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How To Catch A Con: The Rhetorical Strategies Of Fraudulent Political Leaders, Lukas Huntington

CMC Senior Theses

The United States faces persistent challenges in controlling political fraud. Government agencies exhibit the second-highest fraud rate of any industry, and corruption levels have only worsened over the last decade, contributing to declining public trust in national leadership. Current fraud detection efforts generally catch late-stage, large-scale fraud, highlighting the need for earlier-detection mechanisms. One way this could be accomplished involves identifying rhetorical patterns that are commonly used by political frauds in order to flag high-risk individuals. Leaning on the Theory of Planned Behavior, it was hypothesized that political frauds would exhibit more rhetorical appeals to fear, blame, pathos, and self-promotion …

Remixing An Open Psychology Text, Cynthia Calkins

Open Educational Resources

This assignment, created for a workshop on remixing OER, asks students to analyze a passage from an OER textbook on Psychology. The passage can be edited or remixed by instructors and can be further remixed by students in their responses.

To Be Or Not To Be Controlled: The Making Of Thespians In Nineteenth-Century Asylums, Olivia Kurylo

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Throughout the 1800s, superintendents of insane asylums incorporated the works of Shakespeare into their medical practices. Shakespearean plays became a conduit of power for the asylum superintendents, providing them with a literary model of sanity that they imposed on patients while simultaneously becoming a mode of communication for asylum patients to perform as ‘sane’ in accordance to the superintendents’ definitions. While the superintendents imposed a Shakespearean model of social normalcy onto the patients, the asylum patients used Shakespeare’s plays as a conduit for verbal expression. Essentially, asylums became Shakespearean plays as both the medical staff and the asylum patients employed …

Are You Smarter Than A Dancer?: An Investigation Of Physical Agility And Cognitive Ability Between Dancers And Non-Dancers., Renee Clippinger, Philip Allen Phd

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this study is to develop a better understanding of learning and memory in dancers in comparison to non-dancers. I plan to search further into the way formally trained dancers perform on certain tests in comparison to people with no dance training. This will be measured through a series of five tests completed in the following order: the sit to stand test, hop and stop test, the single leg stance test, the digit symbol substitution test, and a tower of Hanoi task. These tests will be conducted on 20 dance majors, and 20 non-dance students. This data will …

Aviation Guilt: The Role Of Human Factors In Airline Incidents, Alexander Silva

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Human factors play a central role in aviation safety, influencing entire processes in an aviation environment. This paper reviews human factors in aviation as a whole to create a picture of what causes many aviation accidents. Models such as the SHEL model, Swiss Cheese Model, and Wickens MRT will be introduced to illuminate both the ways in which a flight deck should operate and why certain decisions are made in critical situations. Some of the deadliest aviation accidents have resulted from human error, such as the Tenerife airport disaster and AF447. These disasters were seminal in the development and execution …

Disengaged And Drowsy: Using An Adaptive System To Detect Suboptimal Learning, William Andrew Stalker

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Instruction is increasingly asynchronous, providing new opportunities but at the cost of losing some guard rails of in-person classes. One such guard rail is an instructor’s ability to detect boredom and learner disengagement. This dissertation explores the development and evaluation of an adaptive training simulator designed to respond to user engagement levels in real-time. The simulator monitors eyeblinks, comparing metrics to individual baselines to detect signs of fatigue and boredom. Participants are exposed to novel information in an audiobook recording of a textbook chapter and later quizzed to assess retention. An adaptive intervention offering periodic brief respite was tested against …

Diverse Environments: Refining The Concept Of Remote Work Through A Job Demands-Resources Lens, Riley Schwanz

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Global events such as globalization, technological advancements, and fundamentally new methods for completing work are contributing factors to the mass migration of employees from in-person to more remote work modalities. Researchers have found evidence for advantages (e.g., autonomy) and disadvantages (i.e., lack of teamwork) for employees in more remote modalities. However, there are critical gaps in the literature including a lack of clear definitions, assessments, taxonomies, and application of well-established theories. Beyond focusing on the physical aspects of remote work, I proposed a new concept, degree of remoteness, to capture the psychological experience of working remotely. Further, I proposed that …

Ready, Set, Resistance: A Dual Continuum Approach To Organizational Change Acceptance, Alexandria Bohn

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

With organizations operating in increasingly dynamic and competitive landscapes, organizations need to be able to get their employees to adapt to system-wide changes that are needed. However, research has suggested a 70% failure rate for organizational change initiatives (Hughes, 2011). Prior research has produced mixed research results when examining resistance and readiness to organizational change on either a single dimension (e.g., Kaplan, 1972) or two dimensions (e.g., Repovs, Drnovsek, & Kase, 2019). I extended prior research by examining resistance versus readiness as residing on a single continuum and whether effects on outcomes were moderated by change orientations. Research has suggested …

