Digital Commons Network^™

An Empirical Analysis Of Video Games And Social Media On Learning In An Information Systems University Class, Heber C. Brau, James C. Brau, James Gaskin

Faculty Publications

Prior research by Brau, et al. (2016, 2017) identifies factors that correlate with university student course grades. We employ the same research structure as the Brau, et al. papers with the innovation of adding dozens of questions that deal with video game and social media usage. Extant research argues that time spent on video gaming and using social media can: 1) hurt student grades, 2) help student grades, or 3) have no impact on student grades. We test the video game and social media impact hypotheses using a survey of over 500 college students in an Introduction to Information Systems …

The Effects Of High Estimate Uncertainty In Auditor Negligence Litigation*, Jeffrey Pickerd, M. David Piercey

Faculty Publications

We examine how jurors’ negligence judgments and attorneys’ out-of-court settlements are differently impacted by two features of a materially misstated accounting estimate—the amount of estimate uncertainty and whether the misstated account is disaggregated into its own line-item or aggregated with other accounts into a single financial statement line-item. We predict and find that jurors and attorneys react to estimate uncertainty in opposite directions under common conditions. This finding is important because when jurors’ judgments and attorneys’ settlements differ, research into juror judgments alone may not capture a complete picture of auditor liability because the vast majority of audit litigation is …

Psychotherapy Utilization And Presenting Concerns Among International Asian And Asian American Students In A University Counseling Center., Hannah Stokes, Derek Griner, Timothy B. Smith, Mark Beecher, G. E. Kawika Allen, Jon Cox, Klint Hobbs, Natalie Ann Kirtley

Faculty Publications

Limited psychological research has disaggregated the experiences of Asian American (AA) from international Asian (IA) college students seeking psychotherapy. When combined, important differences between these groups are overlooked. We examined archival data collected from AA, IA, and European American (EA) students at a large, Western, university counseling center. Results indicated no significant differences between groups related to maximum number of psychotherapy sessions attended or likelihood of treatment discontinuance. However, we found significant differences between these groups on a number of items related to presenting concerns and to severity of presenting distress, with IA students presenting with the most distress, followed …

Recruiting And Retaining School Psychologists: The Role Of District Level Administrative Supervisors, Ellie L. Young, Rachel Butler, Timothy B. Smith, Sterling Hilton, Alivia Smith

Faculty Publications

A shortage of school psychologists has been evident since the profession was initially recognized as a distinct field, and there is insufficient research on what current administrative supervisors are doing to address this problem. This qualitative study examined the perceptions of district level administrative supervisors regarding recruitment and retention of school psychologists. Participants reported the following: (a) school psychology graduate programs not producing enough school psychologists, (b) challenges of finding school psychologists to hire, (c) competing with neighboring school districts, and (d) trying to recruit and retain in a worker’s market that favors the school psychologist. These administrative supervisors also …

The Effect Of Partner Gender On Bisexual’S Percieved Lgbt+ Belonging, Danielle Siegel

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Bisexual erasure is a phenomenon in which the existence of bisexuality is broadly omitted from history, media, and research. Bisexual erasure contributes to stereotypes that bisexuality is a strictly transitional identity, only used in the process of sexually-experimenting or coming out as gay. Although well-documented in qualitative research on bisexuality, the negative effects of bisexual erasure on bisexual women’s mental health and ability to access LGBT+ resources have not been shown in an experimental context. In a vignette study, participants (N= 276) were asked to review application materials for a potential recipient of an LGBT+ exclusive scholarship award. …

Effects Of Spatial Language Cues On Attention And The Perception Of Ambiguous Images, Aaron Foster

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s superman!? Sometimes there are things in our world that are ambiguous. An ambiguous object, for the purposes of this thesis is any object that has more than one interpretation to it. The brain is designed to “fill in the blanks” and make sense of the world. Thus it will use anything available, like language, to help in resolving the ambiguity. Language can change how we perceive information in the world (Dils & Boroditsky, 2010) and where we direct our attention (Ostarek & Vigliocco, 2017; Estes et. al. 2008; Estes, Verges, Adelman, 2015). Language …

