Digital Commons Network^™

Sense And Sensitivity: Spatial Structure Of Conspecific Signals During Social Interaction, Keshav Ramachandra

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Organisms rely on sensory systems to gather information about their environment. Localizing the source of a signal is key in guiding the behavior of the animal successfully. Localization mechanisms must cope with the challenges of representing the spatial information of weak, noisy signals. In this dissertation, I investigate the spatial dynamics of natural stimuli and explore how the electrosensory system of weakly electric fish encodes these realistic spatial signals. To do so In Chapter 2, I develop a model that examines the strength of the signal as it reaches the sensory array and simulates the responses of the receptors. The …

Understanding The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On West Virginia Students In Secondary School, Hannah Mckenzye Layman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Abstract 1

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the mental health of young people. Mental health disparities among youth are abundant, so understanding how the pandemic may have affected specific sub-groups to develop tailored interventions to mitigate variations in health disparities is essential. Methods: School-based survey data from the Young Mountaineer Health Study (YMHS) was used to create generalized estimating equations models predicting anxiety and depression among early adolescents. The cohort sample included 2,322 students. Waves 1, 2, and 3 were collected ~6 months apart. Independent variables included COVID-19-related emotional impact (scale range: 5-25) and social support. Results: Average age …

Imitation Learning For Swarm Control Using Variational Inference, Hafeez Olafisayo Jimoh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Swarms are groups of robots that can coordinate, cooperate, and communicate to achieve tasks that may be impossible for a single robot. These systems exhibit complex dynamical behavior, similar to those observed in physics, neuroscience, finance, biology, social and communication networks, etc. For instance, in Biology, schools of fish, swarm of bacteria, colony of termites exhibit flocking behavior to achieve simple and complex tasks. Modeling the dynamics of flocking in animals is challenging as we usually do not have full knowledge of the dynamics of the system and how individual agent interact. The environment of swarms is also very noisy …

Profiles Of Positive And Negative Risk-Taking Among Asian And Non-Asian American Emerging Adults, Yea Won Park

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Emerging adults can engage in both positive and negative risk-taking. Based on recent previous research that identified various risk-taking profiles (Duell et al., 2022), the current project extends the literature in several ways. The purpose of this study was to (1) identify profiles of risk-taking behavior among US college students, (2) examine how correlates of cognitive values and interpersonal factors relate to risk-taking groups, and (3) investigate the role of cultural values in risk-taking profiles among Asian and non-Asian American college students. The sample was 401 participants recruited from universities in the US. Latent Profile Analyses indicated that 4-profile solution …

Health Behaviors As Mediators Of Caregiver Physical Health, Michaela Clark

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Informal caregivers provide the bulk of care to older adults in the United States (Ali et al., 2021). Informal caregivers include family, friends, and neighbors, many of whom do not have any formal training for this role. There are costs associated with taking on a caregiving responsibility, such as scheduling appointments, helping with medications, household tasks, and even financial support (Rha et al., 2015). Many of these informal caregivers lack the coping skills necessary to manage the challenges associated with caregiving (Xu et al., 2021). Many also take on this role despite the personal costs on one’s own health, time, …

Can Gamification Increase Work Motivation? Considering The Job Characteristics Model And Employee Attitudes Towards Games., Richard A. Oxarart

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gamification, or the use of game elements in the working environment, is becoming more prevalent in the workplace. These elements, such as badges, points, levels, fictional narratives, leaderboards, and others have been being used in industry due to their assumed motivational properties. Though researchers have begun to investigate this assumption, there is still a lack of supporting empirical evidence. Furthermore, what research has been done has been met with mixed results. This study investigates the usefulness of gamification through the lens of the job characteristics model, which has rarely been used in this field of study and would bring it …

Testing The Theory Of Resilience And Relational Load In The Context Of Empty Nesters, Lauren E. Fellers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In examining the marital communication of recent empty nesters, the aim of this study was to test the theory of resilience and relational load (TRRL) (Afifi et al., 2016). The postparental period that follows directly after children leave their parents’ places of residence may present unique challenges for married individuals to navigate together. The TRRL offers a potential explanation as to why some married couples demonstrate resilience and flourish through a stressful season while others do not. To test the TRRL in this context, 113 married persons who became empty nesters within the previous 18 months filled out an online …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Intimate Partner Violence In Gender Minority Populations, Claire Mason Mccown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Childhood adversity has been linked to numerous health and mental health concerns in adulthood (Felitti et al., 1998). Among the many outcomes associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), victimization and perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a public health crisis. Research has found that those identifying as gender minority individuals are disproportionately impacted by IPV (Messinger, 2017; Peitzmeier et al., 2020). Further, gender minority individuals experience equivalent, if not higher, rates of ACEs when compared to their cisgender counterparts (Baams, 2018; Juárez-Chávez et al., 2018; Schnarrs et al., 2019; Tobin & Delaney, 2019). While many factors contribute to the …