Burning Up And Burned Out: Examining Burnout In Human Services Employees, Chloe A. Bell

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Burnout is a prevalent and critical condition experienced among human services employees. This study examined the roles of gender, parental status, and perceived organizational support (POS) as moderating factors in the relationship between stress and burnout in human services employees. A sample of full-time human services employees (N = 303) completed a survey containing assessments measuring burnout, stress, POS, and neuroticism. The results of this study indicated that POS significantly moderated the stressburnout relationship, such that greater reported levels of POS weakened the relationship between stress and burnout. However, neither gender nor parental status was found to significantly moderate the …

Towards A Comprehensive Model Of Compassion Fatigue In The Animal Welfare Community, Elizabeth Ellis

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the stress endured by those in caring professions and emphasized the impact that compassion fatigue and burnout have on helping professionals’ well-being and retention (J. Huang et al., 2024; Volk et al., 2022). However, researchers often have failed to adequately distinguish between compassion fatigue and burnout (e.g. Boyle, 2011). Additionally, researchers have overlooked the animal welfare community (e.g., Figley & Roop, 2006) in favor of focusing on human healthcare workers. Thus, the purposes of my study were to 1) examine whether emotional exhaustion and compassion fatigue were related but distinct phenomena and 2) propose and examine …

Active Musical Engagement Versus Passive Music Listening: Effects On Emotional Modulation, Claudia Allocca

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study explored how different forms of musical engagement, actively playing versus

passively listening, impact emotional regulation following exposure to a stressor. The goal was

to better understand whether active participation in music offers greater emotional benefits

compared to simply listening, as previous research often highlights music’s role in emotional

modulation but overlooks the influence of performance-based engagement. A total of 28

participants either played music or listened to music and then completed both pre- and post-

stressor measures assessing mood, mental task load, and heart rate. Contrary to the original

hypothesis, findings revealed that participants from the listening group …

Identity Impacts Of Crafting In Multiple Life Domains Among Employees With Chronic Mental And Physical Illnesses: A Mixed-Method Study, Kenzie Dye

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation examined the impact of job, home, and leisure crafting on perceptions of five markers of positive work identity among employees with chronic mental and physical illnesses. It was hypothesized that all forms of crafting would be positively related to work identity perceptions when examined independently, and that job crafting would be the strongest predictor when the crafting categories were examined together. It was also predicted that home and leisure crafting would amplify the effects of job crafting on positive work identity. Based on qualitative data collected from focus groups comprised of individuals with a variety of chronic mental …

Body Dysmorphic Disorder Presenting As Alopecia Anxiety: A Case Report, Henry Lim, Paige Loux, Arianne Felicitas, Marshall Hall, Christian Scheufele, Garrett Furth, Michael Carletti, Stephen Weis

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Background: Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) involves a preoccupation with a nonexistent or insignificant physical defect that causes clinically significant distress and impacts a patient's daily functioning. We present a case of a patient with body dysmorphia that manifested as anxiety about hair loss. Case Information: A 48-year-old otherwise healthy female presented to the dermatology clinic with the chief complaint of 8 months of hair loss. She had been seen previously by 2 other dermatologists. She brought 28 pages of paperwork to her first appointment detailing previous work-up, including four separate skin punch biopsies consistent with androgenetic, non-cicatricial (non-scarring) alopecia. Other …

Orb Weaver, Quinn Standley

Theses and Dissertations

Orb Weaver is a 24-minute experimental video/lm. This essay does not explain its meaning, as viewers should feel the power to trust their own interpretations. Instead, it reflects on the process of making the lm interwoven with autobiographical thoughts.

Bridging The Information Gap Between Criminal Law And Psychological Science, John B. Meixner Jr.

Scholarly Works

Some of the most pressing issues in American criminal law—the dominance of plea bargaining, vast executive discretion, and systemic racial disparities—turn on fundamentally empirical questions. Yet, while legal academics largely analyze these issues through doctrinal or theoretical lenses, psychologists and criminologists frequently study the exact same phenomena using empirical methods. Surprisingly, these fields operate almost entirely independently. The legal academy consistently overlooks substantial psychological research that could inform normative arguments, while psychologists often design studies without crucial context from criminal legal scholarship. This chapter outlines the contours of this critical information gap and proposes solutions to bridge it.

