specific focus is placed on narratives that contain dark or horror-based themes. In addition, the importance of selfauthorship, representation, and empowerment are explored. Accompanying the examination of flow state, concepts such as challenge, failure, and the motivation to succeed at challenging tasks are analyzed. This work also includes a survey pertaining to user preferences regarding media and genre preferences. The goal of this project is to design an interactive user experience that activates flow state while also providing an …

Jacqueline Marval: Référence Sans Révérence Art History Lecture And Activity Series, Michelle Erickson

Theses

The painting Les Odalisques (1902-03) anchors the investigation of French artist Jacqueline Marval’s presence and contribution to the modernist art narrative. The painting is composed of five women who share a face and features, set in a private female space. The canvas is complete with bold strokes of color, and their skin is painted in the unrealistic tones that Fauvists will embrace, yet naturally – these women are still fully and complexly human. From a distance, they are sculptural.

This project is intended as a Club de Lecture series for adult learners of French culture and language at the Alliance …

Reframing The Canon: Black Contemporary Artist Shaping The Western Narrative, Elaysha A. Bazil

Theses

Reframing the Canon is an exhibition and thesis project that centers on Black Contemporary artists and their pivotal contributions to the Western art canon. Curated by Art BaziL, the exhibit challenges traditional narratives and biases, creating a space where Black art is celebrated as integral rather than supplemental. Through a collection of multi-medium works—from abstract paintings to digital art and handcrafted jewelry—the exhibit invites viewers to experience Black creativity beyond themes of struggle, highlighting resilience, innovation, and beauty. This project responds to the historical exclusion of Black voices within mainstream art institutions, advocating for a more inclusive and representative canon. …

Beauty Beyond Barbed Wire: Chiura Obata’S Perspective Of The Horizon, Bri Carlson

Theses

Depictions of the environment are an integral part of American art history because they convey cultural relationships of all who inhabited the land. The environment is often a stagnant force that harbors lifetimes of human history. One of these histories is the incarceration of about 120,000 Japanese immigrants and American citizens in 1942 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. They were forced to evacuate their homes, lives, and families to live in detention centers and prison camps where living conditions were subpar. Many turned to art making to cope, and some artists used their work to silently protest and visually …

Project-Based Learning In Art History: Course Curriculum, Katelyn Baltes

Theses

The course entitled “Project-Based Learning in Art History” is a rigorous curriculum that introduces students to art history but creates a better understanding of how materials and techniques were used throughout time. Students in 11-12th grade will be able to apply their knowledge and learning through projects integrated within each unit to develop a stronger understanding of the content. Students will be able to apply the design elements and principles of design within their artwork and recognize the different characteristics of various periods and cultures. There will be the use of two-dimensional and three-dimensional art within each unit, and students …

Contemplating Glaciers - A Dialogue, Jessica Elizabeth Turner

Theses

This project investigates the evolving relationship between art, climate education, and audience engagement. It explores how the visual arts serve as a medium for fostering awareness and dialogue about climate change while inspiring climate resilience through artistic and curatorial intervention. The exhibition Contemplating Glaciers – A Dialogue showcases the work of Canadian artist Jan Kabatoff, whose practice incorporates multisensory experiences, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, VR, and soundscapes to engage viewers with the ongoing degradation of glaciers. The exhibition bridges the gap between scientific knowledge and artistic expression within a gallery space designed to encourage participation and reflection. It seeks to …

Using Machine Learning To Predict Energy Consumption In Commercial Buildings In The Uae, Saif Nasser Aljasmi

Theses

The ever-growing demand for energy necessitates a shift towards efficient management practices. Buildings, responsible for a significant portion of global energy consumption, present a prime opportunity for optimization. Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) have emerged as a crucial tool in this endeavor, offering a comprehensive platform for monitoring and integrating various building systems. However, a key functionality within BEMS, energy consumption prediction, has faced limitations in accuracy. This stagnation hinders the full potential of BEMS for achieving optimal energy management strategies. Traditional methods for energy prediction often rely on historical data and lack the sophistication to capture the complex and …

Recruitment Sources Of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon Idella) In The Great Lakes, Nicholas Steven Etter

Theses

Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) is a species of concern in areas they have invaded, such the Laurentian Great Lakes, due to their potential to substantially reduce aquatic macrophyte coverage. Efforts to control Grass Carp in the Great Lakes have primarily been focused on two tributaries to the western basin of Lake Erie (i.e., Sandusky and Maumee rivers, Ohio) where reproduction has been documented, although other Great Lakes tributaries are known to have thermal and hydrological regimes suitable for Grass Carp spawning. Knowledge of sources contributing to the expanding population of invasive Grass Carp in the Great Lakes is key to …

Second- And Third-Party Punishment In Common-Pool Resource Management, Jacquelyn Spence

Theses

Common-pool resources play a significant role in many economies, especially in developing countries where they are a critical source of food, income, and employment for communities. Long term management of common-pool resources can be challenging because the continued existence of the resource depends upon balancing the rate of resource depletion with the rate of repletion. Effective management of these resources is vital for protecting the environment and preserving the resources for future generations as overuse and degradation can have serious impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity. Elinor Ostrom’s design principles for common-pool resource (CPR) management provide valuable insight into human interaction …

Making Social Interactions Accessible For The Blind And Low-Vision People By Detecting Emotions Through Vocal Tone, Facial Expressions, And Body Language, Gautham Krishna

