Digital Commons Network^™

An Analysis Of Fathers’ And Toddlers’ Behaviors During Shared Book Reading, Caitlin Marie Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

Shared book reading interactions between parents and their children have been studied to draw correlations to a child’s vocabulary growth, language development, mathematical scores, and socioemotional skills. However, there is a lack of research regarding fathers’ and toddlers’ engagement and behaviors during shared book reading interactions. The current study investigated and analyzed father and toddler interactions during shared book reading. The data was collected from a larger longitudinal study. Seven father-child dyads participated in the study (Mage = 35 years; range = 30-43 years). The children included four males and two females, and up to two videos were collected for …

Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams In Middle School Classrooms With English Language Learners: Effects And Perceptions, Emily Joy Warburton

Theses and Dissertations

English language learners (ELL) and Latinx students are at an increased risk of difficulties that can lead to problem behaviors at school. Effective classroom management strategies may help these students remain on task despite these challenges, but teachers often feel they lack training in classroom management strategies. Class-wide Function-related Intervention Teams in Middle School (CW-FIT MS) is a research-based classroom management intervention that has helped teachers increase their students' on-task behavior through group contingency, reward, and praise. We investigated the efficacy of CW-FIT MS in classrooms with high proportions of Latinx ELL students. One middle school English teacher and her …

Reparative Description: Suggested Revisions Of Library Of Congress Subject Headings For Indigenous Peoples In The Sequoyah National Research Center Online Library Catalog, Mikaela Nicole Bailey

Theses and Dissertations

The Library of Congress (LOC) presents thousands of items in its online catalog and uses subject headings to link and relate items of the same subject matter, origins, or creator. Smaller libraries,archives, and other institutions use the subject headings provided by the LOC to easily link related materials within their own online catalogs. The Library of Congress Subject Headings are not inclusive and do not represent all Peoples. Subject Headings used by the Library of Congress may correctly represent a community, misrepresent by using other names than what the People choose to call themselves, or may not represent a People …

Open System Neural Networks, Bradley Hatch

Theses and Dissertations

Recent advances in self-supervised learning have made it possible to reuse information-rich models that have been generally pre-trained on massive amounts of data for other downstream tasks. But the pre-training process can be drastically different from the fine-tuning training process, which can lead to inefficient learning. We address this disconnect in training dynamics by structuring the learning process like an open system in thermodynamics. Open systems can achieve a steady state when low-entropy inputs are converted to high-entropy outputs. We modify the the model and the learning process to mimic this behavior, and attend more to elements of the input …

A Case Study Of The Implementation Of The New Clery Act Guidelines, Eunice Adigun

Theses and Dissertations

The Clery Act requires all higher education institutions participating in federal financial aid programs to keep and disclose campus crimes by submitting an Annual Security Report by October 1st of every year. In October 2020, the U.S. Department of Education replaced the 265-page Clery Act guidelines for administrators with a 13-page Appendix with specific changes to geographical locations to include in the report, eliminated the definition of crimes, and limited individuals designated as Campus Security Authority to those with direct responsibilities over student affairs. This case study examined how campus security officers implement the new Clery Act guidelines in crime …

Pan Shot!, Samuel Robert Gaston Mattax

Theses and Dissertations

Sam Mattax's practice is aimed at working through what he has lived and what he is living. They are self-involved diaristic building blocks of marking time and release. The layered drawings negotiate Sam's history and his day to day, distorting one another into a place of unrecognizable space and condensed energy. It is a process of attaining a loose understanding of his life and forgetting it all at once. Sam's work is survival.

Affectionate Facsimiles, Julio C. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The paintings in Affectionate Facsimiles are journeys into the expansiveness of color and memory via the accumulation of gestural action. Sporadic freneticism is used to archive desire and time and their relationship to identity. Thin and translucent layers are built up in bursts of intensity as palimpsests of intentioned labor.