Is The Light Triad Really That Light?: The Light Triad's Role In Relationship Savior Complex, Skylar Robinson, Gary Lewandowski

Modern Psychological Studies

Light triad traits, such as optimism, empathy, and compassion, are theorized to be three main components of a prosocial and compassionate orientation. However, in romantic relationships, those qualities may encourage a “savior complex” in which one partner attempts to help, fix, or change their partner’s less ideal components. To study this, 106 participants ranging in age from 18 to 24 years old were surveyed about their light triad traits, helping/savior complex behavior, confidence as a romantic partner (i.e., self-efficacy), closeness with their partner (i.e., inclusion of other in the self), and perceived responsiveness toward their partner. As hypothesized, those who …

More Than An Athlete: Exploring Mental Health Concerns Among Student-Athletes, Callista Rochon-Baker, Hillary Wehe

Modern Psychological Studies

Within the United States, student-athletes experience the psychological and physiological effects of collegiate sports; however, student-athletes may not feel comfortable accessing mental health care resources or there may be inadequate resources available. This study sought to assess personal and environmental deterrents to the well-being and athletic performance of collegiate athletes. Through a series of qualitative interviews with 11 student-athletes from a small, Midwestern university, researchers investigated mental health stigmas in athletics, barriers to psychological resources, and the necessity for sports psychology interventions on-campus. The interview questions focused on student athletes’ level of perceived mental health support from campus and coaches. …

Pacific Islander Mental Health: A Literature Review, Shawn I. Dobberfuhl

Modern Psychological Studies

Mental health among Pacific Islanders remains an underexplored area in research. This review aims to synthesize existing research on the mental health status of Pacific Islanders, focusing on mental health risk factors and mental health service utilization. A systematic search across APA PsychInfo spanning from 2015 to 2024 yielded 11 relevant articles, which were subsequently analyzed and synthesized. Findings suggest that Pacific Islanders experience unique stressors, including, racial discrimination, socioeconomic disparities, and cultural stigma surrounding mental health. However, there is a disparity in culturally sensitive assessment tools and interventions tailored specifically to this population. Future research should prioritize phenomenological methods, …

Escapism: The Presence Of Escapist Tendencies In Depressed Gamers, Hannah K. Weberg, Emily Pica

Modern Psychological Studies

Escapism, a coping mechanism used to relieve stress, uniquely characterized by removing one’s conscious self from reality, can be utilized by video gamers with depression to escape from their own realities. The implications of this phenomenon could allow researchers to better understand how escapism affects this community. It was predicted that there would be a positive relationship between escapist gaming motivations and depressive symptoms. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative survey methods drawing from undergraduate students at Austin Peay State University (n = 113) and correlational analyses, our hypotheses were supported. A significant positive relationship was found between escapist …

The Influence Of Media Exposure On Perceptions Of Police, Izabella Leblanc, Emily Pica

Modern Psychological Studies

The current literature suggests that People of Color (POC) often hold more negative perceptions of law enforcement compared to White individuals. These perceptions are influenced by various factors, including environment, exposure to media depictions of police brutality, and personal experiences. Since flawed portrayals of police procedures in television programs have been found to erode public trust in police legitimacy, the study analyzes how perceptions change through media portrayals of law enforcement interactions. We investigate how the media influences perceptions of law enforcement by presenting participants (n = 245) with mock news articles depicting various law enforcement interactions. Additionally, we consider …

Pathways To Lgbtq+ Self-Acceptance: A Qualitative Study Of Religious, Spiritual, And Mystical Experiences, Makayla Hall, Ruth Walker

Modern Psychological Studies

For the LGBTQ+ community, self-acceptance often involves embracing one’s identity while confronting internalized stigma, hardships, and religious or societal pressures (Lassiter et al., 2019; Schuck & Liddle, 2001; Stern & Wright, 2017). Prior researchers have highlighted both positive and negative effects of religious and spiritual beliefs for LGBTQ+ individuals, with spirituality often fostering resilience and social support (Lassiter et al., 2019) and religious institutions sometimes contributing to feelings of alienation (Schuck & Liddle, 2001). The purpose of this study was to explore how religious, spiritual, and mystical experiences influence self-acceptance in LGBTQ+ adults. We used reflexive thematic analysis to explore …

Is Sex Necessary? Or Why You Feel The Way You Do, James Thurber, E. B. White

Zea E-Books Collection

Contents: The Nature of the American Male : A Study of Pedestalism • How to Tell Love From Passion • A Discussion of Feminine Types • The Sexual Revolution : Being a Rather Complete Survey of the Entire Sexual Scene • The Lilies-and-Bluebird Delusion • What Should Children Tell Parents? • Claustrophobia, or What Every Young Wife Should Know • Frigidity in Men • Answers to Hard Questions • Glossary

The year was 1929, the height of the Roaring Twenties and the eve of the Crash and Great Depression. A “Sexual Revolution” was in progress, and two writers from The …

The Role Of Metaperceptions In Mindset Formation From Performance Feedback, Audra Paige Jensen

