Digital Commons Network^™

Face Recognition Ability: The Role Of Facial Experience Across The Lifespan, Kirsty Kulhanek

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The other-race effect is a phenomenon in which individuals are better able to recognize individuals of their own race than individuals of another race. These effects begin to develop during the first year of life and may be attenuated by intergroup contact. Limited research in the language domain has suggested that multilingualism may result in easier learning of non-native speech contrasts, so it is of interest whether early experience with racially diverse faces may result in more easily learning to recognize unfamiliar race faces. We conducted two studies to examine the effects of early diverse experience with faces on recognition …

Transdiagnostic Links Of Reward Processing In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder And Depression, Jasmine Arriaga, Vanessa Zavala Cruz, Dayan Berrones, Josselyn S Muñoz, Renee M Frederick, Jacey L Anderberg, Belinda E Núñez Bracho, Victor R Adorno, Leonardo F Fontenelle, Andrew D Wiese, Latin American Trans-Ancestry Initiative For Ocd Genomics (Latino), Brazilian Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorder Working Group (Gttoc), James J Crowley, Eric A Storch

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: Transdiagnostic models aim to uncover shared mechanisms across mental disorders. Reward responsiveness (the ability to experience pleasure from rewarding stimuli) is a plausible, yet underexplored, transdiagnostic mechanism linking obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. This study used network analysis to (1) examine how key reward responsiveness domains are interlinked in individuals with OCD and (2) explore how each domain is uniquely associated with OCD and depression.

Methods: A total of 1345 individuals with a history of OCD symptoms (ages 18-88, 71 % women) from Latino communities in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and nine Latin American countries completed validated …

Opening Brief For Plaintiff-Appellant Emery Barron, Steven Mitchell, Carolyn Sacco, Shaina Sikka, Madeline H. Meth

Faculty Scholarship

By the time Emery Barron sued Pennsylvania Department of Corrections officials in 2021, they had kept him caged for almost six years in solitary confinement without providing a pathway for him to reenter general population. Department of Correction policy calls for officials to review the ongoing need for solitary confinement after an initial ninety-day stint in disciplinary confinement. However, procedural carve outs allow officials to leave people like Barron in solitary indefinitely without an opportunity to be heard by a decisionmaker and without requiring officials to assert any legitimate penological interest behind the confinement.

Under this scheme, which violated both …

Assessing The Relationship Between Treatment Quality, Matching And Dosage And Juvenile Justice Outcomes Among Youth With Co-Occurring Substance Abuse And Mental Health Disorders, Kevin T. Wolff, Michael T. Baglivio, Joshua A. Lang

Publications and Research

This study examined differences among youth in deep-end juvenile justice residential placement who did, and did not, present with co-occurring disorders. The prevalence of cooccurring mental health and substance use/abuse issues was found to be 19%, far lower than that of prior work. Researchers demonstrated more similarities than differences between youth with and without co-occurring disorders, both in terms of their criminal histories and the prevalence of their criminogenic needs. Additionally, the residential programs across Florida appear to provide treatment at similarly high levels of integrity, as measured by 1) matching treatment services to the highest three dynamic risk assessed …

Objective Vs. Perceived Maternal Smartphone Use And Observed Mother-Infant Interaction Quality, Alison K. Ventura, Lara N. Wolfers, Sarah M. Coyne, Rachel Pfafman, Sabrina Uva, Karla I. Ceja Almontes, Aniruddha S. Shinde, Adam M. Galovan, Brandon Mcdaniel

Health Services and Informatics Research

Introduction:

Prior research links maternal smartphone use to reduced sensitivity and responsiveness to infant cues, but emerging evidence suggests that mothers' perceptions of their smartphone use - such as feelings of empowerment or distress - may also shape the quality of mother-infant interactions. This study examined how both objective and perceived smartphone use related to mother-infant interaction quality in naturalistic settings.