The Role Of Hardiness And Autonomy Support On College Student Engagement, Kevin Douglas Cherry

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The gap between college student enrollment and graduation rates remains a problem for college students and administrators. Literature on persistence in college suggests that factors such as hardiness and autonomy support may contribute to student perseverance through degree attainment. The current study focused on these constructs using a framework based on self-determination theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 1985). Factors related to student persistence, namely hardiness and autonomy support, were expected to positively predict college student engagement. Furthermore, hardiness was expected to moderate the relationship between autonomy support and college student engagement. College students from a university and a community college …

Grit And Mindset - Unrelated To Performance In A Motor Learning Task, Jacob Smith

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Objective Research has shown grit and mindset can be improved, but no known research has investigated the effect of learning a new skill on grit and growth mindset. While grit and mindset seem to predict success in education and success, it is also not clear if initial grit or mindset have an effect on motor skill acquisition. The purposes of this research are to investigate if grit and growth mindset are predictors of learning a new skill and if learning a new skill leads to improvement in grit and growth mindset. Methods 14 students enrolled in a motor learning course …

Access To Technology In Humboldt County: Measuring Digital Preparedness At The Start Of A Pandemic, Lauren E. Proffitt

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This research is based on summer 2020 online survey data from a stratified random sample of 573 clients and care providers of a rural Northern California government social services agency. The goal was to study information technology access in Humboldt County, California, and the range of digital preparedness of clients of a local government agency: Humboldt County In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS). IHSS serves several groups of rural residents with low-income, foremost of which are older adults and people with disabilities. In 2020, in compliance with federal requirements, IHSS discontinued systems for paper-based client/provider confirmation of services, moving to digital technology-based …

Parents And Children’S Perceptions Of Their Gross Motor Abilities And Physical Activity Levels, Hailee D. Schmidt

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

As children move through adolescence their level of physical activity declines. Researchers have demonstrated that physically inactive children perform worse in school and are more likely to be inactive in the future while also increasing their risk for future health problems as adults. The purpose of this study was to determine if parent perceptions of their child's gross motor skill abilities were similar to their child’s enjoyment of performing (GMS). The primary author hypothesized that parents' perceptions would impact their child’s enjoyment to perform GMS and that parents who believed their child demonstrated high levels of gross motor competence would …

Write Yourself Awake: The Double Pursuit Of Mindfulness Meditation And Writing, Alysia M. Hegg

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Contemplative pedagogy involves teaching methods designed to cultivate deepened awareness, concentration, and insight. Contemplative practices work to undo the Cartesian mind–body dualism that says that mental phenomena are non-physical, or that the mind and body are distinct and separable. This project focuses on an understanding that our internal world includes communication with one’s self, acts of imagination and visualization, and recall and memory. These internal experiences foster many things, such as compassion and kindness, as well as resilience and sustainability through connection.

“McMindfulness” is a term that refers to when mindfulness is used for self-serving and ego-enhancing purposes. Symptoms of …

"It Kind Of Polishes All Your Flaws Away": Long-Term Experiences With Psilocybin Mushrooms And The Influence Of Set And Setting, Danielle Nicole Daniel

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study explores the experiences and motivations of people who take psilocybin mushrooms long-term. Little scholarly attention has been given to the psilocybin experience outside of a clinical setting. Likewise, there is a dearth of research examining the factors that lead to first-time and ongoing experiences with mushrooms. I conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 18 informants who have taken psilocybin mushrooms at least 10 times and for over three years. I encouraged open dialog and storytelling to gain a deeper understanding of their mushroom experiences and motivations to take long-term. Using a grounded theory approach, I identified the following patterns …