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation investigated the cognitions that recipients of feedback had about their evaluators, and how that impacted achievement choices. Specifically, it aimed to analyze the role that metaperceptions of developability played in the mindset formation process following feedback. Although mindsets form based on different ways feedback is framed, the exact method that leads from feedback to mindset formation is not clear. Prior research has pointed to a meta-lay theory as the mediating component that leads from feedback framing to mindset. However, how the perception of an evaluator’s mindset would lead to changes in a recipient’s own beliefs was still unclear. …

The Impact Of Culturally Responsive Classroom Management Self Efficacy And Implicit Biases On Teachers’ Perceptions Of Student And Their Behaviors, Andrew Edward William Slany

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Teachers’ perceptions of student behaviors influences the daily decisions that are made within the classroom setting. Specifically, teachers’ perceptions influence the decision-making process related to how teachers manage student problem behaviors and teachers’ responses to these behaviors. Research has found that teachers’ classroom management self-efficacy and student infraction history can impact teachers’ perceptions of student behaviors. Additionally, teachers’ perceptions of students and their behaviors can be influenced by implicit biases. However, there still exists a gap within the literature that does not fully explain why these teacher judgements occur. The current study examines whether teachers’ culturally responsive classroom management self-efficacy …

Embodied Affliction: Somalis’ Perception Of Trauma, Ahmed M. Hassan

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Somali immigrants and refugees have a high rate of trauma, mainly because of their traumatic experiences during the Somali civil war and subsequent migration. Nevertheless, they do not readily access available psychological services in the countries to which they migrate. Research of the past two decades has revealed that different cultures conceptualize and communicate mental distress differently from one another. Those differences affect how Western mental health providers approach the treatment of clients who immigrate from an unfamiliar culture to Western countries, where the biomedical model of mental health dominates the health care system. Improved cultural awareness and communication between …

Knowledge And Education Of Minnesota High School Coaches Regarding The Signs And Symptoms Of Eating Disorders In High School Athletes, Mikaela Whiteford

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to assess the level of education and knowledge among Minnesota high school coaches regarding the signs and symptoms of eating disorders in high school athletes. Data were collected through a researcher-developed survey, adapted from three existing instruments. The survey was administered through Qualtrics and distributed to participants through email. The findings indicate that while Minnesota high school coaches possess some knowledge of eating disorder signs and symptoms, their formal training and education on the topic are limited. Most of the education or training received by coaches was obtained for reasons unrelated to their responsibilities …

Church Ministers' Perceptions On Burnout And How It Shapes Their Leadership Practices., Jason Young

Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored how large church ministry leaders experienced burnout and how that burnout shaped their leadership practices. The study was motivated by a research gap concerning the lived experiences of ministers in large churches. Framed by the job demands-resources theory and the conservation of resources theory, the study sought to understand how the demands of ministry leadership and the availability of personal and organizational resources influenced the experience of burnout. The research employed a qualitative phenomenological design, utilizing semi-structured interviews. A purposive and snowball sampling approach was used to recruit 13 large US church ministry leaders. The …

Therapy In The Age Of Ai: How Young Adults Seek Help, Support, And Solutions, Faith Maeba, Isabella Quilon, Abigail Adade

UROP Posters

Therapy has long been a foundational approach for addressing mental health, but advances in digital technology have led many young adults, especially Generation Z, to increasingly turn to AI tools for support. Rising costs, limited access to providers, and long wait times have further boosted the appeal of AI-based mental-health solutions. Despite this growing interest, the use of AI for emotional and psychological support raises important questions about trust, empathy, safety, and the ethical responsibilities of mental-health providers and developers. We conducted a brief scoping review of research on AI-based mental-health tools and student help-seeking behaviors. Searches were performed on …

Changemakers: Steven Colantuono: Juris Doctorate: Embracing The Road To Success, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Family Stress Processes Underlying Covid-19-Related Economic Insecurity For Mothers And Fathers And Children's Internalizing Behavior Problems, Joyce Y. Lee, Shawna J. Lee, Sehun Oh, Amy Xu, Angelise Radney, Christina M. Rodriguez

Psychology Faculty Publications

COVID‐19 and its economic fallout have resulted in unprecedented financial insecurity and material hardship for many American families, with a disproportionately negative impact on children and families from socioeconomically disadvantaged contexts. The current study applied the family stress model to examine the family processes underlying pandemic‐related economic insecurity and children's internalizing behaviours. Online survey data from an economically diverse sample of mothers and fathers, who experienced at least one type of pandemic‐related economic insecurity in the United States (N = 259), were collected across two longitudinal time points in the early weeks of COVID‐19: (1) 14 April and (2) 30 …