Associations Among Executive Functioning, Family Functioning, Adolescent Responsibility, And Adherence In Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Cecily Newel Conour

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a common cause of chronic pain for adolescents in the United States. Adherence to the treatment regimen is a significant concern, particularly for adolescents. Barriers to adherence are varied, but include cognitive factors, such as forgetting. Parent involvement is associated with increased adherence in this population, though adolescent involvement is less studied. Family functioning is associated with adherence to medication regimen across pediatric chronic illnesses, including IBD treatment regimen. To better inform clinical care, this study aims to understand the relations among adolescent’s responsibility, executive functioning, family functioning, and adherence. Methods: The current study …

Sexism In The Digital World: A Thematic Content Analysis Of The Cyberbullying Of Lil Miquela, Shyanne Elizabeth Schmithorst

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As artificial intelligence (AI) evolves, social issues associated with this technology are also perpetuated. This is especially pertinent to online violence against women. In April 2016, fictional character “Lil Miquela,” an AI robot who would quickly rise to fame as a social media influencer, was created using Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI). Significant backlash has persisted against Lil Miquela throughout its existence, which has typically taken the form of demeaning comments made by other users on Lil Miquela’s social media pages. As the robot looks deceptively like a human female, the robot receives online treatment that mimics that of human women. Utilizing …

Response Maintenance By Mediated Reinforcement With Forced Alternation Of Reinforcement Opportunities, Kento Yasukawa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Three experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of mediated reinforcement –reinforcers delivered to either of two co-actors by the responses of the other co-actor, but independently of the responses of the co-actor receiving the reinforcer– on the maintenance of responding of the co-actors. In each experiment, using a discrete-trials procedure, responding and receiving reinforcers alternated between co-actors. In Experiment 1, the alternation followed each reinforcer. Also investigated in this experiment were the effects of the presence and absence of social stimuli and of the role of reinforcement delays on individual responding. The number of consecutive reinforcer deliveries to either …

Effects Of Combined Ethanol And Nicotine Administration On Delay Discounting In Male And Female Sprague-Dawley Rats, Rebecca Lillian Chalme

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ethanol (EtOH) and nicotine (NIC) are among the most commonly used and co-used drugs in the world. Co-use occurs in people who use one or both drugs chronically, but also in people who only consume one or both drugs acutely, often in a “bingeing and chipping” pattern. Given that each drug on its own has previously been shown to affect impulsive choice in delay-discounting procedures, with some indication that drug effects could vary by sex, the purpose of the present experiments was to investigate effects of combined EtOH and NIC at a range of dose combinations on delay discounting in …

Evaluation Of Commission And Omission Errors During Differential Reinforcement Of Other Behavior, Lindsey M. Hronek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) is a reinforcement schedule that commonly includes the delivery of a reinforcer following an interval during which a target behavior did not occur and extinction (i.e., the reinforcer is withheld following any instances of the target behavior). Although interventions using DRO schedules can decrease target behavior when implemented as designed, little is known about the efficacy of DRO interventions when they include fidelity errors. A growing field of literature has demonstrated different ways fidelity errors can affect the outcomes of other interventions (e.g., DRA, response cost, and skill acquisition). One study by Foreman et …

The Mental Health Outcomes Of First-Generation Collegiate Clients Compared To Their Non-First-Generation Peers, Cassandra Rose Homick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Numerous research studies have investigated the mental health concerns and needs of college students. However, there is a need for additional research to understand the unique presenting mental health concerns of first-generation college students at university counseling centers in the US. The current study was a non-experimental exploratory research study that utilized secondary data analysis to examine and compare the sociodemographic profiles, mental health needs, and presenting problems of first-generation students compared to their non-first-generation peers at university counseling centers (UCCs) in the US. In Part One of the study, comparisons were drawn between first-generation and non-first-generation collegiate clients on …

Social Comparison Theory: The Effects Athletic Influencers Have On An Appalachian Generation Z Men Audience, Aaron David Dickens

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Many studies have highlighted how social comparison can influence self-efficacy for exercise, body dissatisfaction, and motivation to exercise, especially on social media; in addition, several studies have supported how attitude toward exercise and confidence toward exercise correlate with one another. However, these dependent variables have not been examined in the context of Generation Z men in Appalachia. Despite the lack of literature on this demographic, it is important to study Generation Z Appalachian men because of the frequent health problems this demographic faces, such as obesity. Therefore, this pretest-posttest between-subjects lab experiment investigated how an athletic influencer on social media …

