Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Motivation In Community Partner Perceptions Of Service-Learning, Jayda P. Felder

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The current study sought to determine how community partners’ varying motivations for participating in collegiate service-learning programs relates to their perceptions of service-learning. Prior research has demonstrated a plethora of positive outcomes for students who partake in courses with service-learning requirements, but research investigating the outcomes for the organizations that host these students is less common, and research investigating the link between their motives and perceptions is nonexistent. Based on this gap in the literature, the quantitative, evidence-based Perceptions of Service-Learning Scale was developed for the current study to assess how community partners perceive their experiences with service-learning across four …

Capitalizing On Stress: Improving Affect And Self-Efficacy Through An Arousal Reappraisal Intervention, Angel Long

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Stress is a non-specific reaction to the body (Jamieson et al., 2018), defined as a feeling of tension when one’s personal resources are taxed or exceeded (Folkman & Lazarus, 1985). Coping mechanisms for stress often focus on reducing associated features (Connor-Smith & Flachsbart, 2007). However, stress can produce challenge states, mindsets where individuals perceive personal resources as greater than situational demands (Jamieson et al., 2013). Challenge states are more likely to elicit positive behavior (Jamieson et al., 2018) and improved cognitive performance (Jamieson et al., 2010). One prospective mechanism to foster challenge states is arousal reappraisal, a cognitive mechanism …

Does Insufficient Effort Responding Account For The Relationship Between Psychopathy And Social Desirability?, Logan F. Folger

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This research investigated the relationship between self-report psychopathy and social desirability and whether insufficient effort responding may impact this relationship. It was hypothesized that insufficient effort responding is biasing the relationship. Therefore, the significant negative relationship between psychopathy and social desirability may approach zero after isolating insufficient effort responding data. Two studies were conducted to aid this investigation. The first study utilized the Monte Carlo method to simulate this relationship. The simulation had 1,000 trials using 1,000 participants with proportions of valid respondents ranging from 0.0 to 1.0 with increments of 0.1. The results showed that insufficient effort responding may …

Perceived Student Gains Associated With Peer Tutor And Supplemental Instruction Leader Experiences, Rebecca Cofer

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the peer tutor and Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader experiences in the campus learning center, as seen through the perceived gains in three subcategories: 1) academic performance and learning, 2) non-academic skillsets, and 3) self-confidence and fulfillment. The peer tutor and SI Leaders surveyed in this study had experience in either one or both of these peer educator roles and came from institutions across the nation. In this quantitative study, participants completed a three-part, researcher-created survey that allowed for Likert-scaled responses along with open-ended responses and concluded with demographic items. The major findings from this study showed a …

A Secondary Data Analysis Exploring The Impacts Of Synchronous And Asynchronous Sexual Assault Bystander Intervention Training: A Pilot Study, Jacquelyn A. Mesenbrink

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Campus sexual assault has been recognized as one of the most pressing issues on college campuses and an epidemic across the U.S. The purpose of this study is to explore perceived prosocial behavior change of one bystander intervention training in two different modalities: synchronous virtual via Zoom and asynchronous online training via a learning management system (LMS). To date, there is no research study that evaluates the same bystander intervention program across different intervention delivery modalities. This research is the first of its kind to examine the relationship between intervention delivery modality and post-evaluation questions and serves as a pilot …

Femininity Reclaiming Chivalry In The Harry Potter Series, Ashley M. Watson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This paper focuses on the reclaiming of chivalric values by female characters in the Harry Potter series by comparing them to Arthurian characters. Scholars have extensively compared the narrative of the Knights of the Round Table to the global phenomenon of the Harry Potter series, but in this paper I explore, through a feminist lens, a character comparison of the Harry Potter novels and Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur. I will show how female characters in modern literature reclaim chivalry. This is important because it exemplifies a shift in the position of women into a more active role. I …

Perplexions: Perceptions, Plexi And Prose, Amy B. Nelson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

An understanding of our world is unique to each individual and their experiences. While experiences are often shared, we all process them according to our own schema. Through exploration into the multiple facets of plexiglass, my work examines trauma, loss and its lasting effect on a person's memory of the past, present and perception of the future. These experiences can cause an abrupt shift in personal schema and reshape one’s perception of the world. Through the combination of visual and linguistic stimuli, my trauma-informed work can be a catalyst for my viewers to discuss what they are experiencing and why. …

Social Media Use And Loneliness During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Katelyn Hughes

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Social media has played a prominent role in society as a safe way of communicating and connecting with friends, family, and others during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. This study examined the general use of social media over the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and correlations with levels of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and stress in comparison to how people felt about their social media use before the pandemic. This study collected self-reported introspection on social media use during the pandemic and before the pandemic from Georgia Southern University students to compare if there are less feelings of …

Eeg Signals Classification Using Lstm-Based Models And Majority Logic, James A. Orgeron

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The study of elecroencephalograms (EEGs) has gained enormous interest in the last decade with the increase of computational power and availability of EEG signals collected from various human activities or produced during medical tests. The applicability of analyzing EEG signals ranges from helping impaired people communicate or move (using appropriate medical equipment) to understanding people's feelings and detecting diseases.

