Digital Commons Network^™

Endogenous And Social Factors Influencing Infant Vocalizations As Fitness Signals, Helen L. Long

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This dissertation evaluated the role of social and endogenous prelinguistic vocalizations as fitness signals in human development. It consists of three studies. The first investigated the reliability of listener judgments of the degree of infant vocal imitativeness in parent-infant vocal turn pairs as a measure of the saliency of potential vocal fitness signals. Participating listeners demonstrated moderate to high intra- and inter-rater agreement, suggesting vocal imitation has the potential to be used as a signal of fitness to caregivers in early development. The work also showed that vocal imitation in infancy is rare. The second study quantified the extent to …

Reducing Hazardous Drinking Among Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Using A Brief Alcohol Intervention And Avoidance-Focused Feedback, Matthew Thomas Luciano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This study supplements a one-session personalized drinking feedback intervention with a one-session activity feedback intervention for veterans with symptoms of PTSD and hazardous drinking. Veterans were screened (N=129) and enrolled (N=15) in an open trial to test feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy. Veterans completed assessments at baseline and post-intervention (1-month and 3-months). Participants (13.3% women; 40% African American) were recruited through a community in the mid-South. Thirteen participants (86.6%) were retained between the baseline assessment and second intervention session. Descriptive findings from a self-report acceptability questionnaire indicate that elements of this intervention were viewed favorably by a majority of participants. …

Machine Learning Approaches For Biomarker Identification And Subgroup Discovery For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Liangqun Lu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder caused by environmental and genetic factors resulting from alterations in genetic variation, epigenetic changes and neuroimaging characteristics. There is a pressing need to identify reliable molecular and physiological biomarkers for accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment, as well to deepen the understanding of PTSD pathophysiology. Machine learning methods are widely used to infer patterns from biological data, identify biomarkers, and make predictions. The objective of this research is to apply machine learning methods for the accurate classification of human diseases from genome-scale datasets, focusing primarily on PTSD.The DoD-funded Systems Biology of PTSD Consortium …

Determining Journal Article Impact In The School Psychology Literature Through Bibliometric Analyses, Patrick Mcnicholas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Bibliometric analyses have been the primary form of examining and evaluating literature within a field of study. By focusing on citation count and source, researchers have been able to identify journal articles considered to be high impact in reach and relevance, branding them citation classics in a field (Garfield, 1977, 1979). As time progresses, technology, methods, and metrics for conducting these analyses have improved, and although there have been several studies designed to identify citation classics and patterns of citations supporting them in school psychology literature (e.g., Liu & Oakland, 2016; Price, Floyd, Fagan, & Smithson, 2011), none have done …

Research In Emerging Financial Technologies, Jonathan Lee Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

In chapter one we investigate the price clustering of non-fiat cryptocurrency exchange rates or the pricing of items in cryptocurrency such as bitcoin, which has been accepted as payment at a growing list of companies. For litecoin, a non-fiat currency, priced in terms of satoshi, one hundred millionth of a bitcoin, over 35% are priced at 100 satoshi increments, providing support for the negotiation hypothesis. There is also strategic pricing at 1 satoshi below or above the 100 satoshi increments. At the transaction level, we find that prices are mainly formed due to negotiations and strategic trading, instead of based …

Cultural Historical Activity Theory: A Framework For Writing Center Analyses, Donald Ray Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

From the recognized beginning of the laboratory movement in composition instruction, teachers have sought to employ new and more practical methods useful in developing student writing. Such trends continue today as new generations of students enter the academy and new challenges emerge. From such conditions, we might see how components within a system of activity work together to meet objectives and develop outcomes within the shared dialectic of an activity system. Individuals and groups increase the potential for contradiction identification, thus, opportunities for solutions increase through mediational activities. With this idea in mind, this dissertation reviews writing center-related scholarship from …

Transgender Health Care: Symptom Disclosure, Gender Minority Stress, And Health Status, Christina New

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy (GAHT) is one of the most commonly sought transition-related medical care services accessed by transgender individuals. Considering this, the experiences of transgender individuals engaged in GAHT is a relevant area of research among medical and mental health communities. Among 385 individuals currently engaged in GAHT, this study assessed the prevalence of symptom disclosure to medical providers related to GAHT, as well as explored the relationships between GAHT symptom disclosure to medical providers, distal and proximal gender minority stress, physical and mental health, and gender minority resiliency. The results of this study supported that transgender individuals engaged in …

Transactional Distance In Middle And High School Online Learning Environments: An Empirical Study, Silas Njoroge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Understanding the communication gap due to the separation of teachers-students and students-students in online learning environments can have a profound impact on improving online learning. Moores Transactional Distance Theory (TDT) is an important pedagogical theory in distance learning that can be used to gain a better understanding of K-12 distance education practices. This study sought to empirically verify the theory by investigating the relationship of dialogue, structure, learner autonomy, and transactional distance (TD) perceived by students in K-12 Online Learning Environments (OLE). The study also investigated the effect of environmental and demographic factors on TD. Participants were selected from online …