Correlates Of Mental Health Clinician Self-Awareness And Insight Of Attitudes Toward Older Adults, Susan L. Mcinvale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOlder adults (ages 65 and older) are expected to increase in the United States by over 70 million by the year 2030. The older adult population requires specialized medical and mental health services to address the needs related to aging. Mental health clinicians trained to address these needs may help older adults to utilize mental health counseling. Self-awareness of attitudes, insight, and knowledge may be skills that affect the attitudes of mental health clinicians toward older adults. Previous research has found that mental health clinicians who engage in self-awareness during a counseling session may improve counseling competency; however, little research …

Effects Of Supermax On Inmate Mental Health: Phenomenological Experiences Of Knowledgeable Professionals, Lea Michelle Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It may or may not be true that the conditions and practices associated with supermax sentencing are both creating and exacerbating psychological harm for the inmates who are exposed to them. To date, there is evidence that both supports and refutes the contention that supermax sentencing is psychologically harmful; thus, the literature necessitates additional research into this phenomenon. This qualitative study was conducted to add to the extant body of knowledge relevant to supermax prisons and populations by exploring the lived experiences of professionals who have worked with them. This research was conceptually based in the current understanding of social …

Male Sexual Offender Recidivism Impact On Sex Crime Investigations, Jessica Ann Muccione

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this research was to explore how male sexual offender recidivism impacted sex crime investigations. Recidivism is a widely recognized social problem that affects all of society. Understanding the influence that male sex offender recidivism may have on a sex crime investigation is key to recognizing its relationship to recidivism. The methodology used in this study was a basic qualitative inquiry to explore how male sex offender recidivism impacts sex crime investigations. Based on Hirschi’s social bond theory, the study addressed ways a sexual offender may conform to societal requirements through attachments and personal values. The application of …

Sexually Transmitted Disease Awareness Amongst Adolescents 13 To 18 Years Of Age, Ngwanma Nwokoro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Sexually transmitted infections or diseases (STIs/STDs) acquired through sexual activities lead to compromised sexual health. The adolescent population is at high risk of acquiring STIs/STDs due to their lack of knowledge. The gap in practice was that the nurse practitioners (NPs) were deficient in standard of care; adolescent patients lacked consistent evaluation, education, or documentation of the education in their medical records. The practice-focused question focused on the evaluation of the effectiveness of a quality improvement (QI) initiative that incorporated the use of the American Association for Pediatrics screening and Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) treatment guidelines …

A Staff Education Project On The Administration Of Clinical Practice Guidelines For The Treatment Of Obesity And Overweight Children And Adolescents, Emilia Ochiabuto Okoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractObesity among children and adolescents has reached epidemic proportions in the United States (U.S). Nurses in pediatric settings have a critical role to play in assessing and managing childhood obesity. The partner site for this project has a childhood obesity rate of 35% compared to the national average of 19%. However, the nursing staff lacked adequate knowledge, competence, and confidence in assessing and managing childhood obesity in line with the recommended guidelines. The problem was addressed by implementing the Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Obesity and Overweight Children and Adolescents via an education program. The program’s content was …

Wvu Core Arboretum User Motivations, Demographics, And Satisfaction: A Snapshot From Summer Of 2022 To Spring Of 2023, Bennett F. Phillips

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper presents a comprehensive examination of user motivations, demographics, and satisfaction levels at the West Virginia University (WVU) Core Arboretum during the period spanning from the summer of 2022 to the spring of 2023. Green spaces across the United States have seen an increase in public attention in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and are actively seeking to capitalize on the renewed interest. Seeking to aid the WVU Core Arboretum in garnering renewed public interest, this study utilized a survey comprising sections on user perceptions, demographics, satisfaction, and usage that garnered 182 responses.

Demographic analysis of the survey …

Love, Life, And Controversial Topics: A Content Analysis Of The Top Liked Abortion Tiktok Videos Before And After The Overturning Of Roe V. Wade, Jill E. Sturges

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

TikTok is a trendy social media platform that has attracted billions of monthly users. Anyone can post a short video about their interests, beauty, relationships, travel, and controversial topics if they are 13 or older. Many young adults turn to social media platforms, such as TikTok, to help them make decisions regarding their everyday lives and to discuss controversial topics, such as abortion. The concern with social media content is the misinformation and disinformation that can spread rapidly across the globe with a click of a button. Numerous studies have begun to examine social media platforms for the accuracy of …

Advancing Prosthetic Design Using Neural And Mechanical Dynamics, Kacie E. Hanna

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Limb loss poses a significant challenge to mobility and the performance of daily activities. Currently, nearly half of the amputees using powered prosthetics abandon their device due to inadequate limb coordination and movement control abilities. In the healthy system, passive and neural dynamics facilitate the synchronized activation of muscles necessary for coordinated movement. However, in the amputee, the system is disrupted. The goal of this research is to use neural and mechanical dynamics to inform the design of prosthetic devices in order to restore intuitive control and coordinated limb movement.