We proposed new methodology and models for analyzing and classifying EEG signals collected from individuals observing visual stimuli. Our models rely on powerful Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) Neural Network models, which are currently the state of the art models for performing …

Sexual Victimization And Disordered Eating Among Sorority And Fraternity Members, Jennifer L. Mcginness

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

A clear relationship exists between a history of sexual victimization and disordered eating behaviors characteristic of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Additionally, college students and more specifically, members of Greek organizations are at an increased risk of experiencing sexual victimization and developing disordered eating behaviors. However, there is a lack of research on the effect of Greek membership on the development of different types of disordered eating behaviors following sexual assault. Additionally, research has neglected to address novel disordered eating patterns, such as those characteristic of orthorexia nervosa, and the presence of these patterns following sexual assault. To …

The Funeral's The Thing: Unification Through The Burial Rite In Hamlet, Ferrell J. Mowell

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The funeral service is an ancient custom that is deeply cultural, and Shakespeare uses it prominently in Hamlet. The play's ending with Fortinbras commanding a military-like tribute for Hamlet is somewhat surprising because Hamlet was never a soldier, and he has breached the etiquette of funeral rites in the cases of Polonius, by withholding the remains immediately after the death, and Ophelia by making a spectacle with Laertes in her grave. Additionally, he has arranged for the execution before the observance of confessional rites in the case of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet's dead march is an example of how …

A Different World: The Experiences Of Black Women At A Southern Predominantly White Institution, Latoya Stackhouse

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The present study investigated the lived experiences of Black women on a predominantly White institution (PWI) campus in the South as they relate to the core themes of Patricia Hill Collins’ Black Feminist Thought (BFT). The core themes of BFT that were the focus of the research were Self-Definition/Empowerment, Safe Space, Controlling Images, Invisibility/Sense of Belonging. Sista circle methodology was used as the form of inquiry with two 60-minute sessions over a two-month span. This methodology was chosen because its focus centers the lived narratives of Black women within a safe space unlike traditional focus groups. Findings from the sista …

The Relationships Between Sleep Quality, Health-Related Quality Of Life, And Injury In High School Student Athletes, Karleigh Kirsch

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Various physiological and lifestyle factors make shorter sleep durations more prevalent in young people, leaving them at risk of sleep deprivation. In addition to overall poorer health outcomes and decreases in well-being, lack of sleep has known effects on performance, neurocognitive functioning, and recovery from exercise. This creates a greater potential for sport-related injury to occur. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between sleep quality, health-related quality of life, and injury in high school student athletes. The sample consisted of 100 high school athletes (M age = 15.86, SD = 1.25 years). Participants completed a …

Examining Practitioners’ Perspectives On Access To Professional Psychological Help For Division I Male Athletes, Nicole Vana

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Male athletes are less likely than female athletes to seek out support services (Barnard, 2016) despite experiencing a myriad of clinical and subclinical concerns including depression (Davoren & Hwang, 2014; Wolanin et al., 2016), anxiety (Davoren & Hwang, 2014), eating disorders (Joy et al., 2016; Sundgot-Borgen & Torstveit, 2004), and substance use (NCAA, 2018). To combat the increasing rates of mental health concerns, support services are becoming more readily available for collegiate athletes (Moore, 2016). However, despite the recent effort in increasing athlete mental health support, many male athletes in particular remain reluctant to seek out such services (Barnard, 2016). …

Crippling Stagnation: Disability Imagery And The Handicapped South, Amber L. Stickney

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Southern literature is well-known for its disabled characters due to the proliferation of the Southern Gothic genre. Many scholars have identified these disabled characters as metaphors for the failure of the Lost Cause, but less attention has been placed on how the internalization of the Lost Cause mythology has caused Southerners to become disabled. Hence, this study aims at understanding the relationship between grand narratives and Southerners through a cultural studies approach. This thesis focuses on short stories, specifically Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Country People” (1955), Breece D’J Pancake’s “Time and Again” (1983), and Bobbie Ann Mason’s “Shiloh” (1982). The research …