Approaches For Analyzing Multivariate Mixed Endpoints With High-Dimensional Covariates., Yunusa Olufadi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

In clinical trials and observational studies, clinicians often observe measurements on multiple causes of clinical progression or synthesize information from various sources. These measurements are collected because a single outcome is usually inadequate to describe the disease complexities or because the primary outcomes of interest are abstract constructs (e.g., quality of life, disease conditions) that cannot be measured directly. It is usually necessary to collect multiple endpoints in order to fully understand the true associations that exist among several clinical outcomes and how they jointly affect the primary outcomes. In addition, such datasets are often useful for characterizing treatment effectiveness, …

Ecolinguistically Informed Critical Discourse Analysis Of Political Speech On Climate Change Policies In The United States Of America, Othman Khalid Al Shboul

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This study uses a mixed-methods approach to explore how climate change is conceptualized in the politics of the United States from the perspective of Ecolinguistics and Critical Discourse Analysis. I analyzed all the statements and letters issued by the governors and mayors who opposed the American president, Donald Trump, when he announced that he would withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement that 195 countries around the world signed. The qualitative analysis employs Critical Metaphor Analysis to investigate politicians metaphorical choices made to influence public opinion and influence policies about climate change in the U.S. These types of metaphors …

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of U.S. Trained Saudi Male Scholars Returning To Teach In The Saudi Post-Secondary Education System, Ali Alawi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Through narrative inquiry and Mezirows transformative learning theory (TLT) framework, this dissertation investigates the lived experiences of Saudi repatriates from the U.S. in the Saudi post-secondary educational system. The investigation is founded on the notion that studying abroad enables students to experience a new culture and acquire new knowledge. Concurrently, when these scholars return home, they are expected to transfer the newly learned information to their home country learning environs. This makes it necessary to understand the factors that impact the adaptation and knowledge transfer process. The investigation is also hinged on the observation that Saudi Arabia, as a developing …

Multivariate Modeling Of Cognitive Performance And Categorical Perception From Neuroimaging Data, Rakib Al-Fahad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

State-of-the-art cognitive-neuroscience mainly uses hypothesis-driven statistical testing to characterize and model neural disorders and diseases. While such techniques have proven to be powerful in understanding diseases and disorders, they are inadequate in explaining causal relationships as well as individuality and variations. In this study, we proposed multivariate data-driven approaches for predictive modeling of cognitive events and disorders. We developed network descriptions of both structural and functional connectivities that are critical in multivariate modeling of cognitive performance (i.e., fluency, attention, and working memory) and categorical perceptions (i.e., emotion, speech perception). We also performed dynamic network analysis on brain connectivity measures to …

Performance Beyond Ability: Exploring The Relationship Between Motivation And Mathematics Achievement At Community Colleges, Ezell Wesley Allen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Mathematics achievement, both in high school and early in college, is one of the strongest predictors of college completion. Research has shown that math interest, utility, engagement, self-efficacy, and identity are related to mathematics achievement. Hence, this study uses structural equation modeling to evaluate Fords (2017) empirical model linking mathematics beliefs and achievement, which expanded on Eccles model of achievement-related choices (2005) and Middletons model of mathematics achievement (2013). This study also moves beyond the Allen (2019) limitations by exploring institutions that are different in geographic locations. With the new expanded scope, this study adds to the growing body of …

Many Do Succeed, You Know: African American Adult Student Success And Retention In Community Colleges, Shawn Allison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This study explores the factors, attributes, and commitment that contribute to African American adult student success, retention, and completion in the community college environment. This study explores what factors contribute to African American student retention as opposed to those factors that serve as deficit; literature abounds with reasoning why minorities fail at both the two-year and four-year college setting. What then are reasons they succeedare these reasons different from other minorities or the larger non-minority student body? Does gender effect outcomes? To answer these questions of success and retention, these variables were measured by specific components the Community College Student …

A Further Validation Of The Mindful Self-Care Scale In Emerging Adults, Cache Archer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

With a growing interest in understanding ways to increase optimal functioning in humans, a relatively novel concept mindful self-care gained research attention in the past few years. Mindful self-care is a combination of the active evaluation of internal needs and external demands and intentional engagement in self-care practices. Although initial evidence was reported in the development and validation study of the Mindful Self-Care Scale (MSCS, Cook-Cottone & Guyker, 2018), there were some notable limitations, including the wide age range of the sample (i.e., ages 18-71 years) and a lack of evidence to confirm criterion validity and invariance across men and …

