Digital Commons Network^™

Kinesthetically Speaking: Human And Animal Communication In British Literature Of The Long Eighteenth Century, Dana Jolene Laitinen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While scholars have studied talking animals in British children’s literature of the long eighteenth century, little attention has been given to cross-species conversations. Thus, my research starts with the following questions: what does it mean when humans talk to animals in literary texts? What do representations of interspecific communication in eighteenth-century British literature accomplish? Interspecific communication in the literary works of this study may be understood in the context of the philosophy of sensibility’s debt to French Renaissance humanist Michel de Montaigne, particularly his arguments about animal semiosis in An Apology for Raymond Sebond. I argue that interspecific conversations challenge …

The Role Of Financial Insecurity And Expectations On Perspectives Of Mental Health Services Among Refugees, Jacqueline M. Siven

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how perspectives of mental health among refugees are situated within the realities of the refugee resettlement system, a population for which information on this issue is quite limited. Through in-depth interviews and participant observation with Congolese refugees and non-Congolese refugee-serving professionals in a major Florida city, this dissertation examines how perceptions of mental health and mental health services among refugees were affected by financial insecurity and disparities in expectations. Local Congolese refugees expected the American Dream; they believed that once they arrived they would find prosperity through hard work. Instead they experienced frustration and distress because the …

How Audiovisual Composition Reveals Gendered Limitations And Possibilities In Lady Bird In The Wake Of #Metoo, Chandler Micah Reeder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the film Lady Bird and the historical coincidence of its release one month after the online movement #MeToo began. By giving frame and sound equal importance in my analysis of the film, rather than opposing these elements, I emphasize audiovisual composition and reveal the mutual dependence within what are considered traditional divisions of theory in cinema. These oppositions relate to control and escape, as they are portrayed through the mother and daughter characters, Marion and Lady Bird, as well as through image and sonic elements. My work demonstrates how the audiovisual composition of the film mediates …

A Plan For Progress, Preservation, And Presentation At The Safety Harbor Museum And Cultural Center, Amanda L. Ward

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are numerous ways in which heritage can be managed and presented to the public, such as: physical museums, virtual museums, tours of historic homes, and archaeological parks. For this project, I participated in and observed heritage preservation management under a unique partnership of the City of Safety Harbor recreation department and the Safety Harbor Museum Board in Safety Harbor, Florida. My internship was with the Safety Harbor Museum and Cultural Center, primarily under the direction of Shannon Schafer and Christine McWilliams. My initial focus was assisting these two groups with projects specific to the needs of the museum. I …

The Effects Of Socioscientific Issues On Informal Reasoning And The Transference To Controversial Issues In A Social Studies Context, Thomas J. Dolan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if informal reasoning skills associated with socioscientific issues (SSI) transferred to controversial issues in a social studies context. The principal researcher developed three controversial issues derived from social studies education to create social studies context issues (SSCI). This acronym has been termed by the principal researcher, as controversial issues in social studies have not been evaluated beyond the social studies classroom. Twenty-one, fifth grade students participated in this three-month study, which featured three specific SSI units (A Need for Speed? – speed limit reduction, Roller Coaster Ban – preventing injuries to children, …

Villains Or Vermin? The Differential Effects Of Discrimination And Dehumanization On Immigrant Cardiovascular Responses, Mona El-Hout

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Immigration has been pushed to the forefront of a national political debate, and immigrants are commonly portrayed as villains and vermin looking to invade and infest Western nations. These negative portrayals of immigrants may have negative implications for immigrant health outcomes. Among other negative health outcomes, studies have found that immigrant cardiovascular disease rates increase with time spent in the U.S. This phenomenon of decreasing immigrant health with extended U.S. residency has been labeled “the immigrant health paradox”, and discrimination has often been posited as a possible explanatory factor. In addition to discrimination, immigrants are often the targets of dehumanization, …

Motivation Matters: The Interaction Of Approach And Avoidance Alcohol Motivation And Self-Control Demands In College Drinkers, Becky K. Gius

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Failure in self-control has long been identified as a risk factor for problematic alcohol use among college students, as individuals who are less equipped or less able to regulate their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors use alcohol more frequently and are at greater risk for binge drinking. Recent findings suggest self-control depletion and motivation interact to determine performance on subsequent tasks that require self-control. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the ways self-control exertion and desires to use alcohol (approach inclinations) and desires to avoid using alcohol (avoidance inclinations) impact subsequent alcohol use behavior. Using ecological momentary assessment, …

Intercessory Power: A Literary Analysis Of Ethics And Care In Toni Morrison’S Song Of Solomon, Alice Walker’S Meridian, And Toni Cade Bambara’S Those Bones Are Not My Child, Kelly Mills