Method:

Participants were 147 mother-infant dyads from a longitudinal study of smartphone use and infant development. When infants were 2 months old, mothers completed 5 days of ecological momentary assessment (EMA), reporting time spent with their infant, perceived smartphone-related …

Gender Equality Discourse: A Japanese Context, Gabriel Eweje, Hitomi Toyosaki, Kazunori Kobayashi, Sitong Michelle Chen, Masahiro Hosoda

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose – This review paper aims to critically examine the discourse on gender equality in Japan, focusing on its socio-cultural, economic and political dimensions. By synthesising existing literature, it provides a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and barriers that influence the gender equality debate in Japan, while identifying gaps and opportunities for future research and specifying where practice can be recoupled to policy. Design/methodology/approach – An integrative literature review was conducted across four key institutional domains – markets, government/public sector, families and education – analysed at the macro, meso and micro levels. The synthesis is integrative rather than exhaustive, prioritising …

Breaking Barriers: Understanding Factors Constraining Women’S Career Choices And Progression In The South African Construction Industry, Abimbola Olukemi Windapo, Olugbenga Timo Oladinrin, João Alencastro, Dineo Mbekwa, Christiana Ekpo, Muhammad Qasim Rana, Amanda Filtane

School of Art, Design and Architecture

Purpose – This paper examines the barriers constraining women's career choices and progression within the South African construction industry. Design/methodology/approach – The study employed a mixed-methods research approach, utilizing a questionnaire survey of construction industry workers listed in the Construction Professions Register, the Builders Collective and the Housing Assembly Organization. It also used interviews to validate the quantitative data. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including factor analysis. Findings – The study found that 39 of the 46 barriers identified have normalized values greater than 0.5 and, therefore, are classified as critical. From a ranking perspective, …

The Cost Of Care: Medical Bills, Mental Health, And The Protective Role Of Insurance Coverage Among U.S. Adults, Fahima Sultana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This paper focuses on how medical bills and financial hardship are related to healthcare access in adults in the United States, based on the results of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). In particular, it examines the hypothesis that those with problems paying medical bills have a higher tendency to delay or ration medical care or health insurance cover offsets this effect. Logistic regression models were used to determine the relationship between financial hardship, delayed care, and psychological distress and demographic and socioeconomic variables including age, education, race, and poverty status. According to the results, it can be seen that …

Risky Decision Making Among Adolescents, Ziad Ahmed Hussein, Ashraf Muwafaq Flaiyah

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

Risk decision-making refers to choices made under uncertain circumstances where the potential negative consequences are high. Adolescents are often at a crossroads during this stage, where the rush towards reward and external influences, such as peer pressure and environmental pressures, can greatly influence their decisions. The current research aims to: • Identify risky decision-making among adolescents. For this purpose, the researchers built a tool to measure risky decision-making among adolescents based on Albert Bandura›s observational learning theory (Bandura, 1976). The scale consisted of (30) items that were applied to the research sample of (400) male and female students from secondary …

Self-Reference Effect On Memory In Early Childhood, Haneen Ali Jalab, Intisar Hashim Mahdi

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The current research aims to identify: 1. The effect of self-referencing on memory among children in early childhood according to the variables of: a. Age (3, 4, 5, 6 years). b. Gender (male–female). 2. The significance of statistical differences in the effect of self-referencing in early childhood concerning: a. Age (3, 4, 5, 6 years). b. Gender (male–female). The research sample consisted of 200 children (100 boys and 100 girls) selected from nurseries, kindergartens, and primary schools in Baghdad, with 50 children for each age group. The researcher adopted the tool developed by Cunningham et al. (2014) to measure the …

The Development Of Children's Beliefs About The Purpose Of Life Events, Amal Salem Shamkhi, Ghada Ali Hadi

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The current research aims to identify: 1- Children's beliefs about the purpose of life events according to the variables: A- Age (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) years. B- Gender (males - females) 2- Statistically significant differences in children's beliefs about the purpose of life events according to the variables: A- Age (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) years. B- Gender (males - females). The current research sample included (240) boys and girls from kindergartens and government primary schools in Dhi Qar Governorate, aged (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) years, with (40) boys and girls for each age group, …

Level Of Confidence In The Writing Performance Of Arabic Language Students At King Khalid University, Mahmoud Helal Abdel Baset Abdel Kader