Ripe Spoils, Yan Cynthia Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Chen’s practice primarily focus on sculptures and installation. She explores the interplay between the idea of nature and the constructed environment, by examining how language informs what we know. The central thesis, "Ripe Spoils", employs citrus fruits as symbols for bodily experiences and personal identity, investigating their cultural and historical significance. Her sculptures summon the qualities and embedded meanings in materials like paper pulp and clay, wax and citrus fruits, often resulting in abstracted forms evocative of the human body. This thesis paper and exhibition reflect on themes like mortality and the essence of self.

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Place-Conscious Vs. Place-Bound, Julie Avetisyan

Theses and Dissertations

Julie Avetisyan’s installation of sculptures, paintings and printmaking works are driven by an exploration of constructed identity that is not place-bound, but place-conscious. In this paper, she explores how her art practice generates world building under the context of the Armenian Diaspora – considering histories of indigeneity, migration, and assimilation.

Art In The Age Of Algorithmic Automation And Artificial Intelligence, Milly Skellington

Theses and Dissertations

The 21st century is examined in order to understand how the artists tools have gained unprecedented autonomy.

Barley As A Human Companion Species - Exploring The Relationship Between Barley And North Atlantic Peoples: 4000 Bc – Ad 1200, Chloe Combs

Theses and Dissertations

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is an ancient cereal crop originating in the Fertile Crescent approximately 12,000 years ago and is presently one of the most important cereal crops globally. Barley has a long and complex history. This thesis aims to explore one dimension of this history through the lens of human companion species using archaeobotanical data collected from the islands of the North Atlantic from the Neolithic (4,000 BC) to the Norse period (AD 1200).

The Black Arts And Black Power Movements In The Artwork Of John T. Riddle, Jr., Isabella Vitti

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the under-studied work of the Black sculptor John T. Riddle, Jr. and how he was influenced by the politics of Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s. Police brutality, the Vietnam War, the Black Power Movement, and the Watts uprising had a major impact on Riddle’s work.

Go Big Or Go Flat: Life Satisfaction After Mastectomy With Or Without Reconstruction, Susan T. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research on psychosocial functioning after mastectomy has focused on comparing women with different types of reconstruction to women who “remained flat.” We found that women who remained “flat by choice” had the highest overall psychosocial functioning, followed by the reconstructed group and lastly, by “flat without choice" women.

Through Their Eyes: Illuminating The Nature Of Animal Use In Conservation Research Through An Analysis Of Peer-Reviewed Literature In The Journal Conservation Biology, Sarah Hollmann

Theses and Dissertations

Non-human animals habitually have been treated as a resource in the service of humans and human-driven values. The field of conservation is not immune to this fact. But, because conservation is seemingly dedicated to the saving and protection of species and nature, until recently the field historically has been given a pass for the use and treatment of animals that are done “in the name of conservation”. This treatment is evident in common conservation practices such as capture, captivity, invasive sampling, aversive treatment, experimental manipulation, and intentional killing. A principal question we are asking is how individual animals are impacted …

Routed Through Rubber: Ulises Carrión And Marginal Media (1972–1980), Mary-Elisabeth Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Directed by Aart van Barneveld with support from his partner Ulises Carrión, the Stempelplaats gallery (1976–1981) in Amsterdam developed out of larger trends in independent publishing and mail art, as artists on the margins of conceptual art explored the potential of rubber stamps toward various ends. The thesis examines the role the rubber stamp played in Ulises Carrión's early poetic book works and his later mail art activities: how it allowed him to draw out the sequential aspects of a book's structure and forged strong links through his network.

The Rise Of Domestic Travel Imagery During Isolation: Looking At The Seclusion Of Japan And England, Tiffany I. Kang

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis outlines the periods and conditions of isolation, of Japan and England, and how they have contributed to the rise of domestic travel imagery. The limited travel caused by isolation provided a time for interior thinking which resulted in distinct artistic genres central to the identity of both countries.