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine post-Reconstruction literature as an intercessor that creates a common memory among readers and activates them as ethical agents who can move through retributive violence rather than enact violence. With the increase of racial violence in the United States, it is essential to find ways to end the cycle of retributive violence and establish a justice system that does not marginalize individuals but forges connections in the midst of oppression. This literary analysis engages three novels—Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, Alice Walker’s Meridian, and Toni Cade Bambara’s Those Bones Are Not My Child: …

Threat-Induced Alterations In Cognition And Associations With Disinhibited Behavior, Julia B. Mcdonald

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When a threat is detected, brain networks associated with threat processing are activated while other processes are deprioritized. While this resource allocation is adaptive, it makes it especially difficult to effortfully direct thoughts, emotions, and behaviors (use cognitive control) during situations of high stress. Further, this threat response is most efficient in response to short-term or predictable stressors (“threats”) but loses its efficiency for ambiguous or unpredictable threats. Despite research that suggests that threat induces psychological states associated with breakdown in cognitive control processes, no study has directly examined how predictability of threat impacts neurocognitive indicators of cognitive control processes. …

Development And Application Of Computational Models For Biochemical Systems, Fiona L. Kearns

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chemistry is the study of matter and its transformations. Computational chemistry uses computer models to study chemistry in all its intricate complexity. In this thesis I hope to accessibly introduce fundamental concepts central for computational chemistry including quantum mechanics, molecular mechanics, and multiscale modeling. I then present several works which I have conducted throughout my graduate career employing many different computational methods. The investigations described here can be summarized as follows. Chapter 2.1 modeling proteins involved in crustacean molting, and identifying possible inhibitors to this molting. Chapter 2.2 modeling d-fructose bound to synthetic saccharide receptors with hopes of improving saccharide …

Pathways To Leadership: A Qualitative Study Of Women In Higher Education, Kymia Love Jackson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women earn degrees at a higher rate than men, yet they are underrepresented in leadership positions in general and more specifically, in executive leadership positions in the areas of finance, operations, and administration (FOA) in higher education. This qualitative study explored the journeys of women in executive leadership positions in finance, operations, and administration at four-year, public colleges or universities. The research question that guided this study was: How do women describe their experiences of securing, transitioning into, and advancing within executive leadership positions in FOA in higher education? Document and content analysis, demographic questionnaire, observations, interviews, and reflection were …

Male And Female Students’ Persistence In Stem Fields In Community Colleges: A Secondary Analysis Of Nces Bps:12/14 Data, Ying Hu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Today, economic growth, technology advancement, and daily life are all driven by science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). American colleges and universities need to produce more STEM graduates in order to meet rapid job growth. The purpose of this study was to determine the significant factors that influence the persistence of STEM students in community colleges. The research described the characteristics of STEM students who persisted and of those who did not in STEM, as well as the different characteristics between male and female students. It also investigated student and institutional factors that influenced STEM students’ persistence. Furthermore, the study …

Affect And Craving: Examining The Differential Influences Of Positive And Negative Affect On Inclinations To Approach And Avoid Alcohol Use, Jacob A. Levine

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Most research examining the role of affect in the etiology of alcohol craving has been limited to associations between negative affect and the desire to consume alcohol. This narrow focus has not only ignored the potential influence of positive affect on the desire to use alcohol, but has led to a failure to consider both desires to avoid using alcohol and motivational conflicts often thought to be present in alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Additionally, research investigating the influence of affect on attentional bias in favor of alcohol cues in individuals who have an AUD has been limited. Using 60 individuals …

The Effect Of Acute Interpersonal Racial Discrimination On Smoking Motivation And Behavior Among Black Smokers, Patricia F. Calixte-Civil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In comparison to White smokers, Black smokers are more likely to report both discrimination and less success in smoking cessation. No previous study has tested the causal relationship between actual experienced racial discrimination and smoking variables associated with cessation. The goal of this study was to test the casual influence of interpersonal racial discrimination on smoking motivation (i.e., the urge to smoke cigarettes, cessation self-efficacy, and smoking behavior) using a controlled experimental design. We used a virtual ball-playing game to create a laboratory model of racial discrimination. A 2x2 between-subjects factorial design (inclusion/exclusion vs. ingroup/outgroup) was used to randomly assign …

The Role Of Influencer Endorsement In Consumer Brand Engagement On Sina Weibo, Xiaofan Wei

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The strength and effectiveness of influencer advertising and influencer marketing make them becoming more and more popular on social media. Consumer online brand engagement, including consuming, contributing, and creating brand-related content, is closely related to a brand’s reputation and image. This study aims to determine how the two aspects related to influencer endorsement – influencer-follower parasocial interaction (PSI) and influencer-brand congruence -- affect three levels of consumer online brand-related activities (COBRAs) on Sina Weibo. Another purpose of the current study is to examine the mediation effect of personal identity (PI) and social identity (SI) in the relationship between influencer-follower parasocial …

Effects Of Learning A Second Language On English Academic And Low-Frequency Vocabulary Acquisition And Metalinguistic Knowledge, Hayriye Karliova

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the possible effects of learning a language from the Italic branch of the Indo-European language family as a second language (L2), namely Latin and Spanish, on English academic and low-frequency vocabulary acquisition and metalinguistic knowledge of native English speaker (NES) undergraduates in their first language (L1), English.