The first aim of this research is to investigate neural …

Comparing Activity-Based Market Segments On The George Washington And Jefferson National Forests Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Eric Eugene Snyder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Understanding market segments in forest-based tourism and their dynamics is integral for the tourism industry's ability to adapt and thrive in the ever-evolving market. The purpose of this research is to determine how recreation participation changed over a five-year period in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests before and during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Data were collected via the National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) surveys in fiscal years 2016 and 2021. NVUM surveys are on-site exit interview surveys that produce descriptive information about forest visitors. NVUM utilizes a stratified random sampling methodology that captures data across different use levels, …

Outdoor Recreation Participation: Negotiation Strategies For Overcoming Constraints Related To Race, Ethnicity And Gender In Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Larissa Martins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

By understanding the demographics of those participating in outdoor recreation, and identifying who is using these resources, managers can effectively create opportunities for underrepresented communities. Previous research had underscored the innumerous benefits related to coastal outdoor recreation activities, from human well-being to local socio-economic benefits. This study is divided into two papers that both took place in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The purpose of the first paper was to investigate the constraints that minority groups related to gender, race and ethnicity groups face prior participation in coastal activities, along with negotiation strategies that are employed in order to overcome …

Public-School Superintendents’ Perceptions Of Trauma-Informed School Assumptions And Principles, Denise Gay Presnell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that trauma-informed practices in schools can increase student performance and well-being. School social workers are well-suited to bring these practices to their system but are most successful when partnering with public-school superintendents. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand public-school superintendents’ perceptions of trauma-informed school assumptions and principles. The study was guided by four assumptions for trauma-informed care, six principles for trauma-informed schools, ecological systems theory, and empowerment theory. Research questions were designed to ask participants about their experiences of trauma in their schools, their perceptions of the assumptions and principles, the benefits and challenges …

Retention And Persistence Of Low-Income, First-Generation Rural College Students From West Virginia, Rachel D. Nieman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A considerable body of research demonstrates that first-generation college students face greater obstacles to college retention, persistence and completion compared to their non-first-generation counterparts. However, the extant literature rarely explores rurality as a salient factor to understand these challenges. Even less visible in the literature are the experiences and voices of West Virginians. West Virginia is a predominantly rural state and ranks 49^th in the nation in terms of educational attainment, with only 19.6% of residents over the age of 25 having earned at least a bachelor’s degree. While rural areas may experience multifaceted struggles, the educational attainment of …

Influence Of Staffing Shortages On Safety And Communication In Behavioral Health, Raven Brittany Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At the selected behavioral health organization (BHO), leaders desire to improve patient safety and staff communication to provide quality mental health services. They need strategies to achieve these goals. The Baldrige Excellence Framework was used to identify the workforce challenges and practices that facility leaders can potentially use to improve performance to help achieve success, sustainability, and the mission of the BHO. The data sources consisted of (a) semistructured interviews with the CEO, the leader of the intake department, an intake therapist, an intake coordinator, and an RN and (b) reviews of the BHO’s website, and pertinent academic literature. Data …

Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Instructional Coaching, Judith Salazar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional coaching focuses on increasing the effectiveness of instructional practices. However, little is known concerning the perceptions of teachers and administrators regarding the role of instructional coaching related to student performance. This basic qualitative study was conducted to analyze the perceptions of administrators and teachers within one region in Texas. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 participants—eight administrators and eight teachers—using a researcher-designed questionnaire regarding the effectiveness of instructional coaching in addressing achievement gaps among African American, Hispanic, and European American students. Fullan’s coherence framework provided the basis for data analysis. Data collected from the interviews were analyzed and four …

Heterogeneity Of Rules In Bayesian Reasoning: A Toolbox Analysis, Jan K. Woike, Ralph Hertwig, Gerd Gigerenzer

School of Psychology

How do people infer the Bayesian posterior probability from stated base rate, hit rate, and false alarm rate? This question is not only of theoretical relevance but also of practical relevance in medical and legal settings. We test two competing theoretical views: single-process theories versus toolbox theories. Single-process theories assume that a single process explains people’s inferences and have indeed been observed to fit people’s inferences well. Examples are Bayes’s rule, the representativeness heuristic, and a weighing-and-adding model. Their assumed process homogeneity implies unimodal response distributions. Toolbox theories, in contrast, assume process heterogeneity, implying multimodal response distributions. After analyzing response …