The Impact Of Gloves And Simulated Occupational Tasks On Handgrip Strength In Structural Firefighters, Sarah Lanham

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Adequate handgrip strength (HGS) is important to safely and effectively perform fireground tasks. However, there is limited research describing the deleterious impact of glove use and fatigue from occupational tasks on HGS. Therefore, the aims of this investigation were to quantify the impact of glove use and occupational tasks on HGS, to explore the relationship between HGS versus the glove and task-induced decrement in HGS, and to evaluate the relationship between HGS and decrement in HGS versus occupational performance. Fourteen (Males: n=13) career structural firefighters performed a maximal isometric HGS assessment with and without gloves before and immediately following completion …

Religion And Meaning: Its Moderating Effects On Stressful Life Events And Mental Health, Kalie B. Chambless

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The present study was designed to examine the relationship among religion, mental health, stressful life events, and people’s sense of meaning and purpose in life using data from the 2017 Baylor Religion Survey (BRS), a publicly available dataset. This survey obtained data from a nationwide study of 1,501 United States adults, 1,402 of whom are included in the current analyses. The first three hypotheses of this study were that (1) religion is positively associated with meaning to an individual’s life, that (2) meaning is positively associated with mental health, and that (3) stress is negatively associated with mental health. Finally, …

Correlates Of Risky Sexual Behaviors Among African American Females In Juvenile Detention Centers, Eghosa E. Asemota

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: In comparison to other demographics, research shows that African American female adolescents are over-represented in the United States Juvenile Justice System. Studies in this vulnerable population demonstrate higher rates of engagement in unsafe sex, and its attendant negative consequences of HIV infections, sexually transmitted diseases, and mistimed pregnancies. There is a paucity of studies that have specifically examined risky sexual behaviors amongst African American females in Juvenile Detention Centers. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between the individual, family, peer, and societal factors, and engagement in risky sex among Black female detainees in Juvenile …

Developing And Validating A Machine Learning-Based Student Attentiveness Tracking System, Andrew L. Sanders

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Academic instructors and institutions desire the ability to accurately and autonomously measure the attentiveness of students in the classroom. Generally, college departments use unreliable direct communication from students (i.e. emails, phone calls), distracting and Hawthorne effect-inducing observational sit-ins, and end-of-semester surveys to collect feedback regarding their courses. Each of these methods of collecting feedback is useful but does not provide automatic feedback regarding the pace and direction of lectures. Young et al. discuss that attention levels during passive classroom lectures generally drop after about ten to thirty minutes and can be restored to normal levels with regular breaks, novel activities, …

Coping Self-Efficacy As A Moderator In The Relationship Between Trauma And Disordered Eating, Bethany Owens Raymond

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Disordered eating behaviors are associated with a myriad of detrimental health and mental health consequences (Ackard et al., 2003; Bryla, 2003; Karkkainen et al., 2018; Quick & Byrd-Bredbenner, 2013). Previous research identifies trauma as a risk factor for disordered eating behaviors and eating disorders (Brewerton, 2007). For instance, individuals with eating disorders are more likely to report trauma than individuals with no such history (Lejonclou et al., 2014). However, because not all individuals with a history of trauma exhibit disordered eating, it is important to identify what factors might moderate this relationship. The current study aims to investigate coping-self efficacy …

Relationship Between Participation In A Dual Enrollment Program, Students’ Race And Socioeconomic Status And Their Retention And Graduation, Nicholas Urquhart

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As of 2019, all 50 states have an official dual enrollment policy or program that allows high school students to enroll in college to earn both high school and college credits. Dual enrollment programs have been around since 1990, and much of the research has shown a positive relationship between dual enrollment participation, college retention, and graduating; however, research is limited on college retention beyond the first year and graduation. Access to dual enrollment programs is limited for minoritized and low-income students. This study utilized archival data from the University System of Georgia in an ex post facto research design …

Impostorism On Campus: The Effects Of Stereotype Threat On State Inauthenticity And State Anxiety In Two Samples Of African American College Women, Gabrielle Y. Johnson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Despite the growing education levels of Black women, negative stereotypes of Black women persist and undermine the confidence of African American/Black college women in the classroom. Experimental evidence supports that stereotype threat, the fear of confirming a negative stereotype about one’s group when being evaluated by others, undermines the performance of high achieving Black students (Steele & Aronson, 1995). Research has found the impostor phenomenon to be experienced as thoughts of inauthenticity, in conjunction with fear of failure and being exposed as a fraud (Ibrahim et al., 2020). Therefore, being continuously exposed to situations that create feelings of state inauthenticity, …