Administrators' Benevolent And Corrective Humor And Suspensions Of African American School Age Females, Roslyn E. Bacon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

African American female students suspension rates are rising and outpacing those of all categories of students, including African American males. This is due, in part, to an administrators over-reliance on zero-tolerance disciplinary policies, as well as a teachers negative perception of African American female students. Soaring rates of suspension contribute to school disengagement, high dropout rates, and a formidable risk of involvement in the school to prison pipeline. In addition to the toll these risks take on human lives, society loses the benefit of human productivity, taxable wages, and stable, thriving communities. As attention to the rising rate of suspension …

Detecting Stressful Social Interactions Using Wearable Physiological And Inertial Sensors, Rummana Bari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Stress is unavoidable in everyday life which can result in several health related short and long-term adverse consequences. Previous research found that most of the stress events occur due to interpersonal tension followed by work related stress. Enabling automated detection of stressful social interactions using wearable technology will help trigger just-in-time interventions which can help the user cope with the stressful situation. In this dissertation, we show the feasibility of differentiating stressful social interactions from other stressors i.e., work and commute.However, collecting reliable ground truth stressor data in the natural environment is challenging. This dissertation addresses this challenge by designing …

A Dissertation On The Testing Approaches Of Autonomous Cyber-Physical Systems, Cody Behles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Abstract:Testing is among the most critical parts of the development of any system. As technology becomes more advanced, and we continue towards a world defined by integration of advanced features and capabilities (such as being able to think for themselves) in every object, the ability to test these objects becomes infinitely more complicated. This work addresses the testing of autonomous cyber-physical systems (TACPS) by examining current industry best practices as ascertained from interviews with professionals working in the field. Through the interview data provided this work seeks a better understanding of how these systems are tested, the integrated approaches used …

Self-Reactive Influences On Simulation Anxiety In Graduate Occupational Therapy Students, Kendal Lee Booker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This pragmatic multiple case, single site research explored the sources and manifestations of simulation anxiety in Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) students at a health sciences institution in the Southeastern United States. The study involved five, second-year MOT students who reported experiencing very much simulation anxiety following their first year within their occupational therapy program. Self-reactive influences of challenge, feedback, and self-efficacy were examined. The challenge levels of simulations, the provision of feedback, and the levels of self-efficacy were perceived as acceptable. Sources of simulation anxiety were identified; internal sources included having high personal expectations and external sources involved experiencing …

A Closer Look At Eighth Grade Special Education Students Performance On High Stakes Testing: Examining The Compounding Effects Of Socioeconomic Status And Mobility Rate On Test Scores, Mary Brewer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Despite the fact that the US spends millions of dollars on testing and instructional resources for students with exceptionalities (SWE) to participate on state tests, performance continues to be significantly below their general education peers. In an effort to determine if any additional factors may play a role in the performance discrepancy, two other factors, socio-economic status (SES) and mobility rate, were analyzed. Data from the Florida State Department of Education was used because of the public availability, the proposed generalizability of such a diverse state, and Florida being one of three states with the largest population of public education …

Collaborative Writing In An Online Synchronous Mode: Comparing L2 Learners Interactions, Texts, And Co-Authoring Experiences In Pairs And Groups, Emil Fermin Ubaldo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The writing-to-learn the language (WLL) dimension in L2 writing argues for the language learning potential of written language production (cf. Manchn, 2011). This perspective has been supported by empirical research demonstrating that collaborative writing in peer groups can be an effective way to help language learners build both linguistic knowledge and writing skills (Storch, 2013; Swain, 2001). These studies generally investigated dyads collaborating in face-to-face environments. Limited research suggests, however, that the benefits of collaborative writing may be greater in small groups (e.g., Fernndez Dobao, 2012). Despite growing imperative for the use of technology in collaborative writing (Li & Storch, …

Writing Instruction For Students With Learning Disabilities: Examining Teacher Practice, Preparedness, And Self-Efficacy, Alycia M. Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

ABSTRACT Writing is critical for high school students academic, social, and professional success. However, developing writing skills is a challenging process, particularly for students with learning disabilities (LDs). To produce high quality writing, substantial support from teachers is needed. Yet, many teachers are uninformed of how to assist students with LDs. Grounded in social cognitive and socio-cultural theories, the aim of this quantitative study was to expand the fields of writing instruction and LDs by comparing data from general and special education teachers. This study was designed to survey this population about their writing instruction, including the use of evidence-based …

The Built Environment: An Autoethnography Of Black Masculinity And Physical Space Through The Use Of Poetic And Photographic Inquiry, Derwin Sisnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