Evaluating Differences In Expression Of Neuroticism In Individual Homed Cats And Feral Cat Colonies Across Varying Degrees Of Human Settlement, Sophie Ambrosino

Theses and Dissertations

Neuroticism is a dimension of personality that was first defined for human psychology as a collective measure of excessive tendencies towards stress, anxiety, fear, unwarranted aggression and/or instability. In a two-part study, this project aimed to identify neuroticism as an observable personality dimension in domesticated cats, and to investigate if the expression of neuroticism varies on an individual and population level in correlation with an increase in environmental stressors and scarcity based upon degree of urbanization of the site. One component of the study surveyed cat owners about personality traits and daily lifestyle of their cats to test the viability …

Scattered Fragments: Art, Architecture, And Archives In Revolutionary Urban Cairo, Mounira M. Makar

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes how revolutions impact urban Cairo and its communities, specifically within artistic, architectural and archival practice while acknowledging the central role of public spaces in giving way to such revolutionary practices. Fundamentally, this paper highlights the foundational nature of such practices in developing urban communities.

Lutz Bacher: 1975-2019, Jeremy Gloster

Theses and Dissertations

"Lutz Bacher: 1975-2019" is a monographic study of the artist Lutz Bacher (1943-2019), detailing the artist's trajectory from participant in the Bay Area photography scene of the mid-1970s to an established figure in the art world. Alongside this exposition, the thesis contends theoretically with Bacher's work, turning toward the theorist Peter Osborne's recent writings to examine Bacher's multifarious engagements with the photographic image and her own stagings of contemporaneity.

May The Soil Be Everywhere: Portraying A Family's Love And Revolution Through Oral History, Performance, And Film From A Granddaughter's Perspective, Yehui Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

May the Soil Be Everywhere is a feature-length documentary film that tells an intimate four-generational family story about farming, survival, and regeneration. Set against a backdrop of war, famine, and rapid urbanization, May the Soil Be Everywhere delves into oral history, trauma, family heritage and generational love. It represents a community’s collective effort to preserve its identity.

"This Other Way": Photography At Black Mountain College, Kyle Canter

Theses and Dissertations

Relying on the photographic collections of the Western Regional Archives in Asheville, NC, as well as oral histories, personal correspondence, course notes, official college records, and other archival material, this thesis examines the history and pedagogy of photography at Black Mountain College.

"How Is Photography?": Robert Heinecken's Photographic Concept At The University Of California, Los Angeles, 1960–1991, Noa Wesley

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the photography program Robert Heinecken established at UCLA, highlighting his interest in teaching photography as an idea rather than a technologically inflected medium. This pedagogical model provides a lens through which I trace the work of three of his students: Maria Nordman, John Divola, and Uta Barth.

Unpacking Challenges And Reinforcing Evaluations In Bilateral And Multilateral Development Organizations In Egypt, Fatema Elghonemy

Theses and Dissertations

The research examines evaluations conducted in bilateral and multilateral development organizations considering programs that are funded by governments or international organizations. The Egyptian Government partners with development partners to receive technical assistance in various fields, such as industrial development, technical education, environmental protection, health improvement and refugees’ empowerment. The thesis explores the interlinkage between the development goals and the results framework to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). It then goes on to examine the evolution of the function of evaluation and its historical development into becoming a standalone field that serves the decision making, extension and expansion of interventions. As …

Evaluating A Combined Affirmative Consent And Bystander Intervention Training For New Students, Gabrielle Gottschall

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the impact of a live, virtual training on the combined topics of affirmative consent and bystander intervention among 1,395 students new to the university in 2022. Student responses on pre-survey and post-training surveys were analyzed to determine if attending the intervention promoted students’ ability to understand, practice and recognize prosocial consent and bystander related attitudes and behaviors. New students registered to attend one 60-minute virtual training facilitated by the Department of Student Health and Wellness. Pre-survey data was collected in the form of a virtual survey prior to the intervention and again 30 days after students …

Relationship Between Tiktok Usage, Psychological Well-Being, Executive Functioning, Sleep Quality, And Sleep Hygiene Among University Students, Dana Lee Defilippo