Theses

Despite the thriving research in the field of accessibility, there are several niche area where there is a need for specific solutions. One such area is social interaction. Blind and Low-Vision people (BLV) are limited in identifying emotions through verbal communication alone, which is often biased and unreliable in certain environments. Prior research illustrates the importance of body language in expressions and articulates the mechanism behind human emotions. Drawing inspiratoin from such research and various studies that were focused on emotion recognition systems, our research focused on identifying a portable accessible solution for BLV that classified emotion based on multi-modal …

Community Response To Floods In The Cache River Watershed Of Southern Illinois: Application Of A Proposed Framework For Assessing General And Specified Community Resilience, Raymond Albert Bieri Iii

Theses

Recent years have seen increased awareness about the potential adverse impacts of climate change on hydrologic systems and human communities. The concept of community resilience – the capacity of communities to respond to drivers of change in a manner that maintains or improves upon community well-being – is widely recognized as a suitable framework for informing climate change adaptation policies. Emerging insights from the community resilience literature highlight the importance of the distinction between general resilience, which refers to the resilience of social-ecological systems to all kinds of drivers of change, and specified resilience, which is concerned with the resilience …

Examining The Relationship Between Internalizing, Externalizing, And Psychotic Psychopathology At Five Levels Of Criminal Risk, Cooper Mitchell Sparks

Theses

Though it is well established that mental illness is not a primary risk factor for criminal justice involvement, the relationship between mental illness and criminal risk with justice-involved persons with mental illness is not well understood (Bonta, et al., 1998; Morgan, et al., 2010; Skeem, et al., 2014). Specifically, psychopathology has not been understood at different levels of criminal risk. Using the Five-Level Risk and Needs System for criminal risk (Hanson, et al., 2017), the current study aimed to identify mean differences between different domains of psychopathology (i.e., internalizing, externalizing, and psychotic psychopathology) across five levels of criminal risk. Data …

A Focus On The Social Validity Of Treating Stereotypy Using Response Interruption And Redirection, Maggie Grace Ratcliff

Theses

Stereotypy refers to a class of operant repetitive motor and vocal responses with no readily apparent goal or purpose (Rapp & Vollmer, 2005; Singer, 2009; Wunderlich et al., 2023). Although most stereotypy is clinically insignificant and does not warrant treatment (i.e., nail biting, hair twirling), some stereotypy persists at a frequency or severity which interferes with skill acquisition, social interactions, and daily living skills. Stereotypy which persists at this level is considered clinically significant and is often the target of treatment (Wunderlich et al., 2023). A variety of evidence-based treatments for the reduction of stereotypy exist, though some neurodiversity advocates …

Integration Of Blockchain Technology In Industrial Applications, Sanjana Sakinala

Theses

This research explores the integration of Hyperledger Fabric., a framework of blockchain in industrial applications, particularly focusing on supply chain management. By addressing the limitations of traditional blockchains - such as high transaction latency, scalability challenges, and privacy concerns - this research demonstrates how Hyperledger fabrics overcomes them. Through simulation, we show significant enhancements in transaction speed, data privacy and scalability, making the Fabric a viable solution for industrial systems.

Using Stimulus Equivalence Procedures To Increase Police Officers' Identification Of Behavioral Functions, Caitlin Sturges

Theses

Mentalistic constructs and theories have been spouted since the dawn of mankind to explain the many behaviors of humans. These philosophies, however, leave many unanswered questions in society’s understanding of why complex behaviors (e.g., the multifaceted behaviors between police officers and citizens) occur. Society has entered an era of policing reform. Moreover, society is in search of answers as to why violent and seemingly complex behaviors are on the rise between law enforcement officials and citizens. The purpose of this study was to teach police officers the four functions of behavior utilizing equivalence-based instruction (EBI). Three active-duty law enforcement officials …

Smart Credit Card Fraud Detection Using Machine Learning, Aisha Bin Sulaiman, Rowdha Masood Falaknaz

Theses

This thesis addresses the increasing issue of fraud resulting from technological advancements affecting both customers and fraudsters, while law enforcement agencies face challenges of inadequate case prioritization; data overload and slow investigative analysis. The central objective of this thesis revolves around strategies to counter these challenges, emphasizing the urgency of rapid response to major alert cases that can lead to widespread impacts. The authors' experience in financial fraud detection and credit card crime investigation within the police department has inspired this research, guiding the approach toward practical solutions for everyday operational challenges. The significance of this thesis lies in its …

Development And Optimization Of Electric-Double-Layer Gated Transistors Based On Low-Dimensional Materials: Gate-All-Around Inas Nanowire Arrays And Graphene Channels, John Wyatt Morrell

Theses

Electric-double-layer (EDL) gating is a promising alternative to conventional gating methods for field-effect transistors (FETs), with potential applications spanning current logic, future logic, and neuromorphic computing architectures. This technique employs mobile ions in an electrically insulating but ionically conductive medium to generate strong local electric fields at the gate-to-channel interface, achieving field magnitudes on the order of 1 V/nm. These intense local fields enable significant charge carrier accumulation in the semiconducting channel, positioning EDL gating as a strong candidate for device applications. In this study, we investigate the use of low-dimensional channel materials, including two-dimensional graphene and one-dimensional InAs nanowires, …