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The aim of the current research is to identify the degree of confidence in the written performance of Arabic language students at King Khalid University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To achieve this goal, the researcher used the descriptive method. Due to its suitability to the nature of the current research and its goal, the researcher then prepared the necessary tools to achieve the goal of the research. These tools were: a measure of confidence in the appropriate written performance of students of the Arabic language at a university. Then the researcher sought to ensure the stability and validity …

Suicidal Intentions Among Divorced Women In Wasit Province, Khitam Abbas Fadhel, Hassan Aii Ai-Sayed

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The current research aims to: Identifying Suicidal Intentions Among Divorced Women Marriage is viewed as a social institution that includes a set of norms regulating the relationship between spouses. The strength of this structure relies on solid foundations such as proper selection and compatibility in social aspects. Marriage imposes on spouses a set of mutual obligations and rights ensuring the continuity of marital life and enabling the family to fulfill its basic functions Despite the psychological, health and social significance marriage, offers to individuals and society, the phenomenon of divorce has been increasingly prevalent in recent times across various communities …

What’S In A Group: A Social Science Inquiry, Maria Caridad H. Tarroja

Asia-Pacific Social Science Review

No abstract provided.

Investigating Community Attachment, Quality Of Life, And Community Citizenship Behavior Toward Rural Tourism Development In Thailand, Supaporn Prasongthan, Pimonphat Rodtook, Jariya Supun, Rabhas Silpsrikul

Asia-Pacific Social Science Review

In rural tourism destinations, residents serve as representatives of the area, and their involvement in tourism and discretionary behavior contributes to the destination’s success. The objectives of this study were to explore the community citizenship behavior (CCB) model and to examine the relationship among residents’ attachment, quality of life (QOL), and five dimensions of CCB, including involving, keeping interpersonal harmony, protecting, helping, and recommending behavior, across two stages of rural tourism destinations in Thailand. A multivariate quantitative research method was employed. A total of 1,052 samples were retrieved from residents living in 10 selective rural tourism destinations, with 526 respondents …

The Economics Of Homelessness: A Quantitative Study On Homeless Willingness To Pay For Affordable Housing In Thailand, Peera Tangtammaruk, Nattapon Siwareepan, Jennifer Chavanovanich, Nartsupon Dumchuen, Thanee Chaiwat, Mattana Wongsirikajorn

Asia-Pacific Social Science Review

This study investigates the willingness to pay (WTP) for housing among homeless individuals in Thailand, using the contingent valuation method (CVM) and a structured choice experiment model. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with 90 homeless individuals from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Khon Kaen. The study aims to understand the economic value that homeless individuals are willing to pay for various types of homelessness-related housing, as well as the factors influencing their WTP. The findings reveal that while most homeless individuals express a preference for affordable rental housing, their financial capacity remains limited due to low and unstable incomes. The …

Basic Effectiveness Of Group Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (Gmbct) In The University Setting, John Robert C. Rilveria, Nisseth Clarize S. Carido, April Veronica G. Lansangan, Alaya Gabrielle N. Villaflor, Anna Cristina A. Tuazon, Divine Love A. Salvador, Violeta V. Bautista

Asia-Pacific Social Science Review

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped daily life and amplified mental health challenges worldwide, with university students identified as a particularly vulnerable group. To address this need, the present study evaluated the effectiveness of group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (GMBCT) as an evidence-based intervention for students receiving psychosocial services during the pandemic. Using a pretest–posttest design, data from 34 students randomly assigned to either GMBCT or individual treatment-as-usual (TAU) provided by a university-based clinic were analyzed. To evaluate treatment effects, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to compare post-treatment outcomes between the two groups while controlling for pre-treatment scores, treatment length, …

Exploring Societal Development: The Impact Of Social Innovation And Social Entrepreneurship - A Critical Review, Sneh Prabha, Satyaki Sarkar, Supriyo Roy

Asia-Pacific Social Science Review

In recent years, the emergence of social innovations and social entrepreneurship has dramatically influenced societal development. This paper explores the impact of synergizing social innovations and social entrepreneurship on various aspects of society, from economic policy to community resilience and societal development. Through a multidisciplinary lens, the research seeks an extensive review of social innovation and provides new solutions to entrenched social issues, whereas social entrepreneurship transforms these innovations into scalable initiatives that create meaningful change in society. While keeping traditional factors in mind, we explore the role of technology in developing new ways of working, the importance of collaboration …