Do Aces Moderate Expressive Writing Outcomes? Examining The Relationship Between Exposure To Adverse Childhood Experiences And Expressive Writing Outcomes, Nick Vasquez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Repeated exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increases risks for various physical and mental health problems during adulthood. While research and policy decisions have focused primarily on early interventions and preventions, less research to date has looked at treatment options for adults with high exposure to ACEs. Cognitive behavioral therapies are viewed as an effective alternative; however, the high costs of therapy and limited efficacy for physical health problems warrant research into alternatives. Expressive writing is a well studied alternative to traditional talk-based therapies with limited demographic moderators. However, no research to date has looked at the role of ACEs …

Social Comparison Tendencies And The Reward Value Of Same-Sex Beauty Among Heterosexual Women, Melissa M. Martin Ms.

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Previous studies have suggested that heterosexual women, but not heterosexual men, find same sex beauty rewarding. This finding has been attributed to a “greater bisexual interest among heterosexual women”, but no other explanations have been offered or tested. The current study aimed to explore social comparison tendencies as a potential alternate explanation to this previously observed finding. Twenty-three heterosexual women completed a series of questionnaires designed to assess their social comparison tendencies (the social comparison orientation scale, the physical appearance comparison scale, and the intrasexual competition scale). They also completed a “pay-per-view” keypress task to measure the reward value of …

Hózhó, “To Walk In Beauty And Balance”: Indigenous Writers Decolonize Theories Of Myth, Aaron Laughlin

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In this project, I argue for an Indigenous theory of myth in order to reconsider popular and academic paradigms about myth and its function. My goal is to articulate how Indigenous understandings might revise these paradigms by emphasizing myth as a means to foster ethical relationships of health and balance within ourselves and in the world. Inspired by the Indigenous writers Leslie Marmon Silko, Thomas King, and Gerald Vizenor, I outline how these authors think, write, and talk about the concept of myth. I explain prevailing academic paradigms, including the term’s long history of associations with old-fashioned, “primitive,” superstitious stories …

Effect Of Whole Fruit Based Anthocyanins On Systemic Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, And Waist Circumference In Women, Anastasiya Yudinova

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Cardiometabolic disease (CMD) remains the leading cause of death nationally. Intra-abdominal fat (IAF) is one of the primary risk factors for CMD. Women are particularly vulnerable to developing CMD due to hormonal changes during and after menopause that increase IAF. Excess IAF has deleterious effects on the body, increasing systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, leading to CMD. This systematic review and meta-analyses examined current research related to consumption of whole foods high in anthocyanins, their impact on oxidative stress and inflammation, and the medium and amount of anthocyanin delivery that yields the most benefits to women at risk for CMD. …

Caution Fatigue: Group Identification And Disgust Provide Protection In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Logan F. Ashworth

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The current Coronavirus pandemic has yielded an abundance of concerns regarding the psychological effects of isolating a highly social species through widespread lockdowns and enhanced social distancing. Research show that many are suffering from mental health crises, while also refusing to isolate (Brooks et al., 2020; Czeiler, et al., 2020). These behaviors combine to increase risk of viral infection. An emerging term to explain this paradox is “Caution Fatigue”. Yet, there is no research that outlines its specific underlying mechanisms. The goal of this paper is to propose a series of models that delineate caution fatigue through the effects a) …

Rationalizing Self-Defeating Behaviors: Theory And Evidence, Lars J. Lefgren, Olga B. Stoddard

Faculty Publications

Why do individuals engage in self-defeating behaviors like self-harm, addiction, and risky sexual behaviors? Why do they experience the apathy of depression or inaction when trapped by multiple competing problems? We propose a framework for explaining these and other related behaviors based on the insight that individuals can only experience a limited number of latent stimuli to which they are exposed. We conduct an experiment to test this model and find that more than two thirds of the subjects behave consistent with our theoretical framework.