Barriers To Musculoskeletal Injury Reporting In High School Athletes: A Qualitative Study, Mikayla Talak

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: There are a substantial amount of sport related injuries recorded at the high school age and it has been recorded as a public health concern in a vast amount of health literature. Although participating in sports has a risk of injury associated with it, it is common for high school athletes to underreport injuries. But there is no known literature on injury reporting behaviors of musculoskeletal injuries in the high school athletic population. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the barriers and facilitators to musculoskeletal injury reporting and towards playing injured in athletes that attend a …

Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, And Mood Disorder Symptoms: The Moderating Role Of Parent-Child Religious Congruence, Jasmine Swann

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study sought to understand the factors related to increased symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression among Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) individuals. It is common for religious beliefs and Sexual and Gender minority ideals to clash. In the case of parent-child relationships, it is important to determine how the congruence of beliefs between parent and child may moderate mood disorder symptoms. A convenience sample of 271 individuals (46.5% identifying as a Gender and/or Sexual minority) completed an online survey. Participants provided information about their religious congruence with their closest parental or guardian figure and completed measures of current depression, …

The Development Of A Novel Throwing Assessment For Children With Cerebral Palsy, Cory Cribb

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Cerebral palsy is one of childhood's most common developmental disabilities. Cerebral palsy leads to dysfunction in the upper extremities due to symptoms such as low muscle power, spasticity, and increased tone. A modified throwing assessment was constructed to examine throwing performance as a measure of upper extremity function. Purpose: To determine if the modified throwing assessment is a reliable measure of throwing performance and if the modified throwing assessment is a valid measure of upper extremity power in children with CP. Methods: The study employed a test-retest design aimed at determining the reliability of a modified throwing assessment. Seven …

The Effect Of Magnitude And Probability On Plea Bargain Decision-Making, Megan L. Small

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Decision-making is studied in various aspects of life and can be especially vital in the context of the criminal justice system, such as plea bargains. Previous research in this area used a less commonly used task (fill-in-the-blank) in addition to a student sample (Falligant & Pence, 2019). The current study uses probability discounting to study the choice between accepting a plea bargain for a shorter incarceration sentence or risking a trial with a longer sentence on a sample of adults with experience in the criminal justice system. Three sentence durations, or magnitudes, were used (1 year, 5 years, and 25 …

A Form Of Our Own: An Examination Of Black Sonnet-Samplers, Lavonna D. Wright

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study responds to the need for understanding and terminology regarding Black poets’ engagement with the sonnet form. Referring to sampling strategies in Hip-Hop to analyze Black sonnets, this study disputes limiting ideas about sonnets as ineffective mediums to portray Black narratives and honors strategies maintained in Hip-Hop culture that define Black narrative expression, resistance to assimilation, and social reflection. Black sonnets are an ever-evolving vehicle of resistance to elitist ideas about traditional forms, Black aesthetics, and the ways that poetic strategies can be defined. This study names past and present Black sonneteers’ adherence to, remixing in, and rejection of …

Sexual Minority Stress And Mental Health: An Investigation Of Rural-Urban Differences In Social Support, Justin T. Miller

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As mental health disparities and discrimination facing the LGB (sexual minority) community continues to come into public focus, researchers and clinicians are moving toward identifying LGB-specific mental health interventions to support well-being efforts within this population. Furthermore, much of the current literature on sexual minority mental health is focused on predominantly urban samples failing to consider the sociocultural impacts of living in low resourced and geographically isolated regions of the United States (US). To this end, social support is a promising prevention factor, but few studies to date examine its influence on different minority stress models. As such, the current …

Neosublime, Reframing The Philosophical, Kathy Varadi

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Why have the sunsets and sunrises become so amazingly colorful and awe inspiring recently? Eighteenth century philosophers said such events were examples of the sublime. They defined the sublime as that which is the most absolutely great combined with an underlying element of fear usually caused by the actions of God. This infers that the sublime is something that you can’t fully understand or wrap your head around and leaves you speechless and spell bound. Contemporary art critics say that the sublime is no longer applicable to art because it has been overused. I disagree, and in my art, I …

Instinct, Eric Sanders

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

There is a convergence point of my interests that I explore in this body of work. As a service member and wildlife enthusiast, I pursue not only an outlet for my own creative expression and illustrative ambitions, but a platform to support creative advocacy for military service members and their families. With the principles of relational aesthetics and art as social practice supporting illustrative and design-centric work, I have found that convergence. This dream continues to manifest in Noble Instinct Artworks, a creative-based company I founded that incorporates the fine art methodology, business practices, and artistic collaboration with outreach potential …