Psychiatric Symptom Severity And Performance Monitoring: Intraindividual Variability In Neural Responses And Behavioral Adjustments To Errors, Bohyun Park

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Performance monitoring is a cognitive process that involves evaluating one’s own performance and adjusting behavior accordingly. Atypical neural and behavioral indices of performance monitoring are commonly observed in individuals with psychopathology and have led to hypotheses that perturbed performance monitoring may contribute to functional impairment. However, neural and behavioral indices of performance monitoring are often examined in isolation, so it remains unclear how error-related neural activity relates to subsequent behavioral adaptation on a trial-by-trial basis, and whether this coupling varies across different levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. The present study examined trial-level relationships between error monitoring event-related brain potentials …

Beyond Additive Risk: Longitudinal Associations Between Discrimination And Positive Affect Development Among Adolescents With Single And Multiple Marginalized Identities, Vanni Jefferson V. Arcaina

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Adolescents with marginalized identities often face chronic exposure to discrimination, a social stressor linked to a range of negative mental health outcomes. While much of the existing literature focuses on internalizing symptoms, fewer studies have explored how discrimination may disrupt the development of positive affect (POA), which is a core dimension of emotional well-being linked to resilience, identity formation, and long-term health. The present study examined how overall, race/ethnicity-based, and sexual minority (SM)-based discrimination affects longitudinal patterns of POA among adolescents with single or multiple marginalized identities. Drawing on four waves of data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, …

Unseen, Unbroken: Black Women In Educational Leadership Overcoming Inequities, Microaggressions, And Invisibility, Inspiring Perseverance And Resilience In Future Black Women Leaders, Angella Baldwin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study explored the challenges that Black women face when pursuing leadership roles in K–12 education, specifically in middle schools. Despite being prepared and eager to lead, Black women are often overlooked and made to feel invisible. Still, we persevere, navigating barriers with determination, faith, and purpose, and continue to support those who follow. Guided by Black Feminist Thought, Endarkened Feminism, and Structural Intersectionality, this study centers Black women’s lived experiences as valid sources of knowledge. It highlights how leadership is shaped by overlapping systems of oppression and resistance, and how it is sustained by prayer, faith in God, and …

Comparative Study Of Vocal Pedagogy Systems In South Korea And The United States: Developmental Strategies For Classical Voice Education In South Korea, Dongmin Byeon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation presents a comparative study of vocal pedagogy systems in South Korea and the United States, with the aim of identifying deficiencies in Korean higher education and proposing strategies for reform. While South Korean university voice programs are deeply rooted in the traditional master–apprentice model and rely heavily on anecdotal teaching methods, U.S. institutions have developed structured, evidence-based pedagogical frameworks informed by anatomy, physiology, acoustics, and voice science. This research explores the historical evolution of vocal pedagogy in both countries, highlighting how traditional practices in Korea, though culturally significant, have not sufficiently adapted to contemporary scientific standards.

Employing qualitative …

Examining Religiosity, Suicidality, And Internalized Homonegativity Among Ethnoracially Diverse Sexual Minority Students, Danica Christy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sexual minority (SM) individuals are at an elevated risk for suicidality, particularly those who hold multiple marginalized identities, including religious and racial minority statuses. While religiosity is generally protective against psychological distress and suicide for heterosexual individuals, its impact on SM individuals is more complex. It may function as both a risk and a protective factor. The current mixed methods study explored the relationships between religiosity, internalized homonegativity (IH), and suicidality among an ethno-racially diverse sample of college students (n = 246). Quantitative analyses revealed that SM participants (n = 123) reported significantly higher rates of suicidality than their heterosexual …

Creando Conexiones Verdaderas?: Examining Latinx Families’ Lived Experiences With Family-School Partnerships, Jacqueline M. Eddy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Family-school partnerships are essential for a child’s academic and social-emotional well-being in schools. These partnerships thrive when families and school personnel cultivate trusting, communicative, and cooperative relationships. However, families from minoritized communities, such as those from Latinx backgrounds, may encounter challenges that prevent them from forming strong, meaningful relationships with teachers and administrators. This qualitative dissertation study was grounded in a social constructivist paradigm and a phenomenological tradition. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of Latinx families as they navigate relational aspects of family-school partnerships in their children’s schools. Using semi-structured interviews, four participants were …