Perceived Family And Partner Support And The Work-Family Interface: A Meta-Analytic Review, Heather H. Kelley, Ashley B. Lebaron, E. Jeffery Hill, Diana Meter

Faculty Publications

This study employed meta-analytic techniques to elucidate the role of perceived partner and family support in four measures of the work-family interface. We extracted 183 effect sizes from 82 samples and a total of N = 36,226 individuals. We found perceived familial (partner and family) support was negatively associated with work-to-family conflict (r = -.099) and family-to-work conflict (r = -.178). It was positively associated with work-to-family enrichment (r = .173) and family-to-work enrichment (r = .378). Various sample-level moderators were investigated through meta regression and subgroup analyses, including whether the support measure was family or partner focused. Perceived family …

Treating Children Exposed To Domestic Violence: Group-Based Intervention, Gary M. Burlingame, Rachel A. Arnold

Faculty Publications

D omestic violence is a serious societal problem that sadly threatens many children. Results from the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV) demonstrate that nearly 26% of children are exposed to family violence during their lifetime, including psychological/emotional intimate partner violence, physical intimate partner violence, parental assault of a sibling, and/or other family violence (Hamby et al., 2011). The consequences can be significant. For instance, childhood exposure to intimate partner violence is associated with mental health issues, such as posttraumatic stress and anxiety symptoms (Hamby et al., 2011). While rates of domestic violence have been declining in the …

Association Between Toxoplasma Gondii Seropositivity And Serointensity And Brain Volume In Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study, Bruce L. Brown, Lance D. Erickson, Shawn D. Gale, Dawson W. Hedges

Faculty Publications

The intracellular protozoal parasite Toxoplasma gondii has been associated with worsened cognitive function in animal models and in humans. Despite these associations, the mechanisms by which Toxoplasma gondii might affect cognitive function remain unknown, although Toxoplasma gondii does produce physiologically active intraneuronal cysts and appears to affect dopamine synthesis. Using data from the UK Biobank, we sought to determine whether Toxoplasma gondii is associated with decreased prefrontal, hippocampal, and thalamic gray-matter volumes and with decreased total gray-matter and total white-matter volumes in an adult community-based sample. The results from adjusted multivariable regression modelling showed no associations between Toxoplasma gondii and …

What Is Your Status Portfolio? Higher Status Variance Across Groups Increases Interpersonal Helping But Decreases Intrapersonal Well-Being, Catarina R. Fernandes, Siyu Yu, Taeya M. Howell, Alison Wood Brooks, Gavin J. Kilduff, Nathan C. Pettit

Faculty Publications

Individuals belong to multiple groups across various domains of life, which in aggregate constitute a portfolio of potentially distinct levels of experienced status. We propose a two-factor model for assessing the effects of an individual’s status portfolio, based on status average (mean status level across groups) and status variance (degree to which status varies across those groups). Five studies using samples in general-life and work-specific contexts reveal the importance of both status average and status variance, the latter of which has been largely unexplored by status researchers to date. Individuals experiencing higher status variance show greater perspective taking, which in …

Team Building Through Team Video Games: Randomized Controlled Trial, Mark J. Keith, Douglas L. Dean, James Gaskin, Greg Anderson

Faculty Publications

Background: Organizations of all types require the use of teams. Poor team member engagement costs billions of US dollars annually.

Objective: This study aimed to explain how team building can be accomplished with team video gaming based on a team cohesion model enhanced by team flow theory.

Methods: In this controlled experiment, teams were randomly assigned to a team video gaming treatment or a control treatment. Team productivity was measured during both pretreatment and posttreatment team tasks. After the pretest, teams who were involved in the team video gaming treatment competed against other teams by playing the Halo or Rock …

Task Adherence: An Agentic Perspective On Task-Focused Dedication In An Interrupting Work Environment, Tanner Skousen, Justin Ames, James Gaskin

Faculty Publications

Purpose – Knowledge workers live and work in a technology-enabled, push-notification world full of interruptions that create information overload, often requiring these workers to utilize task switching as a mechanism to meet multiple competing tasks’ demands. Previous research has examined both the positive and, more often, negative effects from interruptions and task switching on knowledge workers’ performance. However, this paper aims to examine knowledge workers’ agentic approach to managing interruption signals and consequent task switching to remain dedicated to the task at hand.