Theses and Dissertations

Social media has been a well-researched topic over the past 15 years, with findings supporting its usefulness as well as its harmfulness. Some of these studies have focused on well-being, both psychological and physical, and how social media may impact these aspects. Social media applications such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter have been comprehensively studied in various areas, with many focusing on their impact on mental health. Although these studies have often found that social media usage negatively impacts mental health, there have been some conflicting findings. TikTok, a much newer application, has been far less researched and has …

The Impact Of Acculturative Stress On Psychological Wellbeing Among South Asian Adolescents And The Moderating Effect Of Gender, Rafia Zahid Chaudhry

Theses and Dissertations

The South Asian community is one of the fastest-growing immigrant populations in the United States (SAALT, 2019), and yet, there is a paucity of research that examines their experiences with acculturation, particularly in relation to stress. Likewise, acculturative stress or the strain associated with cross-cultural exposure is especially salient during adolescence when ethnic identity formation tends to materialize (Goforth et al., 2014) Researchers have indicated that acculturative stress is associated with negative mental health trajectories (Miller De Rutté & Rubenstein, 2021); nevertheless, virtually few studies have examined the variables associated with acculturative stress, especially among South Asian youth. The aim …

Using Video Modeling With Feedback To Teach Courtship Behaviors To An Autistic Young Adult: A Single Subject Design, Alyssa Paige Goodman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of video-modeling with feedback on the development of courtship behaviors in an autistic individual. A concurrent multiple baseline across behaviors design was used to examine the impact of this intervention on three target behaviors: asking someone on a date, responding to acceptance, and handling rejection. The intervention consisted of showing the participant video models in which volunteers demonstrated the three target courtship behaviors. Following three, four, and five baseline observations for each target behavior, corresponding video models were introduced for each of the behaviors. Following the viewing of video models, …

Examining The Relationship Between Anger At The Self And Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd) Symptoms, Dina M. Cottone

Theses and Dissertations

The emotion concept of "self-anger" is ill-defined and under-researched. While self-anger bears similarities to traditional anger ("other-anger"), it also retains features of shame and guilt. In addition, self-anger shares ruminative qualities and self-condemning thoughts with depression. As a result, self-anger can become maladaptive at persistent and unhealthy levels. Furthermore, individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at an increased risk for dysfunctional self-anger, considering their proneness to increased anger and depressive tendencies compared to non-ADHD counterparts. However, the relationship between ADHD and self-anger has not yet been explored in the literature. The purpose of this study was to examine the …

School-Based Suicide Prevention And Postvention: School Psychologists’ Knowledge Of Ethics, Laws, And Best Practices, Veronica Lynn Milito

Theses and Dissertations

Suicide is preventable, however suicide rates among children and adolescents are continuing to rise (Curtin & Heron, 2019). As such it is imperative that school psychologists who have an opportunity to impact the incidence of suicidal behaviors amongst students are properly trained in suicide prevention, postvention, laws, and ethics (Miller, 2014). However, there is little known about the efficacy of certain training approaches in suicide for school psychologists that may overcome barriers to implementation such as cost and time consumption (Dunn et al., 2013; Robinson et al., 2013). The present study sought to create a measure encompassing school psychologists’ objective …

Anger In Response To Racial And Social Injustice: A Pilot Study Identifying Anger Subtypes Within The Asian Population, Ira Miguelle Ocampo Bangawan

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the types of anger profiles an Asian population experiences in response to racial and social injustice. Dr. Myisha Cherry theorized five types of racial anger. Four types reflected maladaptive anger (rogue, wipe, resentment, and narcissistic rage), and one reflected adaptive anger (Lordean rage). I hypothesized a five- or six-factor solution to address racial anger based on Cherry's theory. To test this, self-identified Asian participants (n = 69) completed the Anger Racism Scale, which consisted of the Racial Anger Subtypes Questionnaire, Social Engagement Questionnaire, Anger Over Racism Dysfunctional Consequences Questionnaire, STAXI-2 Trait Anger Scale, and Constructive Anger Behavior …