Transforming Fear Of Falling Care: Bridging Evidence Synthesis And Clinical Trial On Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Multicomponent Interventions For Older Adults, Haehyun Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Fear of falling (FoF) and associated avoidance behavior represent critical health concerns for older adults, with profound impacts on physical functioning, independence, psychosocial well-being, and healthcare utilization. Although fear of falling avoidance behavior (FFAB) is increasingly recognized as a distinct construct and clinically meaningful construct, intervention research remains limited due to fragmented assessment methodologies and incomplete integration of cognitive-behavioral and physical approaches. This dissertation addresses these gaps through two interrelated projects (1) a scoping review of the evidence base, assessment methods, and intervention strategies for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targeting FFAB in older adults; and (2) a randomized controlled …

Gaming: An Untapped Resource For Women In Computer Science Careers?, Claudia Quynh Luu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research focused on women who identify as gamers (i.e., an individual who regularly plays video games) with the goal of better understanding how being a gamer might help or hinder women’s interest in computer science careers. In particular, I examined the connection between interest in computer science careers, gaming, sexual harassment experiences, coping strategies, and allyship for women in gaming using a mixed-methods approach. The sample (N = 166) included women identifying as previous or current gamers. Participants were recruited from a psychology participant pool and gaming communities on Discord. We conducted a series of analyses to examine whether …

Preparing Aspiring School Administrators For Data-Informed Decision-Making, Brandi March

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

School leaders significantly impact student outcomes based on their ability to influence school culture, climate, and student engagement. They are essential for driving school achievement and instructional improvement. As educational policies increasingly emphasize data usage, leaders must utilize various data sources in a problem-solving process known as datainformed decision-making (DIDM) to effectively guide their school improvement plans. Using DIDM effectively can enhance instruction and student achievement when school administrators and teachers have access to quality training that builds a strong foundation in data literacy skills. It is critical for administrators to provide high-quality professional development for teachers on DIDM to …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Teacher Job Satisfaction And Principal Support In Private Jewish Day Schools Through The Lens Of Self-Determination Theory, Abigail E. Moyal

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This mixed methods study investigated how principal support influences teacher job satisfaction in private Jewish day schools through the lens of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). SDT asserts that motivation and well-being depend on the fulfillment of three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Using an explanatory sequential design, quantitative data were first collected from 68 teachers across five Jewish day schools in the Southwestern United States using the Teaching and Learning Survey (TALIS) Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale (TJSS) and the Principal Support Scale (PSS). Results showed moderate to high satisfaction levels and a strong positive correlation between principal support and …

Hypervigilance In Emerging Adulthood: The Impact Of Trauma, Milestone Achievement, And Minority Identity, Alexis Rice

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Emerging adulthood is a critical developmental period marked by identity exploration, increased autonomy, and heightened vulnerability to societal pressures. This mixed methods study examined how hypervigilance: a heightened state of alertness often associated with trauma and minority stress- varies by gender, sexual identity, racial trauma exposure, and adulthood milestone achievement among emerging adults aged 18–29. A total of 369 participants completed measures assessing hypervigilance behaviors, adulthood milestone attainment, and trauma exposure. Quantitative analyses revealed that sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals and cisgender women reported significantly higher levels of hypervigilance compared to their counterparts. Witnessing trauma inflicted on someone of …

Navigating Leadership In Bilingual Education: Exploring The Preparation, Experiences, And Adaptability Of Bilingual Education Leaders In The Southwest, Cynthia Romero

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study explored the experiences of school-level bilingual program leaders in the Southwestern United States, focusing on how their preparation, lived experiences, and local contexts shaped their leadership practices and decision-making. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, the research examined how habitus and various forms of capital (cultural, social, and symbolic) influenced leaders’ approaches to developing and sustaining bilingual programs. Yosso’s theory of community cultural wealth (CCW) further expanded this lens by highlighting the aspirational, linguistic, familial, social, navigational, and resistant forms of capital.

Using a qualitative multi-case study design, the research analyzed policy documents, leadership preparation coursework, and semi-structured …