The study sought to attain two objectives: first, it aimed to discover the effects of learning Latin and Spanish as L2s with respect to the vocabulary acquisition of NES undergraduates; second, it aimed to detect the effects these L2s in terms of metalinguistic awareness. In both cases, the focus was …

Disrupting The Heteronormative Mindset In Teacher Preparation Through Inclusive Children's Literature, Denise I. Donahue

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Because of discrimination that presents itself through bullying based on identity, and the lack of positive LGBTQIA+ representation within classroom lessons, there is a need for a higher quality of preparation for teachers in order to create inclusive environments.

All teachers, particularly new teachers, need to know how to effectively work with diverse learners to meet their needs academically, emotionally and socially. This includes preparing teachers to instruct students and work with families who include LGBTQIA+ members. LGBTQIA+ students are often marginalized, discounted, harassed or invisible. (Kosciw, Greytak, Zongrone, Clark, & Truong, 2018). There is a need for a higher …

The Efficacy Of Comedy, Mark Anthony Castricone

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Efficacy of Comedy: Focusing on the efficacy of comedy as a genre, utilizing Aristotle, Nietzsche, and Heidegger’s philosophy. It begins with a historical analysis of the efficacy of comedy in Ancient 4th and 5th century Athens focusing on Aristotle’s conceptions of comedy. It analyses what Aristotle wrote about comedy and attempts a reconstruction of what his book on comedy from the poetics may have said. It then examines the shift to aesthetics rather than the Philosophy of Art with a focus on Kant and the Critique of Judgment. Comedy here is used as an interpretive tool in order to …

Cultural Competence: Reflections And Self-Efficacy In A Preservice Teacher-Education Program, Jennifer Fernandez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore preservice teachers’ sense of confidence working with English Learners, and the ability to transfer that confidence to self-efficacy in cultural competence. Specifically, the study evaluated an infused ESOL endorsement program integrated into a teacher preparation program at a local Florida state college. The qualitative study derived information from retrospective data from past assignments in two ESOL specific courses required for students in two different programs, Elementary Education, and Exceptional Student Education. Additionally, data were analyzed from semi-structured interviews in which five preservice teachers participated.

Findings uncovered four major themes and multiple subthemes. …

Trial & Error: Royal Authority & Families In The Colonization Of The British Floridas, 1763-1784, Deborah L. Bauer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation will examine the relationship between families, the British Crown, and colonization patterns in mid-eighteenth-century Florida. Agents of royal authority, such as colonial governors, and White, European, Protestant families, would serve as the bulwark upon which the Crown would design and implement its ideal colonization scheme. Carefully created by royal officials, adherence to the plan would result in the successful establishment and growth of loyal and productive colonies. Noncompliance ultimately foreshadowed failure. The state used the social unit of families in East and West Florida as a "tool of empire” to ensure the political, economic, and military success of …

Teachers And Administrators Explain How And Why Teachers Change Instructional Methods In A Pre-K Through Eight Catholic School, Judith A. Deeley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative exploratory study explored how and why teachers at four small Catholic schools in the state of Florida transformed by changing instructional methods to offer full integration of science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and mathematics (STREAM) approaches into learning experiences for grades pre-k through eight. There was a time up until the early 2000s that Catholic school enrollment was at capacity and did not require differentiation based upon unique student learning needs. However, students of current times reflect a higher need for educational approaches that are both differentiated and engaging.

“Teachers are required to teach more content and subjects …

Playing Darts In The Dark: How Are Chamber Of Commerce Leaders Aligned For Greater Effectiveness?, Robert J. Rohrlack Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper researched what the United States chamber of commerce paid Executives and the volunteer Chairpersons identified as the factors influencing their chamber for effectiveness. There has been little research on chambers of commerce in the U.S. This study adds to the small amount of research available, working to establish baseline information for research to continue this ubiquitous industry. We conducted 24 interviews, 12 paid Executives, and 12 volunteer Chairpersons at chambers of commerce in 11 states. They were asked to identify factors that make their chamber more effective or inhibit their chamber from being effective. The interviews were coded, …