Design/methodology/approach – Using an inductive grounded theory approach, we analyzed data from semi-structured interviews with knowledge workers …

To Awaken A Sleeping Giant: The Case For A More United Africa And Its Diaspora, Jayden Jasper-Lee Martin

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

The idea of Pan-Africanism has long percolated amongst those of African descent, given the agglomeration of external exploitative forces that impact the continent and its people. This thesis aims to explore the history and tenability of a Pan-African Union within the modern context and state of the continent. Utilizing examples from other successful regional organizations and theories of regional integration, the thesis seeks to prescribe some possible means by which the ideal of an effective and stable Pan-African Union can approach realization, particularly amongst the nation-states of sub-Saharan Africa.

Ethical Issues Concerning “Savior Offspring.”, Jemima Dorcin

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Tissue transplantation is a procedure used to treat a wide range of medical disorders. Suitable tissue for transplant, however, is often in short supply. Thus, some people conceive offspring for the sole purpose of harvesting compatible tissue, e.g., for transplantation of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells in a sibling or parent. A 2004 survey found that most Americans approve of using genetic testing of in vitro fertilized embryos to allow for the selective implantation of an embryo with compatible tissue for use in a sick older sibling. However, while using stem cells from the umbilicus of a newborn for medical treatments …

The Vexed Application Of The Social Contract Theory On Black People, Aaron Chichester

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

The Social Contract details the liberties of members in society; those willing and able to consent to the contract were afforded the luxuries of protection and assistance through the government. I draw on the theory of Charles Mills in The Racial Contract, which argues that the black life was never intended to fit into the Social Contract. During the early stages of it’s inception, black people weren’t regarded as valid members who enter the contract. Disagreement about the validity of frustration felt by the Black community as a result of this exclusion has created a social and political divide. I …

Elisabeth Scrivener And The Great Library: Translating A Literary Work Into A Digital Game, Erin Farmer

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

This thesis has two components: a practical part and a written part. The practical part is a 2D side-scrolling game titled Elisabeth Scrivener and the Great Library. It is an adaptation of the bestselling novel Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. Like the novel, the game is set in the Great Library of Summershall. This is a place where magical grimoires of varying strength and benevolence or alignance are managed and contained. The player character is Elisabeth, an apprentice librarian and the player follows her as she progresses through the library taking advice from benevolent grimoires and defeating and containing …

Preventative Treatments Of Diabetes And Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Nikita Bansal

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Diabetes mellitus type 2 is a long-term metabolic disease that is currently ranked as the seventh leading cause of mortality in the United States and ninth leading cause worldwide. Recognized as a global health problem, diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition that involves multiple organ systems and can often lead to irreversible damage. Long term complications include neuropathy, retinopathy, nephropathy, cardiovascular disease, and hepatopathy. Diabetes is associated with a wide spectrum of liver diseases; the most common is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which can lead to liver failure. Sedentary lifestyles in industrialized countries are often seen as the inadvertent cause …

Batman Can Be Anybody: Self-Transcendence And Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy, Alec Borislow

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Directed and co-written by Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight Trilogy examines the origin and evolution of Bruce Wayne, and his hero vigilante alter ego, Batman. The trilogy consists of Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Bruce's post-traumatic journey for physical and mental excellence results in transformative and personal discovery, leading to self-transcendence. The personality trait of self-transcendence is the apex of psychologist Abraham Maslow's lesser-known and amended hierarchy of needs. It is the highest level of human consciousness and development. Bruce's unwavering morality, intrinsic motivation, and spirituality are characteristic of both humanistic and …