In this critical race theory (CRT) autoethnographic arts-based study, I used autoethnographic arts-based methods (i.e. poetry and photography) to examine my experiences growing up as a Black male in an urban city in the Northeast in order to examine how I navigated between the physical spaces of school and neighborhood and how that shaped my understanding of Black masculinity, including the dominant narratives of underachievement, tough neighborhoods, and the proclivity to violence associated with it. I aimed to answer the following research questions: 1) How did the physical spaces of school and neighborhood contribute to my systemic oppression and my …

Daring To Be Herself: Womanist Rhetorical Theory And Black Womens Presidential Campaign Announcement Speeches, Dianna N. Watkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

ABSTRACT Watkins, Dianna N. The University of Memphis. May, 2020. Daring to be Herself: Womanist Rhetorical Theory and Black Womens Presidential Campaign Announcement SpeechesMajor Professor: Andre E. Johnson, Ph.D.Black womens theoretical production has neither been consistently celebrated nor canonized within the academy; therefore, the primary focus of this dissertation is to establish a definition for womanist rhetorical theory in order to acknowledge Black womens voice as carrier of theory and persuasive prowess (Collins, 1998). Theorizing through rhetorician Kimberly Johnsons (2015) womanist rhetorical criticism, I build from Alice Walkers (1983) definition of womanism and ethicist Stacey Floyd-Thomas womanist tenets. These tenets …

Validity Evidence Related To The Internal Structure Of The High School Longitudinal Study Mathematics Attitude And Belief Scales, Jessica Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Research has examined whether mathematics attitudes and beliefs are related to achievement and persistence in mathematics (e.g., Gottlieb, 2018; Kaspersen, Pepin, & Sikko, 2017a; Lauermann, Tsai, & Eccles, 2017; Lent, et al., 2018; Meyer, Fleckenstein, & Kller, 2019; Middleton, 2013; Peters, 2013; Sahin, Waxman, & Ekmekci, 2017; Wang, 2012; Wang, 2013; Yu & Singh, 2018). If attitudes and beliefs influence achievement and persistence and if they are malleable, educators can foster positive attitudes and beliefs as a way of positioning students for positive outcomes in mathematics. In order to study mathematics attitudes and beliefs and their relationship to desired outcomes, …

Never Silence My Sexy: A Narrative Inquiry Study With Young Black Women Who Have Engaged In Sexy Selfies, Crystal Lashell White

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Hip Hop feminist research seeks to combat oppressive experiences of Black women by encouraging them to share their stories through its main tenets: fuck with the grays (Morgan, 2017), bring wreck (Pough, 2015), and pleasure politics (Morgan, 2015). Previous research on sexy selfies has mainly investigated the trends, motivations, and dangers of these practices, but only a few include the lived experiences and voices of Black women. Building on research surrounding identity and sexy selfie engagement within 21st century Hip Hop (HH) and social media cultures, this HH feminist narrative inquiry study investigated the following research questions: (1) How is …

Bulletin Of Yale University School Of Nursing 2020-2021, Yale School Of Nursing

Yale School of Nursing Bulletins and Catalogues

Series 116, Number 15

September 5, 2020

Litigating Citizenship, Cassandra Burke Robertson, Irina D. Manta

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

By what standard of proof — and by what procedures — can the U.S. government challenge citizenship status? That question has taken on greater urgency in recent years. News reports discuss cases of individuals whose passports were suddenly denied, even after the government had previously recognized their citizenship for years or even decades. The government has also stepped up efforts to re-evaluate the naturalization files of other citizens and has asked for funding to litigate more than a thousand denaturalization cases. Likewise, citizens have gotten swept up in immigration enforcement actions, and thousands of citizens have been erroneously detained or …

Traumatized Characters In Traumatized Environments: A Look At Repression And Horror, Rebecca L. Goldman

Scripps Senior Theses

Using Sigmund Freud’s theory of ‘return of the repressed’ as a theoretical basis, this paper takes a case study approach using three critically acclaimed horror films. These films include Nicholas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now (1974), Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980), and Ari Aster’s Midsommar (2019). With use of each film, the interaction between the repressed trauma of the protagonists’ and the film environment is explored, utilizing the notion that repressed trauma will always manifest itself as a symptom of the unconscious mind. Supporting theories include Slavoj Zizek’s notion that dreams must be read in terms of their form, stemming from …

Impact Of Family Separation And Length Of Time Spent In A Detention Center On Latino Immigrants' Trauma, Myranda Alonso

Scripps Senior Theses

With the Trump administration separating families at the border, there are many questions surrounding its impact on Latinos and what effects come from being detained. This study focuses on the impact of length of time spent in a detention center and family separation at the border on Latino immigrants’ trauma. This study looks at 788 Latino adults who were recruited from local nonprofits in major cities like Los Angeles, Houston, and Phoenix and had them answer questions regarding length of time in a detention center, trauma, distress, and hopelessness. The expected results are that immigrants who were separated from their …