Disciplinary D/Discourses: Navigating And Negotiating Disciplinary Paradigms, Michael R. P. Bailey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past twenty-five years, in the United States, zero-tolerance policies that were initially implemented to deter gun violence and drugs in schools have expanded to include a wide range of discretionary offenses such as disrespect and defiance. As a result, many students have been denied access to educational opportunities, been excluded from their peers, and had their lives irrevocably changed due to systemic sanctioning of exclusionary practices. Educators, who are caught between competing societal demands, job expectations, and ethical beliefs about their profession are tasked with balancing the instructional and interactional components of their work in an attempt to …

Educators' Perceptions Of Students' Academic And Social Growth In A Collegiate High School Program., John Matthew Legg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine educators’ perceptions of high school students’ academic and social growth in a collegiate college program. Collegiate high school programs afford opportunities to minorities and the economically disadvantaged, as well as first-generation college students (Aviles-Reyes, 2007). This research used a qualitative case study framework to collect information about educators’ perceptions of the academic and social integration of students in a collegiate college program. Data were collected in phases—educator focus group interviews and individual interviews—and subsequently coded and reviewed using thematic comparative analysis. The guiding question was as follows: What are educators’ perceptions of …

A Comparison Of Different Modeling Techniques To Establish Token Reinforcers In Classroom Settings, Spencer B. Gauert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has supported the use of reinforcer-based methods in school settings. Video based modeling methods for establishing conditioned reinforcers without the need for explicit pairing with primary reinforcers can help to extend the use of these resources into new contexts. The use of video based conditioning has potential applications in school settings to increase academic skills without the use of more costly-to-implement reinforcer systems. However, conditioning of this kind might be restricted by the need to individually condition stimuli with different participants. The current study evaluated effects of video based conditioning on relative rate of sight word reading across …

Reducing Underrepresentation: Promising Practices In Florida, Catherine A. Mullins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I examined representation rates of gifted students from diverse backgrounds in Florida county school districts. Florida state legislation governing gifted student education allows for alternative identification methods to be used for students from underrepresented groups if plans for such identification are approved by the Florida Department of Education; however, this option, informally referred to as “Plan B” after subsection B of the legislation governing gifted services, is not a requirement that districts must follow. Consequently, there are large differences in the ways districts identify underrepresented students for gifted services. State legislation identifies underrepresented populations as students with …

“Man Plans But Ultimately, God Decides”: A Phenomenological Investigation Of The Contextual Family Planning Beliefs Of Recently Resettled Congolese Refugee Women In West Central Florida., Linda Bomboka Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Existent demographic changes in the United States are largely a result of the current international refugee crisis. Within the past three years, there has been an influx of refugees who were affected by the wars in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Congolese refugees were the highest number of all refugee groups to arrive in the United States in Fiscal Years 2016-2018, yet little is known about their lived experiences, particularly as they apply to reproductive health and family planning in general. Congolese refugee women who resettle in the United States are unique because many lived in refugee camps for …

Exploration Of Gratitude In Cardiovascular Health: Mediators, Medication Adherence And Psychometrics, Lakeshia A. Cousin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the effect of gratitude on cardiovascular health outcomes using mediators, medication adherence, and psychometrics. The specific aims were to (1) establish the state of the science for gratitude and cardiovascular health outcomes via a state-of-the-science literature review, (2) explore mediators affecting gratitude and medication adherence using a structural equation model in patients with cardiovascular disease, and (3) analyze the psychometric properties of the Gratitude Questionnaire-6, a self-report questionnaire designed to assess individual differences to express dispositional gratitude, to provide evidence for the validity and reliability of the instrument in African Americans at …

Taking An “Ecological Turn” In The Evaluation Of Rhetorical Interventions, Peter Cannon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to develop a new method for the evaluation and assessment of therapeutic libraries in a health ecology. To do so, I employ a modified version of Lloyd Bitzer’s rhetorical situation as a methodological tool for the investigation of health ecologies by applying an ecological analysis to an alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment center in Tampa, Florida. By modifying Bitzer’s rhetorical situation schema and expanding the concept of health ecologies, I develop several innovations useful for tracing the impact of actants and rhetorical events specific to health and medicine. A major focus of this dissertation is a …

Adolescent Identity Exploration And Civic Identity Development In A U.S. Government Classroom, Sarah Mead Denney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As technological advances provide minute-by-minute updates of current events and personalized media feeds push the boundaries of political polarization, the task of social studies educators to provide students with the tools to become effective citizens becomes increasingly important. Undergirded by theories of psychosocial identity development, civic identity development, and the promotion of identity exploration in the academic curriculum, this qualitative multiple case study attempts to examine the processes of adolescent identity exploration and civic identity development in relation to the assignments and activities in a twelfth-grade Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. Government classroom. Classroom observations, teacher and student interviews, and artifact …